Trampled By Turtles
(TBT) is an American bluegrass band from Duluth, Minnesota. Since releasing their debut album in 2004, the band has toured the U.S. with Pert' Near Sandstone, White Iron Band, Cracker, and Lucero. The band describes the sound of their music as thrashgrass.
If you play in a band in Duluth, MN, you’re bound to start another band with people from other bands in Duluth. In early 2003 Guitar player and songwriter Dave Simonett and mandolin player Erik Berry followed this simple and inescapable rule, picking up Dave Carroll and his banjo on the way to form an acoustic side-project. Realizing they had no bass player, Tim Saxhaug agreed to play the role when he wasn’t playing with his band, the Dukes of Hubbard. As they often do, the other bands eventually went their separate ways and the guys decided to focus full time on their new project, Trampled by Turtles.
The band released its first studio effort, Songs from a Ghost Town, in 2004. Recorded in a decommissioned Catholic church on Duluth’s hillside (Sacred Heart Music Center) by producer Eric Swanson. The album is home to several fan favorites and gave the guys a good reason to hit the road. In 2005 the group released Blue Sky and the Devil, also recorded in their hometown of Duluth. The band continued their stripped-down, live approach to recording, produced the record in a couple weeks and for under $1000 and hit the road once again. TBT had started to gain a bit of a following in 2006 when they then released Live at Luce, a six song live EP. In 2007, the band decided to get back in the studio and to take a bit of a different approach while there. They brought in Rich Mattson (Ol’ Yeller, The Glenrustles, producer extraordinaire) to produce and opened up to different instrumentation; things like drums, electric guitars and other taboos in the string band world. Jesse Greene (Wilco, The Jayhawks, Foo Fighters) was brought in and graced the record with violin and cello. The sessions also brought in future bandmate, Ryan Young to play fiddle. Trouble was released, well received by print and radio and, once again, the guys hit the road. In 2008, the band decided they wanted to record again, though this time they wanted to attempt to capture a bit of the energy that their live performance had become known for. Ryan Young officially joined the band and they packed up the van and headed for Sparta, MN, the home and studio of producer Rich Mattson. Sparta is an abandoned mining community on Minnesota’s Iron Range and it’s stark beauty and desolation offered the perfect environment to record the songs that would become Duluth. After a few songs were redone at the Terrarium in Minneapolis, Duluth was released in late 2008 and brought the band some nice attention including coming out at number eight on Billboard’s bluegrass chart.
For six years now Trampled by Turtles have toured the country and beyond, playing basement parties and theaters, bars and festivals, while continuing to evolve musically and lyrically along the way. They have gathered a diverse following, playing festivals such as 10,000 Lakes, Rothbury, Wakarusa, Pickathon, and opening for bands such as LOW, Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven, and Billy Joe Shaver.
Trampled by Turtles have come a long way since 2003 but the rules still holds and some of the guys are still playing in other bands with people from other bands in Duluth.
|
TRAMPLED BY TURTLES TICKETS
EVENT | DATE | AVAILABILITY |
---|
Stagecoach Festival: Eric Church, Miranda Lambert & Morgan Wallen - 3 Day Pass Tickets 4/26 | Apr 26, 2024 Friday | | Stagecoach Festival: Miranda Lambert, Post Malone & Willie Nelson - Saturday Tickets 4/27 | Apr 27, 2024 Sat, 12:00 PM | | Trampled by Turtles Tickets 5/1 | May 01, 2024 Wed, 7:30 PM | | Trampled by Turtles Tickets 5/2 | May 02, 2024 Thu, 7:30 PM | | Spring Revelry: Turnpike Troubadours, Ryan Bingham & Trampled By Turtles Tickets 5/4 | May 04, 2024 Sat, 12:00 PM | |
|