This spring, singer-songwriter Maya de Vitry released her third studio album, Violet Light, and its music and lyrics showcased a significant degree of creative and personal growth for this veteran of the North American folk scene.
de Vitry got her start a decade ago in the Lancaster folk sensations The Stray Birds, and has been releasing solo albums since the late 20-teens. Now based in Nashville, de Vitry and her band toured back to the east coast upon the release of Violet Light to celebrate the album with hometown shows at World Cafe Live in Philly and Zoetropolis in Lancaster. The day of their Philly stop, they popped by WXPN studios for an acoustic session and interview with the WXPN Folk Show’s Ian Zolitor.
She and Zolitor speak about writing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how she drew inspiration form Margaret Atwood as well as her grandmother, who weathered the pandemic storm even into her 90s. They talked about how she connected with each of her bandmates — which in this performance include new Nashville pals Shelby Means (vocals) and Joel Timmons (lead guitar, vocals), as well as old Lancaster friends Dom Billett (drums) and Charlie Muench (banjo, vocals). And she talked about her roots, not just in the region, but in music, coming from a family and a school system that deeply valued music and instilled its importance on kids.
Below, watch two videos from Maya de Vitry’s Folk Show session, and listen to the entire interview with Zolitor. She returns to Philadelphia on Thursday, September 22nd to play World Cafe Live with John Craigie; tickets and more information can be found at WXPN’s Concerts and Events page. For more on de Vitry, read our feature interview with her from back in the spring when Violet Light was released.
