From Rock to Lullabies and Back Again

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Sheri Field has roots in music that extend as deep as her roots in the Palisades do.

“My great-grandmother owned a chain of silent movie theaters in Illinois and my family played the music behind the screen,” she shared. “My great-grandma played the drums and my grandma used to sing before the shows as a little girl.”

Sheri explained that the rest of her family is very musical as well—her dad plays guitar and sings; he was in a band with his brother when he was younger. She learned all about jazz and blues from her grandmother.

“Music was always in our house,” she said. “I grew up playing piano and taking voice lessons, I was always in choirs.”

Born in Chicago, Sheri moved to California at the age of 5, arriving in Pacific Palisades in 1986.

“My dad moved around with his business for a while before we settled here,” Sheri explained.

She then made her way through local schools. First Marquez, then Paul Revere, and finally a brief stint at Pali before finishing up at a private school.

“I love the community,” Sheri said. “It’s hard for me to leave.”

So, she didn’t, and now, Sheri lives in Marquez Knolls with her husband, Kevin, and their three kids.

Kevin and Sheri met in 1999—he had just moved to the area from Boston. The couple will celebrate 17 years of marriage this July.

“He was a musician, but that’s not how we met,” Sheri explained. “When we connected, we realized we were both musicians.”

Kevin was also raised in a musical household, growing up playing in bands. When Sheri met him, he was playing solo shows with his guitar around Los Angeles.

After they got together, Sheri and Kevin formed their first band: Marquez.

“We used to rehearse in our garage,” Sheri recalled. “We were in a rock band for a while and played around LA, we played in the Palisades a few times,” including a show at Pearl Dragon.

Sheri and Kevin put Marquez and music on pause when they had their kids. With the kids only two years apart and one set of twins, Sheri explained that the Field household had three under 3 for a while.

But now the two are back, and this time, they are releasing music with their band Shevin.

“We built a studio in our house,” Sheri said of their return to music, “and when our kids got a little bit older, we would go downstairs to the studio and we started writing again.”

Shevin recorded an eight-song EP in their home studio, which was produced by another longtime resident of the Palisades and Sheri’s childhood friend, Phil Margaziotis.

“We finished the recording and then we decided, you know we would really love to play again,” Sheri said.

Playing a show at The Mayfair Hotel in downtown the day after Thanksgiving gave the two the bug again. And then, after seeing a show at The Draycott, the band then played a show of their own at the Palisades Village restaurant, which Sheri described as an “amazing experience.”

“A lot of people came out—old and new friends,” she said.

Sheri explained that her and Kevin have been playing with drummer Adam Gust. She sings and plays piano, while Kevin sings and plays guitar.

“It kind of went rock band, lullabies and then back to music again,” Sheri said with a laugh of their progression as a couple and as musicians. They still rock out together, they just wait until after 8:30 p.m. when the kids are in bed.

Sheri described the sound of Shevin as Americana, a blend of rock, blues, jazz, pop and a little bit of country.

“It’s kind of all in one,” she added. “My background is blues and jazz, Kevin is rock and classic rock, so it kind of blends together a little bit.”

Sheri explained that the experience of playing with her husband is different than two people who did not know each other as well, in part because they do not hold back when sharing pointers and tips for improvement. She said the two of them are comfortable together, that their voices complement each other.

With live shows on pause due to COVID-19, Shevin has been relying on livestreaming to share their music on Friday nights. Timing is shared across their social media ahead of the start, allowing them to reach a wide audience checking in from around the country.

“It’s really been wonderful,” Sheri said of having the outlet. “We feel lucky we can do it together.”

Sheri added that she knows some of her friends in bands who are trying to piece together performances while adhering to social distancing measures, so her and Kevin are lucky to be able to livestream together from their home.

Though the two took a break the past few weeks, as of Friday, June 12, they are back.

“We’ve gotten really great feedback,” Sheri said. “One of our livestreams had more than 1,000 views. Family and friends and fans we’ve gained over this time have been watching all over the country … It’s been encouraging for this time in music where everything kind of stopped.”

In between homeschooling their three kids, Sheri and Kevin have found time to write music and get back to recording.

“It’s been definitely a challenge, but we’re trying to keep the music alive,” Sheri said. “These livestreams have been really great in that sense.”

The two also share the love music with their three kids, all who seem to be developing their own interests in music.

“They kind of don’t have a choice, they have to love music,” Sheri joked. “Fortunately, they do love it, my son is teaching himself to play piano—it’s just amazing—my girls love to sing, they sing all day long.”

Sheri said that her son is also an “incredible drummer,” that he sat down at the age of 4 and quickly picked it up.

Most weeks, Sheri and Kevin spend between six and 10 hours at the studio, both with and without the kids. They try to spend three to five nights a week for at least an hour, depending how tired they are, with more time on the weekends.

“It’s pretty special to have something like that with your partner,” she said. “Just that passion that we can do together, [with] the stress of parenting and everyday life and stuff, that we can go downstairs after the day is done and play music. It’s really a beautiful thing. I feel lucky to have it for sure.”

Follow Shevin or check in for a livestream via Instagram @shevin_music, fb.me/shevinmusic or youtube.com/user/kevinlloydfield.