When Amanda Shires hits the stage at Boston’s Roadrunner this Sunday, she’ll be bringing some new material with her. Nobody’s Girl, released just last month, is a sweeping, emotionally charged album that shows Shires at her most honest. The Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and fiddle virtuoso joins pop duo Aly & AJ as the direct support on their Silver Deliverer Tour, playing every date through the fall.
Nobody’s Girl marks a defining new chapter for Shires. The album is produced by Lawrence Rothman, and captures an artist in full evolution, having traded the sweeter Americana tones of 2022’s Take It Like a Man for a sound that’s rougher around the edges, but truer to her own story. The songs tackle themes of heartbreak, survival, and identity, yet they never feel defeated. Instead, Nobody’s Girl plays like a reclamation.
On the haunting opener “A Way It Goes,” Shires strips back to the bone, her voice haunting over a string section. It’s one of her most intimate vocal performances to date. Then, just a few tracks later, she pushes the boundaries with the swaggering southern rock track “Piece of Mind.” That range, going from quiet devastation to fiery defiance, defines Nobody’s Girl and highlights why Shires remains one of the most underrated songwriters in Americana today.
For longtime fans and Shires alike, this album is the culmination of a decade-long journey that’s seen Shires play fiddle with country legend John Prine, earn an AMA Emerging Artist of the Year award, and co-found The Highwomen alongside country staples Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, and Natalie Hemby.
Her tour with Aly & AJ is an interesting pairing: Americana meets synth-pop. But it’s exactly the kind of artistic cross-pollination that suits Shires. Her set should showcase both vulnerability and voltage. These are the kind of elements that aren’t bound to one specific genre, and should pair well with Aly & AJ’s distinct brand of pop. Boston audiences will have a chance to catch that mix firsthand this Sunday, October 19, when Amanda Shires opens the Silver Deliverer Tour stop at Roadrunner. Tickets are available through roadrunnerboston.com. Expect emotional honesty, a bit of southern grit, and some impressive fiddling.
Featured Photo Credit: Brett Warren