Side Saddle

"Side Saddle" catches Molly Tuttle operating in a mode that's harder to classify — not quite traditional bluegrass, not quite indie folk, but something agile and slightly crooked in the best possible way. The guitar playing is the centerpiece: nimble, rhythmically unexpected, with runs that dart between the beats and a tone that's slightly drier and more percussive than her more polished studio work. The song has an energy that feels genuinely spontaneous, like it was captured mid-thought. Her band Golden Highway fills in the space without crowding it — fiddle and bass providing structure while Tuttle's guitar gets to wander. The vocal performance is confident and a little playful, with a hint of swagger that suits the title. Thematically, "Side Saddle" seems to be about navigating the world on your own terms — not head-on and not absent, but sideways, finding your own angle of approach. There's something assertive in its spirit that pushes back against the idea that bluegrass is a purely retrospective genre. This is music made by someone who learned the tradition deeply enough to start bending it without breaking it. It rewards repeat listening because the guitar work reveals new details on each pass — a trill here, a rhythmic displacement there, choices that seem casual until you realize how deliberate they actually are. Put this on when you need music that's technically alive without being cold or showy.