Amanda Shires
{{short description|American singer-songwriter}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Amanda Shires
| image = File:Amanda Shires @ Troubadour 10 10 2022 (52526162219) (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Amanda Shires performing in October 2022
| birth_name = Amanda Rose Shires{{cite web|url=https://repertoire.bmi.com/Search/Catalog?num=YGVnJnS%252bxcX7%252fbu25rjRxQ%253d%253d&cae=dmW6f8y5iOY6i%252bBRYNddiQ%253d%253d&partType=WriterList&search=%7B%22Main_Search_Text%22%3A%22shires%20amanda%22%2C%22Sub_Search_Text%22%3Anull%2C%22Main_Search%22%3A%22Catalog%22%2C%22Sub_Search%22%3Anull%2C%22Search_Type%22%3A%22all%22%2C%22View_Count%22%3A50%2C%22Page_Number%22%3A1%2C%22Part_Type%22%3A%22PerformerList%22%2C%22Part_Id%22%3A%224R1ialygStpIcAIqHQctPQ%253d%253d%22%2C%22Part_Id_Sub%22%3Anull%2C%22Part_Name%22%3Anull%2C%22Part_Cae%22%3Anull%2C%22Original_Search%22%3A%22Performer%22%2C%22DisclaimerViewed%22%3Anull%7D&resetPageNumber=True&partIdSub=YO0HedHMatLb45JzS23DVw%253d%253d|title=Songwriter/Composer: Shires Amanda Rose |work=BMI |access-date=September 27, 2022}}
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|03|05}}
| birth_place = Lubbock, Texas, United States
| death_date =
| genre = {{hlist|Americana|folk|alternative country|folk rock|country folk}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}}
| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|fiddle|autoharp|ukulele|tenor guitar}}
| label = ATO{{Cite web |last=Soto |first=Alfred |date=August 3, 2022 |title=Amanda Shires: Take It Like a Man |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/amanda-shires-take-it-like-a-man/ |access-date=September 27, 2022 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}
| years_active = 1997–present
| current_member_of = The 400 Unit, The Highwomen
| spouse = {{marriage|Jason Isbell|2013|2024|reason=div}}
| website = {{URL|amandashiresmusic.com}}
}}
Amanda Rose Shires (born March 5, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter and fiddle player. Shires has released seven solo albums starting in 2005, her most recent being Take It Like a Man in 2022. In 2019, she founded a country music supergroup called The Highwomen alongside Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris and Natalie Hemby and has also performed as a member of the Texas Playboys, Thrift Store Cowboys, and Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, as well as in a duo with Rod Picott. Along with Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Shires won the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album for their 2017 album The Nashville Sound.
Early life
Following her parents' divorce, Shires' childhood was divided between the Texas cities of Lubbock and Mineral Wells.{{cite web|url=http://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/Amanda-Shires-makes-expressive-connection-1687085.php|title=Amanda Shires makes expressive connection|work=Houston Chronicle|first=Andrew|last=Dansby|date=May 3, 2011|access-date=December 22, 2011}} Her mother is a retired nurse. She also used to be a barrel racer at rodeos. Her father owns a wholesale nursery in Mineral Wells and has a hobby of gold prospecting in Alaska. She is distantly related to noted photographer Erica Shires, who produced the video for the song "Swimmer".{{cite web|url=http://tasteofcountry.com/amanda-shires-swimmer-video/|title=Amanda Shires, 'Swimmer' – Video Premiere|first=Alanna|last=Conway|date=June 24, 2011|website=Tasteofcountry.com|access-date=April 5, 2012}}
At the age of 10, she happened to be with her father while he was shopping for hunting gear at a pawn shop in Mineral Wells.Dougherty, Steve (August 1, 2013). "[https://www.proquest.com/docview/1416700072/D6846C06CEC743A5PQ/1 Amanda Shires: A Texas Prodigy Steps Out; She's on the Road With a New Album, Sometimes Appearing with Husband Jason Isbell]". The Wall Street Journal.Wilson, Calvin (August 15, 2004). "[https://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/music/amanda-shires-strikes-the-right-balance/article_d7991de5-4dff-5eca-9887-e500b166e766.html Amanda Shires strikes the right balance]". St. Louis Post Dispatch. She saw an inexpensive Chinese-made fiddle for sale and her father agreed to buy it for her on the condition that she learn to play it.