Charleston musician Shelby Means had a big album release show planned last summer at the Pour House.
A big part of the show for the Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and upright bassist was to present a really special guest — Nashville’s Maya di Vitry, a talented singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. Not only is di Vitry known for blending folk, indie rock, and Americana with literate, introspective songwriting, but she also produced Means’ 2025 self-titled debut solo album.
Unfortunately, a scheduling snafu prevented di Vitry from appearing at the Pour House, so that pairing didn’t happen. But it’s always been in the back of Means’ mind. So she decided a makeup date was in order. She and her band perform at the Pour House on Feb. 20, and di Vitry will be onstage, too.
This time out, though, Means wanted to showcase her partner a bit more than the album-release show would have allowed.
“This show is a co-bill,” Means said in a recent interview with the Charleston City Paper. “We’re excited because we’re sharing the band so it will be us with the same musicians but very different music.”
The band in question is a family affair for Means. Her husband Joel Timmons of Sol Driven Train is on guitar, and her brother Jacob plays mandolin. The group will back both Means and di Vitry at the show, with Means handling bass duties, as well.
“It helps a lot with my confidence,” Means says of having her husband and brother along for the ride. “It’s like a safety net. We may not have played 100 shows as this exact band, but I grew up playing with my brother, and our rhythm is just so intertwined that I just feel safe. It’s almost as easy as breathing.”
And Means isn’t just revisiting the Pour House. She’s planned a four-date regional tour with di Vitry that will also hit Jacksonville, Fla., Marietta, Ga, and Asheville, N.C.
“We’re fronting one band, but it’s two different shows now,” Means said. “It’s interesting. We’re also adding some new songs and playing some jams where we don’t know where they’re going to end up. But we trust each other so much that we figure that we’ll be able to get out of it.”
Means’ debut has been out for almost a year now, and she’s had plenty of time to reflect on the album itself and her burgeoning solo career.
The album is a lively collection of classic and modern bluegrass featuring guests like Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas, and di Vitry’s production keeps arrangements punchy and transparent rather than jammy and overstuffed.
“At first it felt a little bit slow,” she said of the response to her album. “But I can be a little impatient. So I think just having patience and continuing to put one foot in front of the other has been rewarding.”
Of course, it helps that the response has picked up considerably.
“My single ‘Streets Of Boulder’ (featuring Grammy-winning acoustic guitarist Molly Tuttle), did really well on the Bluegrass radio charts,” she said. “So I’m really happy that I can check off a goal, because one of my intentions going into the record was to get some airplay. I also just got a notice that ‘Million Reasons’ (the album’s third track) was added to a Spotify curated playlist, so I’m really excited about that.”
Now, with most of 2026 ahead of her and a band of close collaborators behind her, Means is ready to have some fun, starting with these shows with di Vitry.
“I have a really full schedule coming up,” she said. “We’re playing MerleFest this year, which is a bucket list event for me, and I’m looking forward to taking my band out on tour and continuing to dive into the songs that I wrote. And it’s all thanks to Maya and Joel and Jacob and everybody that’s believed in me up until this point.”
IF YOU WANT TO GO: Doors open at 5 p.m., Feb. 20. Charleston Pour House, 1977 Maybank Highway, James Island. Tickets range from $15-$18; charlestonpourhouse.com.
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