Trampled By Turtles

Trampled by Turtles hail from Duluth, Minnesota, where frontman Dave Simonett started the band in 2003 as a side project. After having most of his gear stolen during a show with his previous band, Simonett was left with just an acoustic guitar. He began building a new group focused on acoustic music, drawing influence from bluegrass, folk, and other unplugged styles—genres he hadn’t explored before. He brought together fellow bluegrass newcomers, including fiddler Ryan Young (a former speed metal drummer) and bassist Tim Saxhaug, along with mandolinist Erik Berry and banjo player Dave Carroll. The result was a high-energy sound blending the speed and edge of rock with the heart of bluegrass.