Folly’s own Shelby Means releases self-titled bluegrass album
by Miranda Steadman | Contributing Writer
Grammy winner and Folly Beach resident Shelby Means poured her heart out into the songs she recorded on her new self-titled album. Recorded at Parlor Studio in Nashville, the album kicks off with a song that she wrote in college after a breakup, titled “Streets of Boulder”.
It was while in college that Means formed High Altitude Bluegrass band, which included her brother Jacob Means on mandolin. The band performed “Streets of Boulder” in Nitra, Slovakia where they represented the United States at an International Folk Music contest.
“That was one of the first times I got to travel with music,” says Means. “We didn’t know the language, but I learned that music was the universal language.”
Since then, “Streets of Boulder” has been played live by Means’ regular band, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, for whom Means won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album last year for the album City of Gold.
“It was a huge honor and felt really validating for us, like all of our hard work is paying off and our peers are recognizing us,” says Means, whose brother plays mandolin on the recording of “Streets of Boulder” alongside Bryan Sutton on guitar, Rob Block on banjo, and City of Gold producer Jerry Douglas on dobro. Bronwyn Keith-Hynes joins in on fiddle, while Molly Tuttle and Kyle Tuttle sing harmonies. Means sings and plays bass on the track.
“I put the band together from people I knew on the scene,” says Means.
The track “Up On The Mountain” is about a family that had lost everything except for love. She wrote the song while her friend Langhorne Slim strummed his guitar at a cabin in North Carolina. Legendary bluegrass mandolinist Sam Bush plays on the track and for six other songs on the album.
“He’s one of the best in the business and a hero of mine,” says Means.
They recorded the song in March of 2024, before Hurricane Helene destroyed large portions of the the western part of the state.
“I will never be able to hear the song in the same way,” says Means.
“Suitcase Blues” was written in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Means and her husband, musician Joel Timmons of local rock band Sol Driven Train, were living in Nashville at the time and frustrated at not being able to attend shows, jam sessions, or their favorite coffee shops.
“It made Joel realize that he wanted to be around family and the ocean,” she says.
But on the song, you can’t help but feel Means’ wariness to leave a music community that she’d rooted herself to and head east to the coast.
Twelve-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Fiddle Player of the Year Michael Cleveland plays on “Suitcase Blues.”
“His fiddle brings so much energy to the song, like little fills that start a fire,” says Means.
Even her former neighbor back in Nashville, Billy Strings, agreed to sing harmony on the track.
“Billy’s voice and energy mixing with mine and the sentiment of the song paint a vivid picture of chasing down a dream on the open road,” Means says.
The next track on the album is “Wild Tiger Style,” a fiery remix of an original tune Means and Timmons wrote together for their band Sally & George.
The Song “5 String Wake Up Call” is an ode to Mean’s father, Warrie Means, who would wake her up by playing banjo in the morning.
“When I first started visualizing this record, I knew I wanted to write a song as a thank you to my dad for the way he encouraged me to become a grasser,” she says., listen out for Bluegrass legend Del McCoury’s son Ronnie McCoury’s harmonies with David Grisman’s son Sam Grisman on the track.
Speaking of famous fathers, Means pays homage to the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, by recording his and George Jones cover of “Old Old House.” It’s not the only cover on the album. Means also includes a sultry, grass-covered version of “Million Reasons” by Lady Gaga.
In the tune “Farm Girl”, Means sings,” She’s got more curls than a watermelon vine.” The song, which was co-written with South Carolina native Mac Leaphart, brings her back to working on a cattle ranch while attending high school in Wyoming.
“I tapped some of my oldest gal pals from Nashville, Kelsey Waldon and Rachel Baiman, to sing harmony,” she says. The three started a band in the early 2010s called Kryptonite Puss.
The closing song on Mean’s new album is simply titled “Joy.” It’s a sweet tune that she has been playing live a lot lately. On this song, Means collaborated with musician Samantha Sidwell, who was touring with Brandi Carlisle at the time. Written during the pandemic, “Joy” offered Means a bit of hope and helped her create community in Charleston.
Means will perform live for the release party of her new album on the deck at The Charleston Pour House on Saturday, June 7. She will be followed on the main stage by her producer, Maya de Vitry, who also appears on Means’ album singing harmony. Later this summer, Means returns to The Charleston Pour House to split the bill with her friend and fiddle player Bronwyn Keith-Hynes on Friday, Aug. 22.
“Joel and I might pop up on a Monday night (June 9) at Chico Feo because George [Fox] is so accommodating and happy to host,” Means says. “He has an eye and ear for music, and he has cultivated an event that people want to come to.”
No matter whether she’s traveling from Wyoming or Nashville to Charleston or Folly, Shelby Means will undoubtedly have a suitcase full of songs and a tune in her heart.
