Part of the Stones Throw family, Silas Short is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer to whom '90s R&B -- the Soulquarians-led neo-soul era in particular -- is the most evident inspiration. The Los Angeles-based Midwest native has been active since the late 2010s, during which he made strong connections with the Ruby Yacht collective. Drawing, an EP of dulcet R&B ballads merging a guitar-led soul-jazz combo aesthetic with mellow hip-hop, was his first solo project, issued in 2021. Short appeared on a handful of recordings by artists such as Sudan Archives before he offered Lushland, a 2025 album debut of emotionally resonant progressive R&B captured in soft focus. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Silas Short was inspired to become a musician by his father and older brother, while his mother, who died when he was six years old, likewise influenced his listening habits. Self-taught, Short started playing guitar in a gospel band and eventually took up saxophone as his interest in music diversified to include indie rock. Before he turned 20, he moved to Chicago and established himself as an all-around musician. The year of his relocation, Short injured his left hand to an extent that he developed an alternate guitar technique. He fell in with R.A.P. Ferreira's Ruby Yacht label and collective, and at the tail-end of the 2010s contributed to Ruby Yacht recordings by Safari Al and Kenny Segal. He also toured as part of a group that performed atop the bus they used to travel across the country. Short made his Stones Throw solo debut in June 2021 with "Cloudy June," a mellow introduction to his sincere songwriting, soothing voice, and silky guitar playing. The song was made with fellow musician/producer Jackson Shepard, as was the whole of Drawing, a subsequent EP issued that October. That year, Short also experienced a loss that prompted him to relocate to Los Angeles, home to Stones Throw. Short continued to work with other artists, including labelmate Sudan Archives. In 2024, he released the first previews of his debut full-length -- including "ILikeU," featuring keyboards from the Roots' James Poyser -- and contributed a faithful cover of the Uniques' rocksteady nugget "My Conversation" to the soundtrack of the widely acclaimed film A Real Pain. The following May, Short delivered Lushland, featuring collaborations with the L.A.-based Ryan James Carr, Julius Rodriguez, Luke Titus, Daniel Salka, and YungMorpheus, as well as Shepard. - Biography by Andy Kellman