Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight

Episode: Amanda Shires on Takin' a Walk: Discovering Your Voice Through Emotional Healing and Songwriting Journeys (Replay)
Date: January 9, 2026
Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Amanda Shires

Episode Overview

In this special episode focused on "Fresh Start 2026," Buzz Knight hosts acclaimed singer-songwriter and fiddle player Amanda Shires. The conversation revolves around artistic reinvention, emotional healing, and the journey from accomplished accompanist to fearless solo artist. Amanda shares insights into the creation of her new album "Nobody’s Girl," collaborating with others, the vulnerability of songwriting, and lessons learned—both musical and personal.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Importance of Reinvention

• Buzz Knight opens by noting Amanda is “never content to stay in one lane” and celebrates her evolution from supporting musician to solo artist.
• Reinvention, Amanda says, is not just career-based; it’s about “claiming who you really are, especially in the face of personal adversity.” (00:30-01:18)

2. Who Would Amanda Take a Walk With?

• Amanda picks James Joyce for this episode, joking she’d “complain about Ulysses and Finnegan’s Wake a little and see what the response would be.” (04:28)
  • "We'd probably leave either after a fist fight and, or, you know, after a fist fight, then a beer or a pint or something." (05:01, Amanda Shires)

3. Creating the Most Personal Work: "Nobody's Girl"

• Amanda describes her songwriting as a way to process “the storms in my life” rather than merely ‘inspiration’.
  • “The process was just the same…when you’re in the middle of ruin and trying to figure out how to take what pieces persist and go forward.” (05:33, Amanda Shires)
• She approaches writing slowly, editing and revising, and sometimes shifts to abstract painting when words are lacking.
  • “There are just some things that are better unsaid or easier to work out on a canvas.” (06:49, Amanda Shires)

4. Inspirations and Surroundings While Writing

• Cites Maggie Smith's You Could Make This Place Beautiful as a motivator for personal honesty.
• Mentions Glennon Doyle's “We Can Do Hard Things” as another literary influence.
• Unexpectedly obsesses over learning backgammon, even joining the Nashville Backgammon Association.
  • “I'm not very good yet, but I will be one day. Maybe.” (08:22, Amanda Shires)
• Tried pickleball, but jokes she was “like a baby giraffe on roller skates.” (08:50)

5. Musical Influences During "Nobody’s Girl" Creation

• Regular rotation included D’Angelo and the Vanguard’s "Black Messiah" and Jack White’s "No Name" “as loud as I could turn it up.”
• Also listened to Leonard Cohen’s "You Want It Darker"—“there’s something beautiful about the acceptance aspect of that record.” (09:32, Amanda Shires)

6. Collaborations and Creative Process

• Producer Lawrence Rothman was a key collaborator; song “Away It Goes” was written quickly with him in LA.
• Longtime piano player Peter Levin co-wrote “Lately” with Amanda, born as a conversation between friends.
  • “We decided to write a song as a conversation about our conversation.” (10:56, Amanda Shires)
• Recording challenges included a broken air conditioner during LA sessions, making for “the sweatiest” recording ever.
• Experimented with new sounds, like running fiddle through effects for a more piano-like quality.
  • “[It’s] nice to try new sounds when you’re used to hearing it one way your whole life.” (12:13, Amanda Shires)

On working with Lawrence:

• “They bring a lot of energy and positivity...sometimes push me to work beyond what I want, but it ends up right.” (12:36, Amanda Shires)
• Admits she can be “stubborn,” sometimes needing to “stand outside and stomp my feet and then get to it.” (13:43, Amanda Shires)
• Studio work is marked by both “playful jousting” and laughter.

Memorable Studio Laughter:

• Amanda recounts writing the lyric “you’re missing piece of mind” and accidentally singing it as “pizza mind.”
  • “Pizza—like we’re doing that Little Caesar’s commercial!” (15:31, Amanda Shires)

7. Vulnerability and Sharing Personal Stories

• Amanda finds openness essential: “I just have to be myself…I just feel like I learn a lot or feel like there’s a better connection with people [when they are honest].” (16:24, Amanda Shires)
• She attributes her candor to her family upbringing, particularly interactions with her grandfather.

8. Family as Support System

• Frequently shares her work and process with her mother, describing their dynamic as “safe” and “close.”
• Her mom supports her both emotionally and practically, including helping with childcare and snacks.

9. On AI & ChatGPT

• Expresses ambivalence: “It’s already here so it’s a matter of going along with it or not…it's a bit scary when you go deep…but there are probably more important things to be thinking on.” (19:32, Amanda Shires)
• Suggests using it positively where possible, and references Neil Young’s skepticism about new technology.

10. Life on the Road

• Not sure if she’ll love touring as much as before, having taken a break since October 2023.
  • Plans to bring her daughter and her mom along, making it a different experience.
  • “I loved it before so how could I not love it again? We’ll see. So far, I still love it.” (20:39, Amanda Shires)

11. Genre Experimentation

• Open to new genres, even joking about trying “death metal” fiddle if invited.
  • “I mean, who doesn’t want to hear death metal fiddle?” (22:17, Amanda Shires)

12. Lessons Learned and Advice on Resilience

• Recent experiences taught her resilience is neither “glamorous or pretty”—it’s about gathering your pieces and “keep on going.”
• “I also learned that I’m tougher than I think I am.” (23:41, Amanda Shires)

Message for others in transition:

• “You don’t have to figure it all out all at once….You just gotta figure out what you can and keep on. You don’t have to figure it all out in one day.” (23:47, Amanda Shires)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I'd take a walk with James Joyce and complain about, you know, some Ulysses and Finnegan’s Wake a little and see what the response would be.”
  (04:28, Amanda Shires)

• “Sometimes when there’s not enough words to describe what you’re going through, that’s when I take it out on the canvas.”
  (06:49, Amanda Shires)

• “Pizza—like we’re doing that Little Caesar’s commercial!”
  (15:31, Amanda Shires)

• “Resilience isn’t glamorous or pretty. It’s just you get your pieces and you keep on going.”
  (23:12, Amanda Shires)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:42] Reunited: Buzz greets Amanda.
• [04:28] Who would Amanda "take a walk" with?
• [05:33] Songwriting, grief, and working through emotion.
• [07:51] Artistic/literary influences and new hobbies.
• [09:32] Albums on repeat during songwriting.
• [10:27] Key album collaborators and creative process.
• [12:13] Studio technical challenges and experimenting with sound.
• [15:31] “Pizza mind” lyric outtake and laughter in the studio.
• [16:24] Vulnerability, authenticity, and family influence.
• [19:32] Thoughts on AI and technology.
• [20:39] Feelings about returning to touring.
• [22:17] Openness to genre and “death metal fiddle.”
• [23:41] Lessons of resilience and advice for personal transitions.

Episode Tone & Language

Amanda Shires is candid, warm, humorous, and self-deprecating. She blends vulnerability with wit, making for an engaging and thoughtful conversation about creativity, transition, and self-discovery.

Conclusion

Amanda Shires’ journey is one of continual artistic self-discovery and reinvention. “Nobody’s Girl” is framed as her most personal work yet, born from both adversity and creative risk-taking. Her story offers encouragement for anyone navigating change: embrace emotional honesty, stay curious, and don’t rush the process.