Yung Sham

Yung Sham

Yung Sham

Philly wunderkind songwriter Elijah Sheppard began writing and recording as Yung Sham in his early years of high school – by the age of 16, he was already a staple of Philadelphia’s renowned DIY scene. Noted for his wide vocabulary of melody and phrasings, and uncompromised sincerity, the now-20 year-old has just released his second full-length album, This One Time at Bandcamp… While his debut, World of Color, touched on the growing pains of adolescent angst and confusion, his new record zeroes in on the realities of young adulthood. These songs weave in and out of childlike fantasy and world-weary cynicism, with a thoughtful sense of duality as the result. This One Time at Bandcamp… shares collaborators with, among others, Euphoria Again, Pet, Snoozer, and (Sandy) Alex G – the outcome is a more polished version of Yung Sham with a palette wider than ever. Sheppard borrows from all generations of punk, indie, and classic rock, as well as his peers in Philadelphia’s rich music community. His performances are based in perfectionism and carried by his natural charisma, beaming from a young artist filled with ambition. Live sets vary, ranging from solo to full-band as well as other arrangements in between. In 2019, Yung Sham conducted an international tour for the first time, performing a successful run of seven shows in Amsterdam, Paris, and the UK. Of the experience, Sheppard says, “I learned a lot about playing music to total strangers from different cultures and adapting to every new environment. Seeing new places and meeting new people was incredible and I want to do it forever.”