Amanda Shires went on a sponsored shopping spree at Amoeba Music in Los Angeles for the recurring What’s In My Bag? segment. The singer-songwriter’s trip through the engrossing Hollywood Boulevard record store revealed affinities for Harry Styles, steel guitar, and more.
Though the series is technically What’s In My Bag? that didn’t stop Shires from picking out a giant Harry Styles poster, noting that it wouldn’t fit in her tote, “but it counts.” First up was a selection from Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, the iconic country outfit that gave Shires her start as a 15-year-old fiddle player. She recalled learning about improvisation from the group of mostly middle-aged men, “Like learning that there’s a whole bunch of stuff that happens that’s not what you plan on for a day but you just make something cool out of it.”
Continuing along the country music highway, Shires picked out The Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. The inclusion of a Speedy West song caught her eye and prompted her to open up about her relationship with steel guitar.
“When I’m trying to get better at music, I like to listen to steel guitars because they’re, to me, the most difficult instrument probably to play,” she said. “There’s a lot of tuning involved, a lot of pedals. And it’s like I wish I would have learned this instrument.”
In that same vein of cumbersome instruments, Shires revealed she also wants to take up the harp.
Switching genres, Shires also picked out Leonard Cohen‘s Death of a Ladies Man. Recognizing the fact that what Cohen envisioned for the 1977 LP is not what ended up on the wax, Shires made a direct plea to the Cohen family, asking them for the masters so that she and some other folks can re-record the album to achieve Leonard’s original vision.
“And also I’d like to have the masters so I could solo Leonard Cohen’s voice and make myself a ringtone so I can fall asleep at night,” she added.
After picking out A Charlie Brown Christmas—not surprising from the woman who put out For Christmas last year—Shires turned her attention to the fashion world. Though What’s In My Bag? is usually a platform for artists to select music, the fashion-forward solo artist couldn’t resist a pair of see-through socks with ghosts printed on them.
For the touring musician, Shires also grabbed some air fresheners adorned with Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Harry Styles. The latter led to the final revelation of the segment, as Shires outed herself as an unapologetic Harrie. Between the Harry Styles poster, air freshener, and vinyl copy of Harry’s House, Shires’ husband and occasional 400 Unit bandmate Jason Isbell may have cause for jealousy.
“I was late to the party and now that I’m in the party, I’m really happy,” Shires said of her fandom. “It was like that for me too with Bob Dylan, it took me a minute and then I like learned everything about Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. So all that to say it doesn’t matter when it hits you, music is cool like that. When it does it changes your life, it transports you, puts you somewhere cool, makes your mind happy.”
See what’s in Amanda Shires’ bag from her recent trip to Amoeba Music.
Amanda Shires – What’s In My Bag?