Quality Americana

Fierce picking opens the scene as an acoustic guitar appears in black and white. You’re transported back in time as a traditional melody breaks fast out the gate.

Molly Tuttle and her band the Golden Highway have had a breakout year, picking up a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album for Crooked Tree, recording a performance for Austin City Limits, and performing at the Guild Theater with Jerry Garcia’s 1943 Martin guitar. 

“The setup was awesome and it sounded so good,” Tuttle told Guitar Player magazine. “A lot of guitars with Brazilian rosewood back and sides have a piano-like tone, and Jerry’s Martin definitely had some of that going on.”

Tuttle grew up in Northern California and learned at a young age from her father, a music teacher, and grandfather in the midwest that played banjo. 

“I grew up in the area on the San Francisco peninsula where the Grateful Dead got started,” Tuttle told Guitar Player Magazine. “So many of the songs I learned when I was a kid were in a roundabout way through the Dead. Diving deeper into their music feels like home to me. It is so ingrained; I just love it. And it’s so cool they have that bluegrass connection, which has played a huge part in my life.”

The release of “El Dorado” reminds us of the traditional song “Shady Grove” Garcia often performed with mandolin player David Grisman. The song tells the story of Gold Rush Kate, a bar owner operating in a gold rush mining town. 

“El Dorado… city of gold city of fools,” Tuttle sings. “Has the fever got a hold on you? I’ve seen it all the rise and fall and now I take my rest. I’m Gold Rush Kate from the Golden State and I’m the last one left.” 

The studio recorded video leaves a focus on the song. Tuttle’s humility and respect for the bluegrass tradition has won her many fans as she continues to shine. 

“It was a wonderful surprise for me to be even up for the award,” Tuttle said on the red carpet at the Grammys. “There’s so many heroes and friends who are up for it as well. I love the bluegrass community so much. It’s the world that I grew up in and it feels so great to feel that support from my peers.” 

Tuttle said that the award gave her the opportunity to share traditional styles of music with a wider audience. Along with fellow artist Billy Strings, who she’s performed with, a younger generation is breathing new life into the scene. Her first albums put a modern take on the genre and put her in the public spotlight, and Tuttle focused on making a classic bluegrass album for Crooked Tree. 

Tuttle’s fourth studio album City of Gold was released in July and “El Dorado” has climbed up the charts, staying in the top ten of the Americana Music Association singles list. The traditional style, beautiful instrumentation, compelling story and harmonies really make this a memorable release from one of the bluegrass fields’ fastest rising stars. 

Find out more about Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway here.

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Press photo provided by Molly Tuttle Music.