Deena Shoshkes began her music career as co-founder of The Cucumbers, a leading band in the 80s indie pop scene in Hoboken, NJ, with reviews in Rolling Stone and People Magazine and videos on MTV.
When she had kids, Deena started Over The Moon, (with friend and fellow Hoboken musician Alice Genese) an original rock and roll band for children. From there, Deena’s music evolved in two directions: an obsession with songwriting, leading to covers of her songs by Jackson Browne, Dar Williams and others, and a passion for experimental recordings which found their way into films, network TV and also a new identity, releasing a cd as RockDownBaby (lo-fi dance pop),
Two solo albums followed, "Somewhere in Blue" (2008) and "Rock RIver" (2014),blending alt country and indie pop.. A third solo album is in the works, featuring songs that reach into the roots of American music, without nostalgia, mixed with a bit of Jersey rock, party spirit, inimitable vocal harmonies, innovative production and, as ever, a wink and a twinkle.
Deena is a member of The Campfire Flies (all-acoustic folk rock), which includes an all-star line-up of New Jersey indie rockers and songwriters. Their debut album “Sparks Like Little Stars” was released in March, 2019. She is co-host of the long-standing Saturday Afternoon Song Swap music series and is a member of the TaikoZoku drumming ensemble.
In addition to playing in bands Deena is obsessed with quirky home recordings, and releases them on occasion, most recently "Dear Leader" and "The Mueller Report."
Brand new in October, 2020, is "Some Days" a two-sided single with her favorite local rock band, The Poor Man's Opera and a video for "Dance The Night Away" created with Jon Fried.
Deena's songwriting has been called "direct and artful," by the New York Times, her voice "…incredible: kidstuff and wisdom merged," by the Village Voice.