He formed the band the Wounded Knees with former Mercury Rev flutist Suzanne Thorpe in 2001.
Shields is one of five siblings born to a mother who worked as a nurse and a food-industry executive father.
Shields started playing drums as a teenager with lessons from Brian Downey of Thin Lizzy.
He played on, co-produced and wrote much of their debut 1993 Shoulder Voices LP, as well as on the Novice (1992), Trophy (1993), and Threshold (1994) EPs.
[citation needed] While in Chicago, he formed Lotus Crown, and released Chokin' on the Jokes on Reprise Records in 1997.