Musician Shanna In A Dress — On A Bike — Rides Into Wayland

WAYLAND, MA — It's not often that a touring musician makes a stop in Wayland, and even less often that they roll up on a bicycle.

On Tuesday, the W Gallery will host a performance by Colorado-based singer-songwriter Shanna In A Dress. She's touring the country this summer mostly on her bike, playing dozens of shows from Astoria, Ore., to Wayland, and also raising money for the Pangea World Foundation.

Shanna chose her in-a-dress persona because she's "a lover of dresses" — and she thought her real name, Shanna Hoar, might be off-putting to some audiences. The name also underscores the quirk in her folky tunes, which she describes as "Jason Mraz mixed with Ingrid Michaelson with a twist of Phoebe Buffay from 'Friends.'"

"My little tag line is, 'quirky folk pop from a quirky millennial who sucks at dating,'" she said recently while on a bicycle break in Missouri.

Shanna, 32, got her start as a musician while a student at the University of Virginia, which has a history of turning out alternative musicians like Pavement founders Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich, David Berman of the Silver Jews and Yo La Tengo bassist James McNew.

Her first performance was just walking around her dorm singing a song about how she'd be a perfect girlfriend. She continued to write songs for friends, but didn't have a live performance until her junior year.

"I wasn't even thinking I was going to become a folk singer," she said. "But I felt really at home on stage. That was at least the initial spark of, 'I need to do this.' Since then that feeling has only grown in strength."

She's now found a home in Boulder, Colo., but has also found connections online through her YouTube channel. Through her online network, she's connected with fans who have helped her set up shows. Apart from Wayland, she's also playing at venues in Lawrence, Westford, Dedham and Somerville in September.

The bike tour will also precede the release of her debut album, "Robot." And don't be surprised if you see Shanna hop off her bike and head right into the show, which has happened a few times during the tour.

"I wanted to do something exciting to celebrate it and spread it, and I thought how cool would it be if I biked across the U.S.?" she said.

If you go ...

Shanna in a Dress
w/Erin Ash Sullivan
Aug. 31, 7:30 p.m., $15
W Gallery, 57 Andrew Ave., Wayland