Trampled by Turtles is an American bluegrass-influenced folk band from Duluth, Minnesota. They have released ten full albums, three of which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard bluegrass chart. Their fifth release, Palomino, stayed in the chart's Top 10 for 52 straight weeks. Their latest album, Alpenglow, was released on October 28, 2022.
Trampled by Turtles | |
|---|---|
 Trampled by Turtles live in Munich, 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, bass, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, harmonica |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | BanjoDad |
| Members | Dave Simonett Tim Saxhaug Dave Carroll Erik Berry Ryan Young Eamonn McLain |
| Website | trampledbyturtles |
Band members
edit- Dave Simonett – guitar, lead vocals, harmonica (2003–present)
- Tim Saxhaug – bass, backing vocals (2003–present)
- Dave Carroll – banjo, backing vocals (2003–present)
- Erik Berry – mandolin, backing vocals (2003–present)
- Ryan Young – fiddle, backing vocals (2007–present)
- Eamonn McLain – cello, backing vocals (2014–present)
- Trampled by Turtles, live 2014
-
Dave Simonett
-
Erik Berry
-
Dave Carroll, Banjo
-
Tim Saxhaug
-
Ryan Young
Founding
editTrampled by Turtles' frontman, Dave Simonett, formed the band in 2003 as a side project [2]. When Simonett's musical equipment was stolen in 2003, he was left with only an acoustic guitar[3]. Simonett was restricted to genres such as bluegrass and folk—acoustic genres that did not rely on amplification. Simonett was a newcomer to the acoustic music scene, so he recruited other newcomers to the newly-formed band: fiddler Ryan Young (previously a drummer in a speed metal act),[2] bassist Tim Saxhaug, mandolinist Erik Berry, and Dave Carroll on the banjo. They quickly adopted a distinctive sound, "fast, frenetic, that owed as much to rock & roll as bluegrass[2]".
The band's name, "Trampled by Turtles", was suggested as a joke. Simonett explains in an interview that "'We all brought our lists of names to rehearsal one time, and we agreed to decide on the name that we hated the least, and that one stuck'"[4]. From the beginning, they've refused to limit themselves to a specific label or genre: "'I don't really know what to say when I'm asked that. I hesitate to say bluegrass because I'm familiar with that kind of music. I feel that is a genre that has set boundaries that, and anytime you stray out of that, you're not really considered a bluegrass band no matter what instruments you're playing on. I would say it's Americana with string instruments, but whatever anyone wants to call it, that's fine'"[4].
Trampled by Turtles released 3 albums between 2004 and 2007: Songs from a Ghost Town (2004), Blue Sky and the Devil (2005), and Trouble (2007). However, their fourth album, Duluth, released in 2008, earned them recognition within the bluegrass community, with Duluth peaking at #8 on the Billboard bluegrass chart. Following this success, Trampled by Turtles were featured in several music festivals[2].
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Grass | US [5] |
US Heat | US Indie | US Alt | US Folk | US Rock | ||
| Songs from a Ghost Town |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Blue Sky and the Devil |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Trouble |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Duluth |
|
8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Palomino |
|
1 | — | 11 | 46 | — | — | — |
| Stars and Satellites |
|
1 | 32 | — | 7 | 11 | 2 | 13 |
| Live at First Avenue |
|
31 | — | 9 | 47 | — | — | — |
| Wild Animals |
|
— | 29 | — | 3 | — | 1 | — |
| Life Is Good on the Open Road |
|
1 | 133 | — | 11 | — | 7 | — |
| Alpenglow |
|
1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||
EPs
edit| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Sigourney Fever | Banjodad |
| 2024 | Always Here | Banjodad |
Singles
edit| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "Where is My Mind?" | Banjodad Records |
| 2011 | "Wait So Long" / "Disappear" | Banjodad Records |
| 2012 | "Alone" | Banjodad Records |
| 2018 | "Wildflowers" | Banjodad Records |
| 2022 | "A Lifetime to Find" | Banjodad Records |
Music videos
edit| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Wait So Long" | Justin Gustavison |
| 2011 | "Victory" | |
| "Where Is My Mind?" | ||
| 2012 | "Alone" | |
| "Walt Whitman" | Jim Fortier/Dave Willis | |
| 2013 | "Midnight on the Interstate" | Stephanie Erlandson |
| 2014 | "Are You Behind the Shining Star?"[7] | Philip Harder |
| "Wild Animals" |
Appearances
editThe band has performed at many national festivals including Coachella, Bonnaroo, Stagecoach, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Bumbershoot, and Pickathon. In 2011, they performed at several large folk music festivals including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, the Newport Folk Festival, Floydfest, Pilgrimage, and ROMP: Bluegrass Roots & Branches Festival. They played at San Francisco's Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival,[8] the Sasquatch Festival, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, the Austin City Limits Music Festival, the Firefly Festival, Rock the Garden, the All Good Music Festival, and the Newport Folk Festival in 2012.
Trampled by Turtles made their national television debut April 24, 2012 on Late Show with David Letterman.[9] They returned to the Late Show with David Letterman on July 16, 2014 to play songs off their Wild Animals album.
Features
editTheir single, "Are You Behind The Shining Star?" was featured in The Troubadour's Road Top 25 Songs of 2014.[10]
Their music has been featured in TV shows including Deadliest Catch and Squidbillies.
Their song "Alone" was featured at the end of the 2013 movie The Way Way Back.
Their song "Codeine" was featured in the 2018 video game Far Cry 5.
Their song "Ghosts" was featured in the Showtime series "Ray Donovan" in January 2019.
Honors and awards
editThe band has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue,[11] recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue.[12] Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh.[13]
References
edit- ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Trampled by Turtles: Stars and Satellites – Overview". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Trampled by Turtles". www.visitsanantonio.com. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ "Trampled By Turtles On World Cafe". NPR. June 5, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- ^ a b "Trampled by Turtles reach for stars and satellites". www.countrystandardtime.com. April 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
- ^ "Trampled by Turtles Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
- ^ "Trampled By Turtles Announce New Album ALPENGLOW (Out Oct. 28th), Fall Tour and Release New Track". Grateful Web. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
- ^ "CMT : Videos : Trampled by Turtles : Are You Behind the Shining Star?". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on June 22, 2014. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
- ^ "Outside Lands 2012". Lineup.sfoutsidelands.com. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
- ^ Saunders, Hilary. "Watch Trampled by Turtles on the Late Show with David Letterman". Paste. Paste. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ Lammers, Tim. "Trampled by Turtles returns to David Letterman's Late Show". BringMeTheNews. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
- ^ "The Stars". First Avenue & 7th Street Entry. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
- ^ Bream, Jon (2019-05-03). "10 things you'll learn about First Avenue in new Minnesota History Center show". Star Tribune. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
- ^ Marsh, Steve (2019-05-13). "First Avenue's Star Wall". Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
External links
edit- Official website
- Live Show Downloads (provided by the Internet Archive)
- 2012 Live concert 42 minutes WFUV archive
- Trampled by Turtles on Twitter
- Int'l Bluegrass Music Museum
- Firefly Festival