Shelby Means & Maya de Vitry

 

Born in the bluegrass of Kentucky and raised on Wyoming’s high plains, Shelby Means is one of the foremost bassists in bluegrass, with nearly two decades of experience in bluegrass, folk, rock, Americana, and country outfits. Now based in Charleston, SC, Means spent a dozen years in Nashville, TN. During that time she performed most notably as a member of the GRAMMY®-nominated all-women bluegrass band Della Mae. She later joined Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway on bass and vocals, earning her first GRAMMY® win for their 2023 album, City of Gold.

Means is a driving player with a deep pocket, a singular stage presence, and a magnetic, centered approach to the upright bass. Beyond her work on the instrument, she’s also an accomplished songwriter and a heartfelt vocalist whose voice is rooted in tradition while authentically her own. With her debut solo music Means invites listeners to experience the same soulful presence and adventurous spirit she has built her career on. Her singing and playing has been heard across the country and around the world, from NPR’s airwaves, the Grand Ole Opry, Bonnaroo, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and Newport Folk to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Kazakhstan, Australia, and beyond.

 

Originally from Lancaster, PA, Maya de Vitry is a Nashville-based artist whose music blurs the lines of folk, indie rock, and Americana. An admirer of the dedicated song craft of writers like John Prine, Gillian Welch, and Townes Van Zandt — and of the stirring vocals of artists like Bonnie Raitt and Nina Simone — Maya de Vitry’s music invites listeners into a space of openness and connection.

After a formative chapter with the roots-Americana trio The Stray Birds, she launched her solo career with the 2019 album Adaptations, earning praise from Rolling Stone Country, NPR Music, and No Depression. Since then, she has built a devoted following, drawn to both her recordings and her powerful live performances. Known for her magnetic voice and hard-won sense of purpose, Maya has toured in North America and Europe, supporting artists like The Wood Brothers, Aoife O’Donovan, John Craigie, and Mighty Poplar. Her songs have also appeared on albums by Molly Tuttle, Lindsay Lou, and Steve Poltz, and her skills as a multi-instrumentalist and harmony singer have contributed to many Nashville recordings.

 

Her fourth full-length release in just six years, The Only Moment, is a 10-track testament to personal reinvention and creative growth. “I’m not just making different music now. It feels like I’m breathing in a different atmosphere,” she reflects on her evolution from The Stray Birds to her solo journey. Her sense of liberation is especially apparent in her live shows, which have become a space for spontaneity, peace, and freedom, often woven together with personal stories that connect the songs. “After the show, I just want to know if I’ve helped you feel more free,” Maya says. “That’s my unspoken agreement—to myself, my bandmates, and everyone in the audience.”