Trampled By Turtles Return From Hiatus to Release “Life Is Good on the Open Road”
There will be more music from the dynamic and much-loved string band Trampled By Turtles, which is music to the ears of their fervent fan base in Minnesota and beyond. After scaling back touring in 2016, and then going completely cold turkey in 2017, Trampled by Turtles will release their first record in four years Life is Good on the Open Road on May 4th through Thirty Tigers. The band also plans to start touring again this May.
Trampled by Turtles reunited at a cabin in Minnesota in the fall of 2017 to see what would happen, and if the time was right to move forward with the project. “I think a little break was really good,” says frontman Dave Simonett, who released a solo project early last year under the name Dead Man Winter. “I started to miss the guys, and playing music with them. I think everybody kind of felt that way after we got some space, so it was really healthy. We were like, hey, we should make a record — and the feeling was really casual and there was no pressure at all. We were able to do it in a way that kind of felt like 15 years ago.”
Ahead of the release, the band has made a new song available called “Kelly’s Bar,” which is named after a hangout in Red Wing, Minnesota Simonett frequented when he lived in the town.
Trampled by Turtles released their first record in 2004, but achieved breakout success with their 2010 record Palomino and the song “Wait So Long.” People came for the speed and musicianship the band evidenced, but stuck around from Dave Simonett’s songwriting. Since then Trampled by Turtles has become one of the premier string bands in American roots music.
Life is Good on the Open Road is now available for pre-order.
Track Listing:
1. Kelly’s Bar
2. We All Get Lonely
3. The Middle
4. Thank You, John Steinbeck
5. Annihilate
6. Right Back Where We Started
7. Life Is Good on the Open Road
8. Blood in the Water
9. I Went to Hollywood
10. I’m Not There Anymore
11. Good Land
12. I Learn The Hard Way
February 17, 2018 @ 10:21 am
Great news (although I was very pleased with Dead Man Winter)! Wild Animals was a little too progressive, experimental for me. “Kelly’s Bar” sounds more my speed.
February 17, 2018 @ 3:23 pm
Totally understand your view on “wild animals,” i definitely thought it was underrated though. Really looking forward to this new one – i think the time off will pay dividends.
Another midwestern band with a new release this spring to keep an eye on is Buffalo Gospel out of the Milwaukee area. I think the production on their first album sold them short a bit, but they have a new one out this May. Genuinely nice guys, songwriting thats unique yet comfortable at the same time. Expecting these guys to grow in popularity – at least in the Midwest – with this upcoming record.
February 18, 2018 @ 1:25 pm
“We Can be Horses”?
February 19, 2018 @ 7:50 am
“On the First Bell” is out in May. They do a better job keeping social media up to date than their site.
WCBH was good – after seeing them live though it just felt like it didnt quite do the band justice, really looking forward to the new one.
February 17, 2018 @ 10:42 am
“Blue Sky and the Devil” is an absolute classic. I go back to that record all the time.
February 17, 2018 @ 11:44 am
I mean, this is no Jason Aldean, but it will do. Good musicianship, but don’t kid yourself, if you plop Dierks with an i into that band, trampled gets pushed up 2 levels. And seriously, that fiddle player. Weak.
May 1, 2018 @ 10:42 am
That fiddle player is freaking amazing dude….
May 1, 2018 @ 10:52 am
Dang. That’s a delayed reaction. Yeah, it was a joke.
February 17, 2018 @ 12:29 pm
Really digging the song kept on hitting repeat
February 17, 2018 @ 3:12 pm
Glad to hear these guys are coming back. They really got me into more progressive bluegrass after hearing Wait So Long the first time. Stars and Satelites i felt was a very strong effort album wise. Anxious to hear what they come up with.
February 17, 2018 @ 3:29 pm
As a native Minnesotan, I will always have a soft spot for Trampled by Turtles and am glad they are back. If “Kelly’s Bar” is any indication, it feels like the relatively short hiatus that they took did the band some good and rejuvenated them.
February 17, 2018 @ 10:08 pm
I tend to prefer more traditional grass, but when the progressive mood strikes, these guys rank up there. Glad to see they’re back. (And glad to see them mentioned here.)
February 19, 2018 @ 6:24 am
Music to my ears…just bought tickets for Asheville.
February 19, 2018 @ 9:13 am
Whilst I am forever enchanted with their older, less polished material, “Kelly’s Bar” is an indication of a truly stellar album forthcoming.
February 19, 2018 @ 1:07 pm
I saw Sunday Valley open for them at The Dame in Lexington, KY a long ass time ago.