Listening To Molly.

One of my New Year resolutions has already fallen by the wayside on day 2!. I don’t feel guilty about it though. I said I would go for a walk every single day to try and get fit, but yesterday afternoon the weather was so bad it was impossible to go out. Storm Henk was battering Britain. The wind was gusting at about 50MPH, so there was no way I was venturing out. I had a nice afternoon safe and sound playing music in my kitchen. I was listening to an album called Crooked Tree by Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway. I bought this album recently because some of my Facebook friends had spoken highly of Molly. Also, I saw that she is playing in Bath next week on a double bill with Tommy Emmanuel so I bought myself a ticket for that, and thought I better get myself an album to get acquainted with her music.

If you haven’t heard of Molly before, she is aged 30, an American vocalist, songwriter, banjo player, guitarist, recording artist, and teacher in the bluegrass tradition. She is noted for her flatpicking, clawhammer, and crosspicking guitar prowess. In 2017, Molly was the first woman to win the International Bluegrass Music Association's Guitar Player of the Year award. In 2018 she won the award again, along with being named the Americana Music Association's Instrumentalist of the Year. In 2023, Molly won the Best Bluegrass Album for Crooked Tree and also received a nomination for the all-genre Best New Artist award at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Released on April 1, 2022, it is Molly's first album for Nonesuch Records and the first to feature her band Golden Highway. The album was co-produced by Molly and dobro player Jerry Douglas and includes collaborations with Margo Price, Billy Strings, Old Crow Medicine Show, Sierra Hull, Dan Tyminski and Gillian Welch. It was preceded by the single She'll Change, which was released on November 17, 2021. (Thanks to Wikipedia for that info)

I have listened to the album a few times now and enjoyed it more with every playing. It is a grower! This would be great music for the summer outdoor festivals, it is so lively and infectious. At first I thought San Francisco Blues was my favourite song, but now I like all of it. The title track is about celebrating people’s individuality and differences. Songs like She’ll Change, Side Saddle and Goodbye Girl are concerned with female power in a male dominated world. Her band are all very gifted musicians (See video below). I’m not sure if Golden Highway will be with Molly in Bath next week, but I’m really looking forward to it. I’ll see if I can get a signed copy of her new album City of Gold and I’ll tell you all about the concert afterwards. Cheers.