Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor once cited Walt Whitman to me during an interview to explain how he is “a container of multitudes.” While that can be said about everyone to an extent, the one artist that’s come to mind for me the most when thinking on it lately has been the fiery fiddler Bronwyn.
After mostly performing Celtic fiddle tunes early in her career, Bronwyn began immersing herself in bluegrass music more after enrolling at the Berklee College of Music in Boston in the late aughts. While there she also met the likes of Molly and Kyle Tuttle, who she’d eventually go on to perform with a decade later in the Grammy Award-winning group Golden Highway. Alongside those future nods from The Recording Academy came a pair of Fiddle Player of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) in 2021 and 2022 that cemented her picking prowess even more.
According to Molly Tuttle, Bronwyn’s proficiency and exceptional work ethic was evident from the moment they first met.
“It felt like she was evolving right before my eyes,” exclaims Molly. “Every time I heard her play she was getting better and better, then within a couple years she was named Fiddle Player of the Year by the IBMA. It was one of the most rapid growth spurts I’ve ever seen.”
“When it came to putting Golden Highway together I was looking for people who had a unique voice on their instrument that would really stand out in a band. By that point she already had such a strong stage presence that made me feel like we could really grow together.”
After a handful of years of finding success with groups like Golden Highway and Mile Twelve, Bronwyn’s persistent approach musically is now paying off with her solo endeavors as well. Following a 2020 album of fiddle tunes and the feature-heavy Trip Around The Sun from 2024 (the latter of which earned a Grammy nomination), she’s making another leap forward on her new album Rattlin’ Bones by penning two tracks (“The Wishing Well”, “Virginia Gal”) on her own and co-writing the other 11 for the first time in her career.
Per Kyle Tuttle, he witnessed Bronwyn’s staggering transformation not only during their shared time in Golden Highway, but also through observing her throw down with Nashville’s best at honky tonks throughout the city.
“She’s so driven. That’s what sticks out to me the most,” asserts Kyle, referencing a weekly residency she once hosted in Nashville at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge while also playing in Golden Highway. “For at least the last year of the band she was doing that gig every week, no matter what. There were many times where we’d land at the Nashville airport after a weekend run with Golden Highway at 11 a.m. on a Monday and she’d still be there at 6 p.m. with her band. I was always so impressed by that.”
All that experience on stage contributed to Rattlin’ Bones feeling more like Bronwyn’s live show than any of her previous work. The mix of hard-driving bluegrass and Music City twang leaves ample room for interpretation and ensures that, much like her, these tunes are constantly evolving.
That self-assurance is something that’s always stood out to her Golden Highway bandmate, Shelby Means, who says that Bronwyn’s grand vision for her career inspired her to launch her own independent journey after Golden Highway disbanded in 2025.
“While together in Golden Highway I really noticed Bronwyn coming into her power as a performer,” explains Means. “Her confidence really shines when she steps into a solo, and I only see that continuing to grow as she spearheads her own band. Seeing her dream big has also pushed me to do the same as a new solo artist — it’s so inspiring.”
As if her past credentials weren’t convincing enough, Rattlin’ Bones also boasts appearances from Darrell Scott, Jerry Douglas, Lindsay Lou, Harry Clark (East Nash Grass), Brent Truitt (The Steeldrivers), Miles Miller (Sturgill Simpson/Johnny Blue Skies), Pat McLaughlin, Melody Walker, and Golden Highway bandmate Dominick Leslie, giving Bronwyn a band of world-class pickers to match her otherworldly talent. It all leads to this album poised to make her bluegrass music’s next big power player, something that people who’ve worked with her like Molly Tuttle are adamant is recognition that’s long overdue.
“She’s so ambitious, so it comes as no surprise that she’s getting out there and leading her own band,” says Molly. “It’s a daring step for her to get into songwriting too. I’m just really impressed and proud of her for taking that step on this record and thinking about what she wants to say, not just musically, but with her lyrics too.”
To commemorate Bronwyn’s third solo record, we’ve named her our BGS Artist of the Month for September. Over the next 30 days we’ll reflect on the fiddler by digging through our archives for all things Bronwyn. Meanwhile, revisit our Winter Wondergrass session in the round with Bronwyn and enjoy The Essential Bronwyn playlist below.
Photo Credit: Alexa King Stone
