GRAMMY AWARD-WINNERS MOLLY TUTTLE & GOLDEN HIGHWAY RETURN WITH NEW ALBUM CITY OF GOLD ON JULY 21 

April 27, 2023—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 (pre-order/pre-save here). Ahead of the release, lead track, “El Dorado,” is debuting today. Listen/share 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 the band’s live shows by highlighting each members’ 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 Coloma, 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.

photo credit: Chelsea Rochelle