Sips & Spins with Harry Todd & Caleb Schwing

Equally comfortable picking pristine progressive bluegrass and electric jamband solos, Kyle Tuttle is a rare and virtuosic banjo player known for his work with Grammy-winning guitarist Molly Tuttle, and former Yonder Mountain String Band mandolin player Jeff Austin. His third album Labor of Lust, is very different from his first two albums

On his new record, Tuttle explores a wide range of sounds and possibilities for the banjo, while his songwriting gives insight into a tumultuous time in his own life; losing a mentor and going through a divorce. “A life in professional music, or performance of any kind really, is often painted in glamor… but the man behind the curtain can exist in a difficult duality. An attempt at putting a saddle on success can eat a person up and wreck the things they hold dear. In reality, any pursuit of the love of the masses can easily become a Labor of Lust.” 

Growing up in Georgia, Kyle Tuttle first began singing and playing folk songs with his grandparents. After studying at Berklee College of Music and moving to Nashville, TN, Tuttle played in the band of Yonder Mountain String Band mandolinist Jeff Austin until Austin’s death in 2019. 

Fresh off a full time gig with Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, (Kyle) Tuttle has been busy touring while finishing his newest album, Labor of Lust. The album was recorded over two sessions in Nashville with engineers Daniel Rice and Megan McCormick, and features a stacked cast of musicians including Golden Highway bandmate Dominick Leslie, The Infamous Stringdusters Travis Book, singer/songwriter Lindsay Lou, and many others. Sonically, the music moves from straightforward bluegrass (Trailer in Boulder Canyon), to electric funk-jams (Ghost), to song-based folk numbers (Turn On Your Radio). 

Kyle has also worked closely with Jamgrass legends Larry Keel, Travelin’ McCourys, Leftover Salmon, Greensky Bluegrass, Billy Strings, Railroad Earth and many more.