INTERVIEW
TOMMY EMMANUEL & MOLLY TUTTLE
It’s not often that you find two of the world’s greatest acoustic players on tour together in the UK, and we couldn’t resist the opportunity to invite both of them to the Guitarist studios for an interview and video masterclass…
Watching Tommy Emmanuel play his music live on stage is memorable in itself, but when it’s combined with bluegrass singer-songwriter Molly Tuttle as the support act, it becomes an experience not to be missed. Tommy’s presence on the scene has been one of the wonders of the acoustic world for many years. And while Molly is a relatively new name on the circuit, she is beginning to garner the international fame she richly deserves. In 2023, she won aGrammy with her band, Golden Highway, for the Best Bluegrass Album with Crooked Tree, and this was followed by the gong in the same category at this year’s ceremony for City Of Gold.
Both Tommy and Molly are fiery performers in their own right, so when their talents are combined – as witnessed on their recent UK tour – the result is a formidable tour de force of acoustic virtuosity. When the pair were set to appear in our home town of Bath, at a venue right next door to the Guitarist offices, we sent an invitation to meet for a catch-up and a truly remarkable video masterclass.
Watch Tommy and Molly in action in our exclusive video masterclass here! http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
TOMMY EMMANUEL
When we spoke to Tommy about his upcoming work we couldn’t help but notice his timetable is as packed as ever. However, keeping himself busy is precisely what fuels his creative fires, whether in the studio or out on the road.
Your professional life seems as hectic as it ever was. How are you coping with the work schedule these days?
“Well, this year there’s three periods where I have a little time off between tours because I have anew live album coming out that I recorded at the Sydney Opera House. I did two shows, recorded them both and filmed them, and so I have that to finish mixing and mastering. I have abunch of new songs and Iwant to get my next solo album done this year, ready to come out next year. So there’s alot of stuff in the works.
“The way my life is right now, it would wear most people out. But this is what I’ve always done, you know? Iwas looking at some of the schedules from 2001, and holy smoke! Iwas doing, like, 46 dates in arow and stuff like that. So I’m used to hard work, it’s what I love. And when I get going, that’s when my creativity seems to show up. I mean, playing ashow nearly every night is good for me –it makes me dig deeper and I get amomentum going. Even just coming here today, and talking with you and shooting videos and playing, is so good for me because I get to talk about creative things and things that I love.”
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