{{cite web|url=https://www.countrystandardtime.com/d/column.asp?xid=331|title=Amanda Shires, September 2009|work=Country Standard Time|first=Rick|last=Cornell|date=September 2009|access-date=December 22, 2011}} It took a while for her to play it well; she usually practiced outside because her dog had a habit of howling while she played.Thanki, Juli (September 15, 2016). "[https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/09/16/amanda-shires-celebrates-new-album-americanafest/88533538/ Amanda Shires celebrates new album at AmericanaFest]". Tennessean. When she was 12, she started taking fiddle lessons in Lubbock from Lanny Fiel, who knew Frankie McCourter from the Texas Playboys.Burton, Tommy (August 27, 2014). "[http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2014/aug/27/amanda-shires-half-fictitious-fiddler/ Amanda Shires: Half-Fictitious Fiddler]". Jackson Free Press. She then started learning fiddle from McCourter and was later invited to play at the band's shows. At the age of 15, she joined the Texas Playboys, the former backing band for Western swing legend Bob Wills.{{cite web|url=http://www.texasmonthly.com/2011-05-01/artistinterview.php|title=Amanda Shires|work=Texas Monthly|first=Jeff|last=Salamon|date=May 2011|access-date=December 22, 2011|format=free registration required}}
Musical career
Shires released her first solo album, the mostly instrumental Being Brave, in 2005. Four years later, having relocated to Nashville, she released West Cross Timbers and in the same year released Sew Your Heart with Wires, a collaboration with Rod Picott. Her next solo album, Carrying Lightning was released in 2011, followed by Down Fell The Doves in August 2013 and My Piece of Land in September 2016. The latter proved to be Shires' breakthrough, gaining her a nomination from the Americana Music Association.
She toured extensively with Picott from 2006.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2011/07/03/rod-picott-and-amanda-shires-stay-in-sync-as-touring-partners-couple/|title=Rod Picott and Amanda Shires stay in sync as touring partners, couple|last=Cooper|first=Peter|date=July 3, 2011|access-date=December 22, 2011|work=The Tennessean}} She has also performed and recorded with Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Devotchka, Chris Isaak, Thrift Store Cowboys, Todd Snider, Blackberry Smoke, and Justin Townes Earle.{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2011/04/singer_and_violinist_amanda_sh.html|title=Singer and violinist Amanda Shires to appear in Asbury Park|first=Tris|last=McCall|author-link=Tris McCall|date=April 22, 2011|access-date=December 22, 2011|work=The Star-Ledger}}
In 2011, she appeared in the movie Country Strong as one of the musicians backing singer Kelly Canter, played by Gwyneth Paltrow.{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2011/05/amanda-shires-carrying-lightning-101-distribution/|title=Amanda Shires, 'Carrying Lightning'|first=David|last=Menconi|work=Spin|access-date=December 27, 2021}}
In 2011, Shires began attending Sewanee: The University of the South, a small liberal arts university in Sewanee, Tennessee.{{Cite web|url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/no-strings-attached/|title=No Strings Attached|date=July 15, 2013|website=Texasmonthly.com}} She graduated with a Master's of Fine Arts in Poetry in 2017.{{Cite news|url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/magnolia/entertainment/2018/06/19/mississippi-music-fondren-host-nashville-artist-amanda-shires/691031002/|title=Amanda Shires: From driving her van to sleeping in her own tour bus|newspaper=The Clarion-Ledger}}{{Cite web|url=https://nashvillelifestyles.com/entertainment/music/exclusive-interview-with-amanda-shires/|title=Exclusive interview with Amanda Shires|first=Luke|last=Levenson|date=September 14, 2016|website=Nashville Lifestyles}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/music/2018/07/31/amanda-shires-to-the-sunset-interview/|title=How poetry and fear influenced Amanda Shires' new album, 'To The Sunset'|magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}
In 2012, Shires was named Artist of the Year by Texas Music magazine, appearing on the publication's cover.
