Tenci saw an opening, and grasped it. With Days Go By, the local singer/songwriter Jess Shoman brought together 21 of her fellow Chicago musicians to put together a compilation benefiting two uplifting organizations in our community: Brave Space Alliance and Black and Pink Chi, who are helping our disadvantaged and incarcerated LGBTQI POC with their many and varied charitable endeavors. Days Go By is a beautiful collection of tunes from some of our favorite artists including Mia Joy, Izzy True, Sima Cunningham, Joey Nebulous, Henry Hank, Liam Kazar, Fran, and so many more. We got a chance to speak with Shoman over email about the project. Please consider purchasing the compilation on bandcamp or donating directly to these important organizations.

JS: Jess Shoman

Was this a project that was planned before the crisis, or did you put this together in a short amount of time? 

JS: No this project wasn't planned before the crisis. It was put together in a very short amount of time! About less than week. Out of boredom I had put up a Instagram story of me playing a song I'd just written really quickly and opened the floor for people to add in parts. A very good handful of talented musicians reached out and we made the first song on the album "Bugs". After those people reached out and were really excited to be able to work on something during this time, it sparked this feeling in me that other people might be excited to do the same.

Many of these songs are mellow, with a very distinct vibe that all fits together quite well. Did you curate the record this way? And how do you hope to make the listener feel with these tracks?

JS: I didn't intentionally put it together in this way, but I think it just came to be that way based off my music taste and the people I've gotten to know within the short time I've been involved in the music community here. I wanted to have a good mix of sounds, but truly didn't know what type of song each person was going to contribute.  It was all such a pleasant surprise! When I listen to these songs my heart swells with hope and joy, and I hope other listeners get some of that feeling too. 

You ended up with 21 artists on 19 tracks. How many artists did you contact to be a part of this project? 

JS: I contacted about 26 total.

What does helping out organizations like Brave Space Alliance and Black and Pink Chi mean to you?

JS: These organizations are doing such important work, for people who are oppressed and unrepresented. They're leading the charge and developing programming for LGBTQI POC to build toward their liberation. It was really hard for me to decide which places/people to help during a time where so many are in need of aid, but for me it made the most sense to focus on orgs who are consistently working with people who didn't have access to certain things even before the pandemic. 

Since COVID-19 has continued to rear its head, Brave Space Alliance has opened crisis pantries where people can request aid. They've also just recently launched a COVID-19 Relief Fund for trans, non-binary and intersex individuals. Black and Pink Chi are working to abolish prisons, and especially in this time when incarcerated folk's health are at high risk. It's become pretty clear that without mass release we are going to see mass death within prisons. They've started to encourage emergency phone zaps to call the Illinois department of corrections to demand the release of prisoners, some of whom are dying or in critical condition because of the virus. Incarcerated members do not have the access and support they need in the midst of all of this, and Black and Pink are working to gather these resources and take care of them. 

It's so important to me that organizations like this continue to have the resources they need to keep doing what they do. My hope for this project was to create even the smallest ripple in the pond: spreading awareness, collecting funding for more resources through donations, and encouraging people to help in anyway big or small. 

When the quarantine is over is there any thoughts on a show to bring some of these artists together to help raise funds for these important organizations? This would be an amazing festival lineup! (just saying...)

JS: I haven't thought of that, but now you have my wheels spinning… (CCS: WE’LL HELP! JUST LET US KNOW!)

What is the first thing you'll do when we can all go outside again!

JS: Have a big picnic on the beach with all my friends.