Minnesota’s Trampled By Turtles released their first album in four years this past May, Life Is Good on the Open Road. The album came about after the bluegrass/folk-rock band reunited at a cabin after a yearlong hiatus, bonding over the loss of their hero Tom Petty. Our song of the day, “The Middle,” is a lush folk song, filled with joyous harmonies and intricate fiddle. The song was written prior to the band’s reunion by frontman Dave Simonett. “Going into the studio, we really had a vision for this album, which is something we haven’t always had,” Simonett says. “We wanted to make a raw, pre-live record, which we hadn’t done for a little bit. It’s how we used to do things coming up, back in the day. It’s how we’ve always enjoyed playing together the most.” Life Is Good on the Open Road is Trampled By Turtles’ eighth studio album, following 2014’s Wild Animals. Below, check out the video for “The Middle” by Elias Paulson, with art by Michael Byzewski as well as the band’s KEXP in-studio session from 2014.
