Based in Ocean Beach and inspired by punk and grunge bands of the 1990s, Shepherd's Glen began as the solo project of bassist, guitarist, songwriter, producer, and engineer Ken Rojas, who moved to San Diego from Queens, NYC in early 2014. "It's been a while since I've gigged out, I've spent the bulk of the last few years in the studio," he told the Reader.
An EP called Songs From California (Socal Sounds) was released in early 2015, featuring new tracks along with acoustic versions of two songs ("Bottom of a Glass" and "Shot in the Dark") from the first EP.
A lyric video for the song "Shot in the Dark" was released in April 2015, previewing Born From a Wish, featuring six new tracks plus "some new takes on old favorites."
"Much like our band name, Born from a Wish is a reference to the Silent Hill games enjoyed by the band," says Rojas. "We do our best to make music that's enjoyable, while telling a story at the same time. With the new EP, we're going back to our punk/grunge roots, so music lovers can expect some heavy-hitting guitar and drum-driven music."
Rojas eventually introduced collaborators into his sound. "Since the beginning, Shepherd's Glen has been a solo project of mine, and continues to be so for the time being," he told the Reader in 2018. "But I have several video projects planned for the music as well as seeking and recruiting others that are interesting in being part of the project as well as contributing to new music going forward. So for now, Shepherd's Glen will continue to be an online and digital presence."
The 2018 album, Monsters Inside Me, was "three years in the making. The 14-track album tackles subjects like love, loss. depression, mental health, and suicide. All the songs, with the exception of one, was written by myself. The album artwork represents the protagonist of the album looking into the mirror and facing her inner demons. The story behind the album is inspired by close personally friends of mine that struggled with depression that led me to write the music."
The album features guest vocals from Heather Lee Marvin. "Heather is the lead vocalist of New York-based Crowd the Airwaves, and I played in a band with Heather when I lived back in Queens. She sang and co-wrote track six, 'Pretty Little Tease.'"
"There is one cover song on the album, [Tears For Fears'] 'Mad World,' as made popular by Gary Jules. I decided to record the song after the tragic shooting in Paris a couple years back. It was the only way I could make sense of the craziness seeming to take of the world."