New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and musician Molly Tuttle and her band, Golden Highway, will release their new album, City of Gold, July 21, via Nonesuch Records. You can pre-order here. Ahead of the release, the lead track, "El Dorado," debuted today. You can watch the video here:
City of Gold follows Tuttle's acclaimed 2022 record, Crooked Tree, which won Best Bluegrass Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards and led NPR Music to call her "a female flat picker extraordinaire with agility, speed and elegance who distinctively brings American roots music into the spotlight," adding that the album "marries the improvisatory solos of traditional bluegrass with singer-songwriter sophistication."
Produced by Tuttle and Jerry Douglas and recorded at Nashville's Sound Emporium Studios, City of Gold was inspired by Tuttle's constant touring with Golden Highway these past few years, during which they have grown together as musicians and performers, cohering as a band. These 13 tracks - mostly written by Tuttle and Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show) - capture the electric energy of band's live shows by highlighting each member's musical strengths. In addition to Tuttle and Secor, Mason Via also co-wrote "Down Home Dispensary," while Melody Walker and Shelby Means co-wrote "Next Rodeo."
Reflecting on the project, Tuttle shares, "When I was a kid, we took a field trip to Caloma, CA to learn about the gold rush. I'll never forget the dusty hills and the grizzled old miner who showed us the nugget around his neck. Just like gold fever, music has always captivated me, captured my heart, and driven me to great lengths to explore its depths. On my new album I dug deep as a songwriter (with Ketch Secor) and co-producer (with Jerry Douglas) and surfaced with a record that celebrates the music of my heart, my life, the land where I grew up, and the stories I heard along the way. I made this record with my band Golden Highway after playing over 100 shows across the country last year. On the road and in the studio, we are inspired by artists such as John Hartford, Gillian Welch and Peter Rowan to name a few, whose records are like family albums to us. Just like them, on this album we chart some new territory along some old familiar ground. The songs span from breakdowns to ballads, fairytales and fiddle tunes, from Yosemite up to the Gold Country and out beyond the mountains. That visit to Coloma, site of California's first gold strike is where I first heard about El Dorado, the city of gold. Playing music can take you to a place that is just as precious. I hope you like this record!"
In addition to Tuttle (vocals, acoustic guitar), Douglas (dobro) and Golden Highway—Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (fiddle, harmony vocals), Dominick Leslie (mandolin), Shelby Means (bass, harmony vocals) and Kyle Tuttle (banjo, harmony vocals)—City of Gold also features special guest Dave Matthews on "Yosemite."
In celebration of the new music, Tuttle and Golden Highway will tour through this summer including headline shows at Oklahoma City's Beer City Music Hall, Virginia Beach's Elevation 27, Cleveland's Blossom Music Center and St. Louis' Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre as well as select dates with Shane Smith & The Saints, Dierks Bentley, Charley Crockett and Marcus King. The band will also make festival appearances this year at New Orleans Jazz Festival, Bonnaroo, Railbird Music Festival, DelFest and more. See below for complete tour itinerary, and visit nonesuch.com/on-tour for all the latest.
Raised in Northern California, Tuttle moved to Nashville in 2015. In the years since, she's been nominated for Best New Artist at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, won Album of the Year at the 2023 International Folk Music Awards, Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2022 International Bluegrass Music Awards, Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2018 Americana Music Awards and Guitar Player of the Year at the IBMAs in both 2017 and 2018, the first woman to receive the honor. Tuttle has performed around the world, including shows with Sam Bush, Béla Fleck, Hiss Golden Messenger, Jason Isbell, Old Crow Medicine Show and Dwight Yoakam as well as at several major festivals including Newport Folk Festival and Pilgrimage.
MOLLY TUTTLE & GOLDEN HIGHWAY ON TOUR:
Apr 27 Fleur de Dead* New Orleans, LA
May 5 New Orleans Jazz Fest New Orleans, LA
May 9 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison, CO
May 13 North Caroline Brewers and Music Festival Huntersville, NC
May 19 Beer City Music Hall Oklahoma City, OK
May 20 FreshGrass Bentonville, AR
May 21 The Blue Note Columbia, MO
May 25 The Historic Theater Portsmouth, NH
May 26 Levitate Backyard Marshfield, MA
May 27 Elevation 27 Virginia Beach, VA
May 28 DelFest Cumberland, MD
Jun 1 Budweiser Stage** Toronto, ON
Jun 2 Pine Knob Music Theatre** Clarkston, MI
Jun 3 Blossom Music Center** Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Jun 4 Railbird Music Festival Lexington, KY
Jun 15 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN
Jun 16 Father's Day Festival Grass Valley, CA
Jun 22 ROMP Fest Owensboro, KY
Jun 23 Outlaw Music Festival Somerset, WI
Jun 24 Outlaw Music Festival East Troy,WI
Jun 25 Outlaw Music Festival Maryland Heights, MO
Jul 7 Blissfest Music Festival Harbor Springs, MI
Jul 14 Under the Big Sky Festival Whitefish, MT
Jul 18 Sandy City Amphitheater*** Sandy, UT
Jul 19 Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden*** Boise, ID
Jul 22 FairWell Festival Redmond, OR
Jul 30 RockyGrass Festival Lyons, CO
Aug 3 Obsidian Spirits Amphitheater* Corning, CA
Aug 4 Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys** Stateline, NV
Aug 19 Hoxeyville Music Festival Wellston, MI
Aug 21 Virginia Credit Union LIVE! at Richmond Raceway*** Richmond, VA
Aug 22 The Andrew J Brady Music Center*** Cincinnati, OH
Sep 8 Cheekwood Estate & Gardens Nasvhille, TN
Sep 15 Pickin' in the Pines Festival Flagstaff, AZ
Sep 21-24 Tommy Emmanuel Guitar Camp Nashville, TN
Oct 6 Rebels & Renegades Music Festival Monterey, CA
* Molly Tuttle w/Billy & The Kids
** w/Dierks Bentley
*** w/Charley Crockett.
