Singer/songwriter Amanda Shires recently released her new album Down Fell the Doves, which sheds the last remnants of her western swing heritage with a sound that transcends the Americana and country genres. Shires began her career as a fiddle player, and she joined Bob Wills’ group The Texas Playboys as a teenager. She was a back-up fiddle player for Texas legends like Gary P. Nunn and Billie Joe Shaver, who encourage her to become a songwriter. Shaver’s reassurance inspired Shires to begin writing music, and Down Fell the Doves is her third album. The events surrounding the making of the album were disastrous – she had a fiddle accident onstage, had a relationship fall apart, and broke a finger in three places, which still has pins in it. Shortly after, though, Shires met singer/songwriter Jason Isbell, who she soon married, and he collaborated with her on the album.
Shires stopped by our studio recently for a great live performance, and you can check it out right here! She also plays at The Mohawk on December 20!
