Molly Tuttle<\/a> knows how to write an earworm.<\/p>\n But the catchiness of her songs doesn\u2019t indicate a lack of depth: Her lyrical prowess and relatability are what make audiences want to sing along (it also helps that she\u2019s a kickass guitarist and banjoist). The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter shares both vulnerability and confidence on her latest album, So Long Little Miss Sunshine<\/em>, which released in August, and it\u2019s imbuing listeners with the same. \u201cI\u2019m proud of it,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve been working on these songs for a long time, and it was definitely the most I\u2019ve ever put into a record that I\u2019ve made. I\u2019m just really happy it\u2019s out in the world, and it\u2019s been so much fun playing the new songs out on the road and translating them to the live setting.\u201d<\/p>\n Tuttle will be bringing her new music to Denver on Saturday, October 25, with a show at the Ogden Theatre<\/a>, where she\u2019ll be joined by openers Joshua Ray Walker and Cecilia Castleman. Unsurprisingly, Tuttle has a large following in the Mile High City, which has a solid appreciation for bluegrass, especially the modern movement for which Tuttle has been a pioneer alongside such artists as Billy Strings<\/a>, with whom she\u2019s collaborated. And those going to the Ogden are in for a treat: Her live shows can include on-the-spot improvisations that flesh out her recorded material, making each concert unique.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes when you\u2019re making a record, less is more, and then in the live setting, more is more,\u201d she says. That means supplementing sets with \u201ca longer solo, a bigger crescendo,\u201d she notes. \u201cMaybe making a three-and-a-half-minute song into five minutes in the live setting by adding instrumental sections [that] people can get lost in during the show.\u201d<\/p>\n The twelve tracks on So Long Little Miss Sunshine<\/em> provide lots of textures and layers to work with, making it almost as though the band is building on a painting at concerts, adding highlights and deeper dimensions. \u201cThere\u2019s five of us on stage and we do our best to recreate the sounds on the record, but sometimes there is a different translation that has to happen, like, what\u2019s the most important part of the song that we want to showcase live?\u201d Tuttle says. \u201cThat\u2019s an ongoing discussion, too, where things change over time and we experiment with different stuff. That\u2019s what I love about live music: No two performances are the same.\u201d<\/p>\n One of her favorite songs to perform is \u201cOld Me (New Wig),\u201d which is about finding freedom and independence through self-confidence. Tuttle, who has alopecia, has worn wigs since she was fifteen, and she recognizes she is in a unique position. \u201cI do have a platform, and I want to use it to show that I\u2019ve been able to turn this struggle into something positive and hopefully inspire others to feel comfortable in their own skin, as well,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cIt became a song about reclaiming who you are and becoming a new, brighter, more confident version of yourself,\u201d she continues. \u201cIt\u2019s about breaking up with the old version of yourself, so it\u2019s kind of a song about reinvention. For me, that encapsulated a lot of the record as a whole, because it is kind of stepping into new territory for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, So Long Little Miss Sunshine<\/em> sees Tuttle taking new sonic directions. While it is still rooted in bluegrass sounds, the record also blurs genre lines, taking influence from progressive Americana roots music, from a smooth, slowed-down cover of IconaPop\u2019s \u201cI Love It\u201d to the rock-infused, bluesy \u201cOld Me (New Wig).\u201d The lyrical throughline of finding yourself and trusting instincts is also heard on such songs as \u201cEasy,\u201d a reflection on a breakup, and \u201cNo Regrets,\u201d which affirms that sometimes the hardest moments open doors to the best.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt with this record, I was returning more to feeling free to explore, to push my songwriting and music in new directions and not feel any rules or confines,\u201d Tuttle says. \u201cI do love writing in a way where I feel like I have a set of parameters around it, but with this record I wanted to expand them and see what happened in the studio.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s now touring the album with the new bandmates she met while living in Nashville; one of the first shows they played together was a few months ago in Vail, and Tutle says the sound has \u201cdeveloped a lot since then.\u201d And throughout the weeks of touring, she\u2019s been particularly looking forward to the Ogden show.<\/p>\n \u201cColorado is one of my absolute places to tour,\u201d she says. \u201cOf all the places we go, there\u2019s just consistently such a great audience for the type of music that I play. The crowds, they just know how to be great music fans: They genuinely seem to appreciate and love live music. I\u2019ve been playing in Colorado for so many years now, and it\u2019s always something I look forward to a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Molly](\"https:\/\/www.westword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/Molly-Tuttle-Photo-by-Ebru-Yildiz-2.jpg?w=790\")
![\"Molly](\"https:\/\/www.westword.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/Molly-Tuttle-Photo-by-Ebru-Yildiz-4.jpg?w=1024\")