Bronwyn Releases New Album Rattlin’ Bones.
For her third album, Rattlin’ Bones, Bronwyn, a Grammy-winning artist and two-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year, decided to purposely leave her comfort zone and dive headfirst into a new, unknown realm of musical possibility for the acclaimed artist: songwriting.
“If I’m going to be an artist and a front person, I’m going to need my own material that fits the live show. It definitely felt like a very steep learning curve, and it’s been very humbling, but the songwriting piece has been sort of the next step for what I want to do – Bronwyn.
While her debut album, Fiddler’s Pastime (2020), was an instrumental offering showcasing Bronwyn’s fiddle skillset and prowess, it was the sophomore release, I Built A World (2024), that introduced the world to her singing style. And yet, with Rattlin’ Bones, it truly feels like Bronwyn has dug deep within to finally uncover and embrace her unique talents and sonic tones.
In a lot of ways, life has settled for me, where I’ve gotten married and it feels like certain pieces have fallen into place,” Bronwyn says. “And that’s given me space to stir up more chaos in my life by deciding to start my own band. I was just trying to follow my nose, basically. What turns me on? What would I want to listen to? And I wanted to make a record that you’d want to turn up so loud, that it’d rattle your bones – Bronwyn.
Backed by a whirlwind array of pickers, Bronwyn has elevated herself into the national spotlight of Americana, bluegrass and roots music as of late, which is why the urge to jump into the studio and capture this momentum and energy seemed like the perfect timing with Rattlin’ Bones.
This unrelenting force behind Rattlin’ Bones is due to Bronwyn hitting the road hard lately alongside her solo band, which includes mandolinist Tristan Scroggins, banjoist Frank Evans, bassist Larry Cook and guitarist Grant Dresnok. The ensemble is the cream of Nashville’s bluegrass crop, with their electrifying musical chemistry radiating a seamless sense of camaraderie and creativity.
With her former group, Americana/bluegrass juggernaut Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, dissolving amicably last year, the window of opportunity opened up for Bronwyn to pursue her own artistic endeavors, under the bright stage lights and in the recording booth.
Co-produced by Bronwyn and Brent Truitt of the The SteelDrivers at Truitt’s Nashville studio, and also at the Tractor Shed in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, Rattlin’ Bones features some of Music City’s finest: Dobro player, Jerry Douglas, guitarists Bryan Sutton and Frank Rische, mandolinist Harry Clark, bassists Dennis Crouch, Jeff Picker, banjoist Wes Corbett, drummer Miles Miller and Bronwyn’s former Golden Highway bandmate, Dominick Leslie, as well as Scroggins, Evans, and Cook.
The album also features a duet with Nashville’s underground country music hero Timbo, and harmonies provided by songwriting great, Darrell Scott, among others.
Bronwyn
When asked about how she discovered her vocal style, and where that side of her craft was initially sparked, Bronwyn points to her time in Golden Highway. She was routinely encouraged by Tuttle and bassist Shelby Means to lean into her voice, ultimately cultivating this new side of her musicality.
There was a large part of my life where I didn’t sing and was only interested in playing the fiddle,” Bronwyn notes. “But being on tour with Golden Highway and around Molly and Shelby, these great female bluegrass vocalists, it shifted everything – Bronwyn.
In the midst of a live performance, Bronwyn commands this relaxed confidence standing in front of the microphone. For a musician well-known for her instrumental abilities, it’s mesmerising to watch Bronwyn sing and play through a set of her latest rollicking melodies with the band itself swirling around her in this joyous revival of the heart and soul conjured with ease each night.
With that evolution of oneself and their craft, comes a sense of sheer gratitude for Bronwyn, both tangible and intrinsic. It’s this glance over her shoulder at what’s come to pass since she left the starting line of her hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia,
Rattlin’ Bones can be saved here.
