Trampled by Turtles frontman Dave Simonett was the guest on the latest episode of JamBase partner Osiris Media’s Wheels Off With Rhett Miller. Miller also fronts renowned Texas alt-country group Old 97’s. Simonett and Miller talked working with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy on TbT’s new album, Alpenglow, his writing routine and more.
The conversation got going in earnest with Dave detailing his creative schedule:
“I don’t want to say I’m in between projects, ‘cause I never really like to get there. But, with Trampled, we just made a record. So I feel like when that happens, when we finish an album, I go into a little bit of a vacation mode for a bit. But I have been writing now, because…it was November when we recorded. So I’ve just kinda started getting back into writing, as much as I can in the summer. I don’t typically do a lot in my studio, working on signs in the summertime. It’s a lot of lighhearted writing exercises and maybe a song or two here and there. But I’ve kind of started to get back into that mode and I can feel fall coming around the corner. I get excited for that, ‘cause I kinda hunker down and write all fall.”
Rhett remarks that he’s never really heard anyone work seasonally. “How come you think you wound up with this schedule?” Miller asked. “Honestly, I think it was the one that worked,” Simonett replied. Dave goes on to say he’s tried a number of routines. “But I found that I moved with the seasons the best,” he said. “It’s the most natural for me.” Simonett also notes that the cold, dark months of fall and winter in his home in Minnesota are naturally conducive to writing as there’s a lot of indoor time.
After detailing some of his writing exercises, Dave talked about his experience working with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy on Trampled By Turtles’ new album, Alpenglow, due out on October 28. Simonett noted that the band cut the album almost completely live at Wilco’s Chicago studio, The Loft. He also spoke about Tweedy’s deep involvement in arranging the songs.
“I don’t think there was a song on there that didn’t have a chord changed around or a verse moved or a bride added or taken away…I really appreciated the input there.”
Elsewhere in the episode, Dave and Rhett talk about the importance of humanity in art as well as road routines that help manage stress. Listen to Dave Simonett on Wheels Off With Rhett Miller below:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dave-simonett/id1450055753?i=1000577103804
.article-summary-wrap {
margin-top:25px;
}
.panel-article .list-posts > li {
border-style: dotted;
}
.panel-article .list-posts > li:last-of-type {
border-bottom-width:0;
}
.panel-article .list-posts .excerpt {
margin: 3px 0 0;
}
.panel-article .list-posts .btn-sm {
margin-top: 10px;
padding: 3px 10px;
}
!function ($) {
$(function(){ // document readyvar ga_event_args = {
hitType: ‘event’,
eventCategory: ‘Article Summary Shortcode’,
eventAction: ‘Show Article Summary’,
eventLabel: ‘https://www.jambase.com/article/trampled-by-turtles-on-the-highway-single-video’,
nonInteraction : true
};console.log( ‘JB – Analytics Event’ );
console.log( ga_event_args );try {
__gaTracker(‘send’, ga_event_args );
} catch(err){}$(document).on(‘click’, ‘.article-summary-wrap a[data-guid=”9146220126d0205-8de6-4fcc-b89b-9a775343ad49″]’, function(e){
var ga_event_args = {
hitType: ‘event’,
eventCategory: ‘Article Summary Shortcode’,
eventAction: ‘Click Article Summary’,
eventLabel: ‘https://www.jambase.com/article/trampled-by-turtles-on-the-highway-single-video’
};console.log( ‘JB – Analytics Event’ );
console.log( ga_event_args );try {
__gaTracker(‘send’, ga_event_args );
} catch(err){}});
});
}(window.jQuery);
Trampled By Turtles Share ‘On the Highway’ Single
!function ($) {
$(function(){ // document readyvar ga_event_args = {
hitType: ‘event’,
eventCategory: ‘Article Summary Shortcode’,
eventAction: ‘Show Article Summary’,
eventLabel: ‘https://www.jambase.com/article/trampled-by-turtles-alpenglow-new-album-single-tour-dates’,
nonInteraction : true
};console.log( ‘JB – Analytics Event’ );
console.log( ga_event_args );try {
__gaTracker(‘send’, ga_event_args );
} catch(err){}$(document).on(‘click’, ‘.article-summary-wrap a[data-guid=”888999868a83963-a4ae-4aee-a052-ac04e65ff80b”]’, function(e){
var ga_event_args = {
hitType: ‘event’,
eventCategory: ‘Article Summary Shortcode’,
eventAction: ‘Click Article Summary’,
eventLabel: ‘https://www.jambase.com/article/trampled-by-turtles-alpenglow-new-album-single-tour-dates’
};console.log( ‘JB – Analytics Event’ );
console.log( ga_event_args );try {
__gaTracker(‘send’, ga_event_args );
} catch(err){}});
});
}(window.jQuery);
Trampled By Turtles Announce New Album ‘Alpenglow’ & Share Single
!function ($) {
$(function(){ // document readyvar ga_event_args = {
hitType: ‘event’,
eventCategory: ‘Article Summary Shortcode’,
eventAction: ‘Show Article Summary’,
eventLabel: ‘https://www.jambase.com/article/trampled-turtles-grateful-dead-brown-eyed-women-cover-red-rocks’,
nonInteraction : true
};console.log( ‘JB – Analytics Event’ );
console.log( ga_event_args );try {
__gaTracker(‘send’, ga_event_args );
} catch(err){}$(document).on(‘click’, ‘.article-summary-wrap a[data-guid=”900515821840ac2-a735-41e0-9bb2-3e4870b1d4ee”]’, function(e){
var ga_event_args = {
hitType: ‘event’,
eventCategory: ‘Article Summary Shortcode’,
eventAction: ‘Click Article Summary’,
eventLabel: ‘https://www.jambase.com/article/trampled-turtles-grateful-dead-brown-eyed-women-cover-red-rocks’
};console.log( ‘JB – Analytics Event’ );
console.log( ga_event_args );try {
__gaTracker(‘send’, ga_event_args );
} catch(err){}});
});
}(window.jQuery);
Trampled By Turtles Cover Grateful Dead’s ‘Brown-Eyed Women’ At Red Rocks
!function ($) {
$(function(){ // document readyvar ga_event_args = {
hitType: ‘event’,
eventCategory: ‘Article Summary Shortcode’,
eventAction: ‘Show Article Summary’,
eventLabel: ‘https://www.jambase.com/article/trampled-by-turtles-whiskey-grand-rapids-video’,
nonInteraction : true
};console.log( ‘JB – Analytics Event’ );
console.log( ga_event_args );try {
__gaTracker(‘send’, ga_event_args );
} catch(err){}$(document).on(‘click’, ‘.article-summary-wrap a[data-guid=”8798449501d3913-4720-43df-9bc9-a6097ae12e25″]’, function(e){
var ga_event_args = {
hitType: ‘event’,
eventCategory: ‘Article Summary Shortcode’,
eventAction: ‘Click Article Summary’,
eventLabel: ‘https://www.jambase.com/article/trampled-by-turtles-whiskey-grand-rapids-video’
};console.log( ‘JB – Analytics Event’ );
console.log( ga_event_args );try {
__gaTracker(‘send’, ga_event_args );
} catch(err){}});
});
}(window.jQuery);
Watch Trampled By Turtles Perform ‘Whiskey’ In Grand Rapids: Pro-Shot Video
