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.

Trampled by Turtles released their first record, Songs from a Ghost Town, in 2004. In a genre steeped in tradition, the album stood out for its contemporary sound, essentially bridging the gap between the bandmates' background in rock music and their new acoustic leanings. Blue Sky and the Devil (2005) and Trouble (2007) explored a similar sound, but it wasn't until 2008 and the band's fourth release, Duluth, that Trampled by Turtles received recognition by the bluegrass community. Duluth peaked at number eight on the Billboard bluegrass chart and paved the way for a number of festival appearances. When Palomino arrived in 2010, it was met with an even greater response, debuting at the top of the bluegrass chart and remaining in the Top Ten for more than a year. Two years later, their crossover appeal landed them at number 32 on the Billboard 200 pop charts upon the release of their sixth album, Stars and Satellites. In addition to major bluegrass and folk festivals, they began showing up at Coachella, ACL Fest, and Lollapalooza. The official concert album, Live at First Avenue, followed in 2013, recorded at Minnesota's most famous venue. A year later, the band returned with the darker-toned Wild Animals, which bettered its studio predecessor on the album charts, reaching number 29 on Billboard. Countless tours with bands like Lord Huron, Wilco, Caamp, Mt Joy and Deer Tick to name a few have followed. 2022 will see the release of the band's latest body of work called Alpenglow which was produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.

Call Me Spinster is one part kaleidoscopic indie rock, one part porchy holler pop — and every bit a family operation. The brainchild of three sisters in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Call Me Spinster skims nostalgia from psychedelic folk to 90’s synth-pop, weaving frank vocals with ethereal harmonies to make sense of their constantly growing world.

Band practice for Call Me Spinster is not your typical beer-fueled midnight garage rock. It starts at 10 a.m. A 7-month-old chews an XLR cord in the corner. A toddler naps in the next room over the screech of bass amps and keyboards. The sisters pause constantly to breastfeed, change a diaper, or lull a cranky child back to sleep.

The chaos of motherhood would cause most bands to stall, but Call Me Spinster has always rocked with children in the background. When Amelia, the eldest sister, became pregnant with her first child in 2017, she took maternity leave from her teaching job. The same month Amelia’s son was born, her sisters Rachel and Rosie quit their respective teaching jobs in Costa Rica and Portland, Oregon and joined Amelia in Chattanooga.

The sisters began by tackling Prince and Drake covers on a hodgepodge of acquired instruments — including their Amish grandfather’s old accordion, an upright bass, glockenspiel, and even the occasional pie pan. They busked, played brunch gigs and local festivals, then eventually opened for bigger touring acts across the Southeast. When they started applying their unorthodox arrangements to their own songs, they quickly attracted New West/Strolling Bones label head George Fontaine Sr., who connected them with producer Drew Vandenberg (of Montreal, Faye Webster, Toro y Moi) to create their first EP in 2020.

“The result is a set of songs that they can certainly be proud of, a series of soft, shimmering melodies that convey both youthful enthusiasm and elegiac indulgence,” wrote American Songwriter.

Call Me Spinster’s first full-length album, Potholes is due out spring of 2024 on Strolling Bones Records. Tracks range from “nods to Robyn and ‘90s synth pop”... “moments of Minnie Riperton-era Rotary Connection and Air.” Other songs dip into the realm of country - folk, but in an unusually understated, anti-Nashville style, pedal steel or accordion pinging nostalgia but staying out of the way. Lyrics present a gentle, sometimes starkly candid view of domestic life. While the inspirations are raw, there is no shortage of technicolored joy on this album. Call Me Spinster underscores emotional depth with
bouncy electropop that makes you want to dance in public.