Amanda Shires

Arising from the sun-driven plains of West Texas is fiddler and singer/songwriter Amanda Shires. She sews lyric to melody like land turns to sky. Her muse brings forth songs of heartache; losing loved ones, finding happiness, and the interludes of life in between. Bringing solace to the solemn, as well as clarity and whimsy to the down trodden, Amanda’s bow paints landscapes for stories to unfold, while her voice sings and lulls you into a field of golden possibility.
At 16 Amanda Shires was already playing fiddle with Tommy Allsup and The Texas Playboys, an auspicious start that more than suggests her natural talent and soulful delivery. From there, Shires went on to be one of the founding members of Lubbock, TX’s Thrift Store Cowboys, releasing 3 albums independently and reaching top ten statuses on many CRS charts around the country as well as becoming the number one selling act in 2007 for the respected internet retailer Miles of Music. In 2008 one of Amanda Shires compositions with Thrift Store Cowboys was featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered.
As an in demand side player and studio musician, Amanda has worked with Texas legends Billy Joe Shaver, and Gary P Nunn. Her facility across a range of styles has lead her to work Folk/Bluegrass favorites The Rowen Brothers, and Buddy Spicher to name a few.
Her first solo album release Being Brave from 2005 is testament to her short but extraordinary career, mixing brilliant arrangements and performances of traditional fiddle music along with several of her own compositions. Now 25 Amanda Shires stands in front of an already impressive body of work and on the edge of a career infull bloom.
Amanda Shires is currently living in Nashville recording her second solo album as well as a duo album with frequent touring partner and co-writer Rod Picott.
“I remember sitting in an airport waiting for a plane and my drummer Kenney running up and saying ‘there’s a girl here you gotta hear’ and we walked up and there she was this beautiful girl with a fiddle standing by herself and smiling and playing and I said ‘How about some Faded Love?’ and she played so pretty that Kenny and I missed our plane. America needs pizzicato.”
-Chris Isaak
“fiddler and onstage sparkplug…baptized in panhandle winds”
-Tom Geddie Buddy Magazine
“She makes a statement that she’s standing on her own instrumentally and vocally. Shires will conjure smiles one moment, and in the next communicate loneliness with fiddle and bow.”
-William Kerns Lubbock Avalanche Journal
“She certainly impressed a lot of UK music lovers with her fine fiddle work, expressive vocals and all-round charm and beauty.”
-Alan Cackett Maverick Magazine