Long before music became a career, it was simply part of who Shelby was.

A small-town South Dakota girl with a guitar in her hands, Shelby was inspired early by Johnny Cash, her grandparents Larry & Betty, and her mentor Kathy. At 11 years old, she started performing with her family at county fairs, community events, and wherever there was an opportunity to make some music.

She was a lifelong “band nerd,” learning as many instruments as she could get her hands on—piano, drums, ukulele, woodwinds, and, of course, guitar. Featuring in her brother’s band, Oryx, also introduced her to a whole new side of music and sparked her love for ’80s rock.

But for years, music was simply something she loved.

Then came Nashville.

In 2023, Shelby left South Dakota with only her guitar, a few clothes, her favorite boots, and a cheap cowgirl hat. She was heading to Nashville to chase two things she had always been passionate about: music and horses.

It started with a Craigslist ad for a ranch-hand job in the Nashville suburbs. Shelby called the number expecting nothing more than a job opportunity. Instead, one phone call led to an unexpected new chapter. The woman on the other end was a Western actress whose husband worked in the music industry, and she invited Shelby to come work at their ranch.

For the first part of her time in Tennessee, Shelby wrote songs and worked with horses through equine therapy, helping veterans and first responders. Somewhere along the way, she realized she had found something that felt like a calling.

Then everything changed.

She was faced with the hardest decision of her life: stay and continue chasing the life she had built, or walk away from it all. When circumstances forced her to leave the ranch, she found herself starting over in the city next door.

But she wasn’t ready to give up on Nashville—or music.

For the following months, Shelby worked in a bar in Clarksville, Tennessee, going by the name “Bert.” While serving drinks, she would sing karaoke for patrons whenever they called out a request. She was still finding her way and working toward the day she could afford to finally step onto a real stage in Nashville.

Instead, an unexpected car accident brought her Nashville journey to an abrupt end.

More than anything, Shelby knew she needed to be with her family. So she returned home to South Dakota and started over.

But she didn’t come home the same person who had left.

Nashville had taught her that chasing a dream can come with a price—but losing the people and things that matter most wasn’t one she was willing to pay.

Music was no longer something she wanted to dream about someday. It was something she was determined to build her life around.

So she made herself a promise: never stop making music, never take her family for granted, and never again let anyone take her sound or music away.

This time, she was going to make it a lifestyle.

In 2024, Shelby finally stepped onto the stage as a solo acoustic performer. What started as something she had always loved became something she was ready to build her life around.

Today, Shelby brings her own blend of country, rock, pop, alternative, and songs from just about every era and genre to stages throughout South Dakota and beyond. Her shows are built around the crowd—taking requests, reading the room, and finding the right song for the moment. She’s known for putting her own spin on familiar songs and bringing emotion, personality, and a little unpredictability to every performance.

She still writes music for herself and plans to share her original songs with the world when the time is right. For now, she’s focused on doing what she promised herself she would do: making music a life, not just a dream.

And if you’ve ever heard her say, “My name’s Shelby, but I’m not fast like the Mustang,” now you know where it comes from.

Her name really was inspired by the Mustang.

She just happens to be the kind of Shelby who’d rather take the long way around.