Maya De Vitry Slows Down to Get More Creative

Highly acclaimed singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Maya de Vitry is back writing songs after releasing her fourth solo LP, 2024’s self-produced The Only Moment.

De Vitry has extensive songwriting and collaborations with her former band, The Stray Birds, Della Mae, Molly Tuttle, and The Woods Brothers, among many others. Still, she remains focused on creating new music. “I’m not taking on anything this summer as far as producing, so I will have some time to do some more writing.

“I definitely have a lot of ideas for albums, like a winter-themed album, to a string band record, to singing a bunch of duets with people,” reveals De Vitry, who has kept busy producing other artists.

De Vitry, who produced four albums including Joel Timmons, Shelby Means, Hanna Dylynn and Aiden VanSuetendael, felt overwhelmed. “It was a lot for me to do those four records back-to-back. Between Joel, Shelby, Hanna, and Aiden, they are such different records.

“Honestly, I just felt it was more realistic for me to put my energy into the other artists’ records and to not spread myself too thin,” remembers De Vitry, who put her record The Only Moment on hold. “I thought ‘I’m gonna work on those projects and keep touring.’

“We started recording [The Only Moment] in the summer of 2021. I put it away because that fall, Joel Timmons asked me to produce his record [Psychedelic Surf Country,] so I totally shifted gears.

“You don’t necessarily get paid right away,” explains the Nashville artist about her music. “Joel is asking me to produce a record. That’s like a job! I’m gonna take that job!” [Laughs]

De Vitry worked on The Only Moment in between sessions for Joel Timmons and Shelby Means.

“I would go in the studio every couple of months and just do something to my record. Maybe I would add a couple of harmony vocals.” De Vitry called on her friend, Texas singer-songwriter Phoebe Hunt. “I would ask, ‘Can you sing on these four songs?’ And over time, that became, ‘I think I want you to sing on the whole record!’”

“Most of the songs were tracked in 2021, but I ended up adding two songs [“Nothing else Matters”] [“Watching the whole sky Change”] later on. Those are songs I just tracked totally solo.”

De Vitry took her time.

“I learned so much about slowing down the process—seeing how the gears turn. I think it’s a narrative that we are taught: strike while the iron is hot, or record this song while it’s really feeling alive, then get out there and tour right away!

“The process takes so long,” explains De Vitry. “Sometimes people record a record, then they are shopping it around to record labels for two years. I could have put it out as fast as possible, but I don’t think I would have felt as fulfilled.”

After producing Joel Timmon’s record and collaborating with producers Dan Knobler and Ethan Jodziewicz on her previous albums, De Vitry produced The Only Moment.

“I felt like I had been around those kind of musical decision situations. I knew enough players to put people’s chemistry together.”

De Vitry says producing is much more than just music.

“I think everyone needs a different thing in a producer. Some people need a therapist and a coach,” De Vitry explains. “Some people need somebody who is really musically involved, like Shelby’s record; just being there to cheer her on in doing those vocal takes.”

She believes her strength is arranging.

“It’s how to get that song from just playing it on my guitar to leaving space in the arrangement for all the instruments to be best used.”

Maya loved working with her good friend, guitarist/singer Joel Timmons.

“He’s such a natural performer! He is so at home with his songs, and he is so at home on the guitar. What was different for him was being the center of attention because he’s such a band member. He sang all those songs in such a fun and honest way.

“Some of the songs were full of humor while others were brooding and dark-filled with different kinds of pain,” shares De Vitry about Joel’s songwriting. “He got to go to those places, too. It was such a joy to see those songs come to life.”

With no plans for producing shortly, De Vitry has other ideas. “This summer, I’m going to Colorado. I’m really excited about that! Not just to do some playing but some hiking. I would like to do more writing around certain themes.”

Going on, “I want to make a record that is totally solo—like me playing guitar or clawhammer banjo and singing. Those things feel like they are around the bend.”