Shires won the Emerging Artist of the Year Award at the 2017 Americana Music Honors & Awards. In 2017, she supported John Prine on his worldwide tour alongside Isbell for select dates. In 2018, Shires announced that she was working on a new album, To The Sunset due for release on August 3, 2018{{Cite tweet |user=amandashires|number=987059026520363009|title=August 3 y'all!|first=Amanda|last=Shires|date=April 19, 2018}} which, like My Piece of Land, would be produced by Dave Cobb. Isbell revealed on Twitter that Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will make a guest appearance.{{Cite tweet|user=JasonIsbell|number=951993213887369216|title=Gillian came by to sing on the @amandashires album today and it was so good buddies [Image]|first=Jason|last=Isbell|date=January 12, 2018}} As a member of the 400 Unit, Shires won the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album for The Nashville Sound. Shires contributed to The Tree of Forgiveness, the 2018 album by John Prine.{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2018/02/08/584219320/john-prine-to-release-his-first-album-of-new-songs-in-13-years|title=John Prine To Release His First Album Of New Songs In 13 Years|website=NPR|date=8 February 2018|last1=Ganz|first1=Jacob}} To The Sunset was released on August 3, 2018.
In 2019, Shires formed the country group The Highwomen, along with Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, and Maren Morris. "Redesigning Women" was the first single from their self-titled debut album released on September 6, 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://tasteofcountry.com/the-highwomen-redesigning-women-video/|title = The Highwomen Light the Ultimate Bonfire in 'Redesigning Women' Video [Watch]| date=19 July 2019 }} Following her 2021 holiday album For Christmas, Shires released her seventh solo album Take It Like a Man on July 26, 2022.
Musical style
David Menconi of the magazine Spin said that Shires "sings [...] like an earthbound Emmylou Harris", and her vocals have been likened to those of Dolly Parton.{{cite web|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2011-11-25/amanda-shires-carrying-lightning/|title=Amanda Shires – Music Review|work=Austin Chronicle|date=November 25, 2011|access-date=December 22, 2011|first=Jim|last=Caligiuri}} The imagery in her songwriting has been compared to that of Tom Waits. Although her principal instrument is the fiddle, she also plays the ukulele.{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703778104576287120887903538|title=Amanda Shires, Texas Playgirl|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=April 29, 2011|access-date=December 22, 2011}}
Personal life
Shires began dating fellow musician Jason Isbell in 2011. The couple married on February 23, 2013{{cite web|url=http://lubbockonline.com/entertainment/2012-07-25/happily-engaged-shires-makes-return-appearance-hometown#.USsmWB29nng|title=Happily engaged Shires makes return appearance in hometown|work=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal|date=July 25, 2012|access-date=February 25, 2013|first=William|last=Kerns}} and had their first child{{Cite tweet|first = Amanda |last=Shires Isbell|user=amandashires|number=640666061235486720|title=So happy and grateful to have Mercy Rose Isbell in the world. 📷- @nateburrell|access-date = 2015-11-17}} on September 1, 2015.{{cite news|last1=Spevak|first1=Jeff|title=Jason Isbell: The craft of sadness at Water Street|url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/lifestyle/columnist/spevak/2015/05/19/jason-isbell-craft-sadness-water-street/27567259/|access-date=1 June 2015|work=Democrat & Chronicle|date=19 May 2015}}{{cite web|last1=Isbell|first1=Jason|title=jasonisbell on Instagram: "Today"|url=https://instagram.com/p/7GRGleFDyh/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/7GRGleFDyh |archive-date=2021-12-24 |url-access=registration|website=Instagram|access-date=1 September 2015|date=1 September 2015}}{{cbignore}} She was previously in a relationship with singer Rod Picott.{{Cite web|url=https://glidemagazine.com/168681/amanda-shires-interview/|title=Amanda Shires Strikes Solo Magic On 'My Piece of Land' & Talks Family Life with Husband Jason Isbell|first=Lee|last=Zimmerman|date=August 18, 2016|access-date=June 2, 2021|work=Glide Magazine}} In December 2023, Isbell filed for divorce from Shires.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/jason-isbell-amanda-shires-file-divorce-1234948340/|title=Jason Isbell Files for Divorce From Amanda Shires|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=David|last=Browne|date=February 7, 2024|accessdate=February 8, 2024|url-access=limited}} Their divorce was finalized in March 2025.{{Cite web |title=Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires Finalize Divorce More Than 1 Year After He Filed |url=https://people.com/jason-isbell-amanda-shires-finalize-divorce-11695135 |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=People.com |language=en}}
