Trampled By Turtles’ Dave Simonett Announces 1st Official Solo Album ‘Red Tail’

Trampled by Turtles frontman Dave Simonett will release Red Tail, his first solo album issued under his own name. The record will be released by Thirty Tigers on March 13.

Simonett previously released two solo albums under his Dead Man Winter moniker. The most recent Dead Man Winter record, the deeply personal Furnace, came out in 2017.

“I feel like I’ve gotten more comfortable with my own voice, as I’ve gotten older,” Simonett said. “I’ve kind of settled into myself a bit. The guitar and the microphone have been tools to get my songs out, more than I think of myself as a guitar player or a singer. There was a special window when I didn’t know if I was making an album––I was just going to record some songs. So there wasn’t a lot of weight put on it. The whole thing just felt kind of smooth.”

The singer-songwriter recorded four of the eight tracks on Red Tail alone at his studio in Minneapolis. The other four were recorded with collaborators at the renowned Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.

“We did everything live. None of the guys knew any of the songs,” Simonett said. “It was just real casual, and I won’t say easy, but as close to easy as it can be. There was just this light attitude throughout the whole process, even when I was working on my own.

“When you put something out like this, it’s personal and a real scary thing, every time. I do feel like I’m confident in it artistically, or I wouldn’t put it out.” He pauses and smiles, sounding ready and truly happy as he adds, “I like it. For me, that’s a success.”