Trampled By Turtles

Trampled by Turtles is an acoustic quintet from Duluth, MN. Based on their instrumentation, the initial instinct is to view the band as a bluegrass or new-grass outfit, but spend more than a cursory moment with their music and it is clear this tag doesn't really fit.
For those who are simply fans of music, not bound by rules or forms, Trampled by Turtles take pieces of it all and just play from the heart. Call it alt-bluegrass, nontraditional string, indie-folk, rock-grass, punk-grass or anything else, they don't care what name you put on it, just show up with an open mind and it won't be long until you fall under their spell. Like all of us, where they were raised has influenced what they are and these guys didn't grow up in southern roots country, they come from way up north where folks do it a little different. When was the last time you saw crowd surfing brought on by an acoustic string band without any drums?
TBT came together in 2003 when several local bands fell apart around the same time. Bandleader/vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Dave Simonett began playing with mandolin player Erik Berry as an acoustic duo at which point they met banjoist Dave Carroll. Soon they picked up bass player Tim Saxhaug and "just kind of started jamming in living rooms and playing for fun" explains Simonett. "It was kind of like a side project, and then eventually everybody else's band split up so we started doing this one full-time."
But here's the key to understanding Trampled by Turtles: This is their first string band. "The instrumentation was different. None of us had played in an acoustic group before" says Simonett. And that's why this isn't a bluegrass band, all those other groups they came from were rock bands and they still play with that plugged-in intensity, only now they're doing it with acoustic instruments and beautiful, high-lonesome vocal harmonies.
Constantly touring, Trampled By Turtles have criss-crossed the country more times than they can count, sharing the stage with stalwarts like LOW, Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven and Billy Joe Shaver to name a few. They've also been invited to festivals such as Rothbury, 10,000 Lakes, Wakarusa and Pickathon.
Trampled by Turtles is Dave Simonett (guitar), Tim Saxhaug (bass), Dave Carroll (banjo), Erik Berry (mandolin), and Ryan Young (fiddle). They live in Duluth, MN.
Mia Dyson, Australia's ARIA award-winning (Grammy equivalent) and beloved Blues rocker, has landed in the United States and will inevitably take this country by storm! The combination of soulful lyrics, extraordinary guitar playing, and her gritty, yet gorgeously haunting voice are a winning formula.
Mia broke into the Australian music industry with success at radio and ARIA nominations for each of her three albums in the "Best Female Artist" and won an ARIA for "Best Blues & Roots Album" for her second release "Parking Lots".
Mia's reputation and outstanding performances and brilliant musicianship garnered her national tours opening for iconic artists including, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, and Joe Cocker and has been featured at many major music events including Montreaux Jazz festival, Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festivals (Aus) Winnipeg Folk Festival (Canada) and WOMAD, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Salmon Arm Blues and Roots Festival, Vancouver Island Folk Festival, Central Park NY Summer Stage w/Ani DiFranco and many more. Mia has done two North American tours playing from NYC to Los Angeles.
Mia's long time bassist James Haselwood and sound man Lloyd Barratt have also come to the U.S. with her and have chosen Boston, MA as their home in order to capitalize on its thriving communal music scene, and using Boston's most talented musicians to tour with her.