Trampled by Turtles are from Duluth, Minnesota, where frontman Dave Simonett initially formed the group as a side project in 2003. At the time, Simonett had lost most of his music gear, thanks to a group of enterprising car thieves who’d ransacked his vehicle while he played a show with his previous band. Left with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, he began piecing together a new band, this time taking inspiration from bluegrass, folk, and other genres that didn’t rely on amplification.
Simonett hadn’t played any bluegrass music before, and he filled his lineup with other newcomers to the genre, including fiddler Ryan Young (who’d previously played drums in a speed metal act) and bassist Tim Saxhaug. Along with mandolinist Erik Berry and banjo player Dave Carroll, the group began carving out a fast, frenetic sound that owed as much to rock & roll as bluegrass.
There crossover appeal has landed them on the #1 spot of Billboard’s Bluegrass Charts on every record they’ve released while playing marquee festivals like Coachella, ACL Fest, and Lollapalooza. Countless tours with diverse artists ranging Shakey Graves, Zach Bryan, Wilco, Caamp, Mt Joy, Willie Nelson, Avett Brothers, Lord Huron and many more have followed solidifying a loyal fanbase. Their last full length album Alpenglow was produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. 2025 began with the band releasing a cover of Bon Iver’s “From Emma” with Caamp’s Taylor Meier (aka Sumbuck) on lead vocals. A few new collaborations are set to be announced in the coming weeks.
