Shelby Means Band (USA)

Born in Kentucky, raised in Wyoming, now making her home in South Carolina, Shelby Means is recognised as one of the foremost bass players in Bluegrass and Americana music.
We first came across Shelby in 2009 when she was playing with Della Mae (Bluegrass in La Roche 2019 & 2025) at IBMA WOB in Nashville. In 2019, she played bass with Rachel Baiman for a one-off show at La Roche during Rachel’s tour of the UK. Later that year she made it to the festival stage with husband Joel Timmons in Lovers Leap (with Billy Cardine and Mary Lucey). She then got called up by Molly Tuttle (Bluegrass in La Roche in 2018) and went on a whirlwind few years with the electrifying, record breaking band Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, winning 2 Grammys along the way. She now leads her own band with Joel, supported by a roster of Nashville A list Bluegrass musicians.
Her solo album released in 2025 is mostly self composed (one cover of George Jones, and one of Lady Gaga) and joyfully stretches across a wide range of Bluegrass and Americana styles.