Life is Good On The Open Road For Trampled By Turtles

by | Feb 22, 2018

Celebrated Minnesota sextet Trampled By Turtles have announced details of their long-awaited new album Life Is Good On The Open Road, due for release via Thirty Tigers on June 1. After an indefinite hiatus, the band are returning with their first new album in four years following in the wake of previous Billboard-charting records which have included three No.1s on the Bluegrass and Folk charts. In line with announcement, the band have shared the first single Kelly’s Bar which you can listen to here.

Coincidentally, the band had arranged to regroup at banjo player, Dave Carroll’s cabin on the same day that their mutually beloved hero, Tom Petty sadly passed away.

Within an hour of converging at the cabin, instrument cases were opened and ideas were passed around.

“We started cracking beers and hanging out, and all of a sudden it was like, ‘wow’!” frontman and primary songwriter, Dave Simonett recalls. “So we went down by the lake and brought a speaker and a bottle of whiskey, and just sat and listened to like six Tom Petty records straight. It felt good as a band to be sharing in that. Somebody we had all admired so much musically, that we could kind of bond over.”

By the second day of their retreat, Trampled went live on Facebook with a performance of Tom Petty’s Wildflowers, and by the end of the week, they were already working with handful of new songs that Simonett had written, and firming up dates at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, to record their next album.

After 15 years of recording and performing high-energy live shows, Trampled By Turtles have built a large and loyal fanbase that fill venues in their home of the US and here in the UK. Trampled By Turtles have previously toured with the likes of Hiss Golden Messenger and Deer Tick, performed at festivals including Bonnaroo, Coachella and Lollapalooza, and played twice on the David Letterman Show. The band are set to announce a slew of UK dates in support of the new release.

Life Is Good On The Open Road is the welcome return that the group’s legions of passionate fans have been waiting for. Led by the songwriting of lead singer Dave Simonett, the new songs touch on key elements from the entire spectrum of Trampled By Turtles body of work, while creating something that sounds fresh and invigorated. Simonett, and bandmates Erik Berry, Ryan Young, Dave Carroll, Tim Saxhaug and Eamonn McLain reunited at a cabin in the Minnesota woods to see if the special chemistry they once shared still existed. It did not take long for the magic to reveal itself with an invigorated sense of purpose and the result shines brightly on Life Is Good On The Open Road.

https://rockshotmagazine.com/16840/live-review-gin-wigmore-dingwalls/

Alana Springsteen @ The Long Road Festival 2025 (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

Alana Springsteen: Turning Vulnerability Into Strength

When I caught Alana Springsteen live at the Long Road Festival last summer, the performance felt like something...
Gouge Away (Ian Enger)

Gouge Away Share New Single ‘Figurine’ And Sign To Run For Cover Records

Florida noise rock outfit Gouge Away have announced a new chapter in their career, signing to Run For Cover Records and unveiling the explosive new single Figurine.

Grade 2 (Christopher Bethell)

Grade 2 Confront Mental Health Struggles On New Single ‘Better Today’ Ahead Of Album ‘Talk About It’

Isle of Wight punk trio Grade 2 have released their powerful new single Better Today, offering another preview of their forthcoming album Talk About It, set for release on 3rd April.

Charlotte Sands (Juan Flores)

Charlotte Sands Shares ‘None Of My Business’ Video Following Release Of New Album ‘Satellite’

Alt-pop powerhouse Charlotte Sands has unveiled the official music video for None Of My Business, a standout track from her newly released album Satellite.

Rick McMurray (Ron Mickson)

Ash’s Rick McMurray Launches Solo Project Burned As Witches With Debut Album And New Single ‘Hold Your Nerve’

Rick McMurray, best known as the powerhouse drummer for Northern Irish rock trio Ash, has unveiled his new solo project Burned As Witches alongside the release of its debut single, Hold Your Nerve.

Tarragon (Chung Duc Minh)

Tarragon Shares New Single ‘Tucked In Despair’ Ahead Of Upcoming Album Home At Cofa’s

Coventry-based artist Tarragon has unveiled his latest single, Tucked In Despair, the newest preview of his forthcoming album Home At Cofa’s, set for release on 1st May.

mgk @ The O2 (Kalpesh Patel)

mgk Sells Out The O2 For The First Time With A Chaotic, Genre-Hopping Spectacle

There’s a moment midway through mgk’s two-hour spectacle at London’s O2 Arena where Colson Baker simply stops. “I know we have a strict 11pm curfew tonight but let me soak this in O2, let me soak this in,” he says, surveying the 17,000-strong crowd stretching from the floor to the nosebleeds. “If you’re in the building tonight this is very special, you only get to sell out The O2 for the first time one time and tonight is that night. This is ours, this one is for us.”

The Lemon Twigs (Eva Chambers)

The Lemon Twigs Announce New Album ‘Look For Your Mind!’ And 2026 UK & Ireland Tour

Long Island brothers The Lemon Twigs have announced their sixth studio album, Look For Your Mind!, set for release on 8th May. Alongside the announcement, the duo have shared the album’s lead single, I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You, accompanied by a new video.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing