Originally from Lancaster, PA, Maya de Vitry is a Nashville-based singer, songwriter, producer, and instrumentalist whose music blurs the lines of folk, alt-country, indie rock, and Americana. An admirer of the dedicated songcraft of writers like John Prine and Gillian Welch—and of the stirring vocals of artists like Bonnie Raitt and Nina Simone—Maya de Vitry’s music invites listeners into a space of openness and connection.
Her most recent solo release, The Only Moment [July 2024], is a strikingly gorgeous collection of songs that paint a beautiful sonic portrait of her emotional range and power as a vocalist. De Vitry has independently released four records and has nurtured a devoted community of listeners since she launched a solo career with her 2019 album Adaptations, after a formative chapter with roots-Americana trio The Stray Birds.
She has earned praise from Rolling Stone Country (“...de Vitry’s songwriting balances her intensely personal, microscopic style of storytelling with a straightforward, accessible delivery”), NPR Music (“the perfect soundtrack for uncorking that emotion and (defiantly) loving life again”), No Depression (“her songs shiver with an emotional immediacy that stirs our hearts”), and Glide Magazine (“her voice is among the most ethereal and pure in roots music”), among others.
When she is not collaborating live on stage, de Vitry thrives in the studio. Her songwriting appears on albums by Molly Tuttle, Lindsay Lou, and Steve Poltz, and her versatility as a multi-instrumentalist and harmony singer enriches numerous Nashville records.
Maya has also begun taking on another behind-the-scenes role in bringing music into the world, not only to produce her own album, The Only Moment, but also serving as a producer for others, including her guitarist Joel Timmons’ debut record, Psychedelic Surf Country. She says, “The performances are bursting with the humor and straight-talking and drinking-deeply-from-the-cup-of-life attitude that is Joel, and I'm so proud of what we made.”
She also produced the recent debut single, “Streets of Boulder (Feat. Molly Tuttle, Kyle Tuttle),” for singer and bassist Shelby Means. [Released Feb 14, 2025] “Shelby is an absolute force of nature in the bluegrass world,” says Maya of Means, who is a member of Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, with whom she gained her first GRAMMY win. “Shelby is a deep feeler, and it really comes through in her singing—and the band is just epic!”
Maya’s expansive relationship with music seems to allow her to move joyfully between genres, especially in her collaborations. Exploring a fusion of electronic/ambient/folk music performed on clarinets and synth, her voice soars as a featured guest vocalist on a new emotive track “Over and Over.” The song will be released on March 5 as part of Chris Lippincott’s forthcoming full-length record and was co-written by Lippincott, de Vitry, and jazz musician David Williford.
Another collaborative track has taken on a life of its own. In his article entitled, “One Song In Many Voices - The Story Of ‘Nothing Else Matters,” WMOT Roots Radio’s Craig Havighurst declares, “it crossed a bridge into a wider world…” “Nothing Else Matters” was co-written by de Vitry and Phoebe Hunt. The song was released by Hunt as the title track of her 2023 album, is the opening cut on Lindsay Lou’s 2023 album Queen Of Time, and in 2024 on de Vitry’s The Only Moment. Other musical friends have continued to record their own versions of the song in a variety of formats, including Bonnie Sims [Big Richard], Nicki Bluhm with Mimi Naja [Fruition], Lauren Balthrop, and Hannah Seng.
Havighurst elaborates, “Here though is something rare, a contemporary song written by mid-career standouts of the roots music scene that’s being interpreted by others in real time, one of the highest compliments one can pay a song… Any songwriter would be gratified to write an American folk standard. Maybe Maya and Phoebe already have.”
Maya says of it all, “In the music industry—and society in general—it’s possible to feel that we are pitted against one another. But music seems to come from a much more boundary-less, universal place, and it just flows through all of us. As much as I can, I try to give and receive in a musical ecosystem where we are trusting each other, lifting each other up, and letting music flow between us. It gives me hope. It’s like weaving an interconnected web, instead of insisting on taking the journey alone on some straight and narrow path.”
“I’m not just making different music now. It feels like I’m breathing in a different atmosphere,” Maya says, reflecting on her evolution from the single-minded focus of The Stray Birds to her more fluid and generative musical present. Her sense of liberation is especially apparent in her live shows, which have become a space for spontaneity, peace, and freedom, often woven together with personal stories. “After the show, I just want to know if I’ve helped you to feel more free,” Maya continues. “That’s my quiet agreement—to myself, my bandmates, and everyone in the audience.”
With a magnetic voice and a hard-won sense of purpose, Maya has toured across North America and Europe, supporting artists like The Wood Brothers, Aoife O’Donovan, John Craigie, and Mighty Poplar.
Maya de Vitry Spring 2025 Tour Dates:
3/18 Tue - The Palindrome at Eaglemount Wine and Cider - Port Townsend, WA*
3/19 Wed - The Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA*
3/20 Thu - Showdown - Portland, OR*
3/22 Sat - The Talent Club - Talent, OR*
3/26 Wed - The Eastside Bowl: The 58 - Nashville, TN !
4/24 Thu - The Parlor Room - Northampton, MA #
4/25 Fri - The Town and City Festival - Lowell, MA #
4/26 Sat - Spire Center for Performing Arts - Plymouth, MA #
5/2 Fri - Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival - Pittsboro, NC =
5/4 Sun - Sundays on The River Olivette River Pavilion - Asheville, NC =
5/7 Wed - Natalie’s Grandview - Columbus, OH =
5/8 Thu - G.A.R. Hall - Peninsula, OH =
5/9 Fri - Funhouse at Mr. Smalls - Millvale, PA =
5/10 Sat - Pale Fire Brewing Co - Harrisonburg, VA =
5/11 Sun - Mountain Stage Radio Show - Charleston, WV =
5/17 Sat - Sleeping in The Woods Songwriting Festival - Monticello KY %
* Trio: Maya w/ Joel Timmons and Ethan Jodziewicz
! Full Band
# Duo: Maya w/ Joel Timmons
= Trio: Maya w/ Joel Timmmons and Rhees Williams
% Solo: Maya
