Hi, Maya de Vitry here! If you’re a subscriber to my e-mail newsletter, I’ll be writing to you from this thing called Substack from now on - it’s just honestly gonna be a much more sustainable way for me to keep in touch! On the old platform, I had to pay to send e-mails to you. Here on Substack, it’s free for me to write to you :)
I’m currently writing to you from guitar camp in North Carolina, where I’m attending as a student (Bryan Sutton’s Blue Ridge Guitar Camp). I’ve had the opportunity to teach things like songwriting and harmony singing and fiddle at various music camps over the years, but it’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to just be a student at one! This week is definitely filling my cup in a big way.
I’m excited to tell you about some exciting new music out today! My friend Shelby Means (who you might know from playing bass in Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, or in Della Mae) is releasing her debut solo record today! The record is simply called Shelby Means, and I served as the producer. A producer is kind of like a doula, but for birthing a record! We got to work with some real bluegrass heroes on this one - musicians like Bryan Sutton (that’s where I first got the notion to come to this guitar camp!), Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Ron Block, Michael Cleveland… and we had some guest vocals by harmony singers like Billy Strings and Tim O’Brien. I also got to do quite a bit of harmony singing on this, which was a real treat. I hope you’ll give it many, many spins! I’m real proud of it, and still just overwhelmed with gratitude for being trusted to steer the ship.
I’ve got lots of live shows planned for the summer. Dates and ticket links are below - hope you can join us if we’re coming to your part of the country! I’ll also be doing a special harmony singing workshop in Salt Lake City, Utah in July (with Shelby Means + Joel Timmons). I absolutely loved hosting the songwriting workshop in Lancaster, PA on the spring tour, and I’m gonna try to continue to find ways to do interactive things like this while on the road.
Thank you for continuing to lend your ears to independent, original music! Keep making space for the things that bring you joy.
Kindly,
Maya
UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
June 5 - U.S. National Whitewater Center - Charlotte, NC
June 7 - Pour House Deck - Charleston, SC (Shelby Means opens)
June 14 - Woollystar Music Festival - Markleeville, CA
June 26 - Egremont Barn - South Egremont, MA
June 27 - Radio Bean - Burlington, VT
June 28 - Firehouse Center for the Arts - Newburyport, MA
June 29 - The Parlour - Providence, RI
July 4 - Soundcheck Summer Concert Series - Pinedale, WY (w/ Shelby Means)
July 6 - Hot House West Harmony Singing Workshop - Salt Lake City, UT
July 6 - Hot House West Concert - Salt Lake City, UT
July 11 - Stone Cottage Garden Show - Boulder, CO (co-bill w/ Alexa Wildish)
July 18 - Music on the Green - Mountain Village, CO
July 20-23 - RiverWonderGrass Rafting Trip - CO + UT
“TRAVELLER” - a new song
This is a very new song that I wrote on a songwriting retreat in Texas, in April. I played it at a few of my shows this spring, and I wanted to share it with you here, too. I sing it in memory of, and in celebration of, my grandmother. It was a healing one for me to write, and to sing. I haven’t released any official recording of it — just this video, filmed by my friend Kaitlyn Raitz one afternoon in Nashville, Tennessee. Hope you enjoy <3
Traveller really got me! Thanks!
Had the pleasure of seeing you sing and play with Shelby last Friday at 3rd & Lindsley and left with two copies of the record. It's a dandy. You should absolutely be proud of it.