EXCLUSIVE: Shelby Means Announces Debut Solo Album for May with Playful Bluegrass Banger 'Farm Girl' Featuring Kelsey Waldon and Rachel Baiman
By Jof Owen
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If you think you recognise Shelby Means, that's because you almost definitely do. The bassist, vocalist and songwriter has been everywhere. Crossed the deserts bare, breathed the mountain air and all that; of travel she's certainly had her share. Most notably in recent years, she's been playing bass with Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, touring the world and winning a GRAMMY with them for their 2023 album, City of Gold, and before that she played with the bluegrass band Della Mae, with whom she visited nearly 30 countries.
Born in the bluegrass state of Kentucky and raised on Wyoming’s high plains, she was bit by the bluegrass bug early and grew up playing with her family, moving to Nashville after college, where she began to make a name for herself playing the upright bass. Now based in Charleston, SC, Means is also one half of roots duo Sally & George with her husband and collaborator, Sol Driven Train’s Joel Timmons, and she co-founded another group, Lover’s Leap, with Timmons, Mary Lucey, and Billy Cardine.
Perhaps the only thing she hasn't done as a bassist, band member, artist and side musician after all these years, is release a solo record. Until now that is. On 30th May, Shelby Means will put out her debut, self-titled LP. This time her famous friends are backing her up as she steps into the spotlight. Produced by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Maya De Vitry, the album also features star turns from Billy Strings, Kyle and Molly Tuttle, Sam Bush, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Bryan Sutton, Billy Contreras, Sam Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Tim O’Brien, Michael Cleveland and Means’ brother, Jacob.
“I always knew I wanted my first solo album to be bluegrass,” Means explains. “I never left bluegrass, but I certainly have explored other styles – like with Sally & George – but I kept dreaming of my time in Nashville and how I used to love to host jam sessions and invite my friends and neighbors.”
“I didn’t feel like I had to stick with one band for the whole thing,” Means adds. “I wanted it to feel like my favorite chili pickin’ parties, jams where I would make a pot of chili, invite friends over, and play music for hours.”
Two of those friends and neighbours from Nashville are coming over to sing back up on the first taste of the album, 'Farm Girl,' as Kelsey Waldon and Rachel Baiman add their unmistakable all-star harmonies to the song.
A sapphic fantasy about a Wrangler wearing, pickle canning, hot and sweating, boll weevil hating, genuine, all American farm girl being admired from afar by a guitar picking neigbour, the playfully subversive front porch sing-along feels like a breath of fresh bluegrass air blowing in.
“It's one of those songs that my husband has been sitting on for a few years," Means shared about the new song. "It started as a co-write with Mack Leaphart in Nashville. When I was looking for songs to put on my record, I decided to sing lead and make it a farm girl on girl fantasy. My side of the story came from growing up in Wyoming, working on a ranch, driving a tractor, branding cattle, etc. I had a lot of fun turning the chorus into a call and response with different ways to describe a farm girl in the lyrics. I tapped some of my oldest gal pals from Nashville, Kelsey Waldon and Rachel Baiman to sing harmony. Side note about the three of us, we started a band in the early 2010’s called Kryptonite Puss”
We unearthed some photos of this mythical supergroup, but good luck trying to find any recordings of them. It looks like the closest we'll get to Kryptonite Puss is 'Farm Girl.'
Watch the video for 'Farm Girl' by Shelby Means below.
Shelby Means' self-titled solo album is out on 30th May 2025