Discography
=Solo albums=
- Being Brave (2005)
- West Cross Timbers (2009)
- Carrying Lightning (2011)
- Down Fell the Doves (2013)
- My Piece of Land (2016)
- To the Sunset (2018)
- For Christmas (2021)
- Take It Like a Man (2022)
=With Rod Picott=
- Sew Your Heart with Wires (2009)
=With Jason Isbell=
- Here We Rest (2011)
- Southeastern (2013)
- Something More Than Free (2015)
- Sea Songs (2015 single)
- "If I Needed You" – on Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams (2017)
- The Nashville Sound (2017)
- Reunions (2020)
- Georgia Blue (2021)
- Weathervanes (2023)
=With the Highwomen=
- The Highwomen (2019)
=With [[Bobbie Nelson]]=
- Loving You (2023)
=Other appearances=
- City Boys (2004) – Andy Hedges
- Sweeten the Distance (2011) – Neal Casal
- Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now – Justin Townes Earle
- Light Fighter – Thrift Store Cowboys
- Welding Burns – Rod Picott
- Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables – Todd Snider
- Oh Be Joyful – Shovels & Rope
- Mutt – Cory Branan
- Burn. Flicker. Die. – American Aquarium{{Cite web|url=https://blurtonline.com/review/american-aquarium-burn-flicker-die/|title=AMERICAN AQUARIUM – Burn. Flicker. Die.|first=Fred|last=Mills|website=Blurt Magazine|date=2 May 2013}}
- I Can't Love You Any Less – High Cotton: Tribute to Alabama (2013)
- For Better, or Worse – John Prine (2016)
- Adios – Cory Branan (2017)
- Accomplice One – Tommy Emmanuel (2018)
- Tree of Forgiveness – John Prine (2018)
- Find a Light – Blackberry Smoke (2018)
- Southern Ground Sessions – Blackberry Smoke – (2018)
- What You See Ain't Always What You Get – Luke Combs (fiddle on "Without You")
- Where the Light Goes – Matchbox Twenty (2023)
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable" | ||||
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Americana Music Honors & Awards | Emerging Artist of the Year{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} | Amanda Shires | {{won}} |
| rowspan=2|2018 | Grammy Awards{{Cite web|date=2020-05-19|title=GRAMMY Award Results for Amanda Shires|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/amanda-shires/188616|access-date=2020-09-23|website=GRAMMY.com|language=en}} | Best Americana Album | rowspan="2" |The Nashville Sound | {{won}} |
| UK Americana Awards | International Album of the Year{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} | {{won}} | ||
| 2018 | rowspan=2|Americana Music Honors & Awards | Duo/Group of the Year {{citation needed|date=July 2019}} | Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit | {{won}} |
| 2019 | Album of the Year{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} | To the Sunset | {{Nominated}} | |
| rowspan=2| 2020 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Group of the Year | The Highwomen | {{Nominated}} |
| CMT Awards | Group Video of the Year | "Crowded Table" | {{Nominated}} |
The song "When you Need a Train It Never Comes" from Carrying Lightning was ranked the fifth best song of 2011 by American Songwriter.{{cite web|url=http://www.americansongwriter.com/2011/12/american-songwriters-top-50-songs-of-2011/5/|title=American Songwriter's Top 50 Songs Of 2011|date=December 13, 2011|access-date=April 5, 2012}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Amanda Shires}}
- {{Official website|amandashiresmusic.com}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shires, Amanda}}
Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters
Category:21st-century American violinists
Category:American women violinists
Category:American country singer-songwriters
Category:American women country singers
Category:Musicians from Lubbock, Texas
Category:Lubbock High School alumni
Category:Singer-songwriters from Texas
Category:Country musicians from Texas
Category:Sewanee: The University of the South alumni
Category:The Highwomen members