Following the immediate success of her debut solo single, “Streets of Boulder” (Feat. Molly Tuttle, Kyle Tuttle) bluegrass bassist, singer, songwriter, and GRAMMY winner Shelby Means returns with yet another stellar track. “Million Reasons” – a bluegrass re-imagination of a Lady Gaga hit from the popstar’s country-tinged Joanne era – will be released independently on March 14, 2025.
“Remember when Lady Gaga made a country-style record called Joanne? That was a big inspiration to me,” Means explains. “I loved the aesthetic and the music and I was obsessed with this song.”
Means recorded her bluegrass cover of “Million Reasons” with Maya de Vitry producing and all-star pickers like Jerry Douglas, Ron Block, Bryan Sutton, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, and Jacob Means, her brother, rounding out the band. The cover first entered her repertoire through her Americana duo Sally & George with her husband, musician and singer-songwriter Joel Timmons (who, along with de Vitry, supplied background vocals on the new single).
“Joel would play the guitar and I would set the bass down, take the mic, and just sing and perform it,” Means continues. “So much fun – and the audience always loved it! Joel and Maya convinced me to record it.”
And the world is lucky they did. “Million Reasons” joins the vibrant, age-old tradition of incredible bluegrass covers of mainstream and pop songs – think Jim & Jesse singing Chuck Berry’s “Maybellene” or Dale Ann Bradley performing Seals & Crofts’ “Summer Breeze.” Means’ crystal-clear vocals are soaring and strong, effortlessly inhabiting the enormous popstar-diva shoes of Lady Gaga. The band supplies an impassioned slow burn to underpin the track and it shines in its bluegrass trappings, as if it were always intended to be delivered in exactly this context. Having spent her entire adulthood traveling, touring, and performing, the lyrics and story in the song are more than apt when viewed in the context of Means’ life in music and bluegrass, too.
“Million Reasons” is merely the latest superlative effort in Shelby Means’ multi-decade career in roots music, a strong indicator of what’s yet to come from the in-demand GRAMMY-winning bluegrass bassist, songwriter, and vocalist.
“Million Reasons” will be available wherever you stream/download music this Friday, March 14.
ABOUT SHELBY MEANS: Born in the bluegrass of Kentucky and raised on Wyoming’s high plains, Shelby Means is one of the foremost bassists in bluegrass, with nearly two decades of experience in bluegrass, folk, rock, Americana, and country outfits. Now based in Charleston, SC, during her tenure in Nashville she was a member of the GRAMMY-nominated distaff bluegrass band, Della Mae. She has traveled to more than 20 countries around the world spreading musical diplomacy.
Means is one half of roots duo Sally & George with her husband and collaborator, Sol Driven Train’s Joel Timmons. With Timmons, Mary Lucey, and Billy Cardine, she co-founded another group, Lover’s Leap, a genre blurring, heart-led Americana band. Means is a member of Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, with whom she gained her first GRAMMY win for their 2023 album, City of Gold. She’s also received more than a handful of awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association for her work with Della Mae and Golden Highway.
Means is a driving player with a deep pocket, a singular stage presence, and a magnetic, centered approach to the upright bass. Beyond her work on the instrument, she’s also an accomplished songwriter and a heartfelt vocalist whose voice is rooted in tradition while authentically her own. With her debut solo music, slated for release in 2025, Means invites listeners to experience the same soulful presence and adventurous spirit she has built her career on. Her singing and playing has been heard across the country and around the world, from NPR’s airwaves, the Grand Ole Opry, Bonnaroo, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and Newport Folk to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Kazakhstan, Australia, and beyond. www.shelbyleemeans.com
