Molly Tuttle is an American vocalist, songwriter, banjo player and guitarist, recording artist and teacher in the bluegrass tradition, noted for her flatpicking, clawhammer, and crosspicking guitar prowess. Tuttle was diagnosed with alopecia areata when she was three years old, which quickly progressed to alopecia universalis, resulting in total body hair loss.Tuttle began playing guitar at age 8. At age 11, she played onstage with her father Jack Tuttle, a bluegrass multi-instrumentalist and instructor. In 2006, at age 13, Tuttle recorded The Old Apple Tree with her dad, an album of duets. At age 15, she joined her family band The Tuttles with AJ Lee. In 2011, the Tuttles self-released their Introducing the Tuttles album, and the Endless Ocean album in 2013.
In 2012, Tuttle was awarded merit scholarships to the Berklee College of Music for music and composition, received the Foundation for Bluegrass Music’s first Hazel Dickens Memorial Scholarship, won the Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at the Merlefest Music Festival, and appeared with her dad on A Prairie Home Companion. While studying at the Berklee College of Music, in 2014, Tuttle met and joined the all-female bluegrass group the Goodbye Girls. They combine bluegrass, jazz, and Swedish folk music. Other members are Allison de Groot (banjo), Lena Jonsson (fiddle), and Brittany Karlson (bass). They released an EP Going to Boston in 2014, and the album Snowy Side of the Mountain in 2016. The band has also toured Jonsson’s home country Sweden several times.
In 2018, she joined Alison Brown, Missy Raines, Sierra Hull, and Becky Buller in a supergroup. The quintet performed at the Rockygrass festival in Lyons Colorado on July 27, 2018. Initially known as the Julia Belles, the group later became known as the First Ladies of Bluegrass. Additional gigs were booked at Analog at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville on Sept 18, 2018 and the IBMA Wide Open Bluegrass Festival on September 28, 2018. She also collaborated with Billy Strings on the songs “Sittin’ on Top of the World” and “Billy in the Lowground.” The First Ladies of Bluegrass are featured on the first single from a full-length CD by Missy Raines titled Royal Traveler released in 2018 on Compass Records.
In 2015, Tuttle moved from Boston to Nashville. Her EP Rise was released in 2017 after a crowdfunding campaign. She wrote all of the songs on the 7-song album, which was produced by Kai Welch. Guests included Darrell Scott, Kathy Kallick, and Nathaniel Smith. She formed The Molly Tuttle Band, which includes Wes Corbett (banjo), Joe K. Walsh (mandolin), and Hasee Ciaccio (bass). In 2017, Tuttle signed with Alison Brown’s Compass Records. Molly was selected by Buddy Miller to join his “Cavalcade of Stars” section of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass on the Rooster Stage in October 2018.
Tuttle released her debut album When You’re Ready via Compass Records in April 2019. Next she released … but I’d rather be with you again on Compass Records in August 2020. In January 2022, Nonesuch Records announced a release by Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway titled Crooked Tree in April 2022. Their follow-up, City of Gold, is due for release in July 2023.
