Former Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway Fiddler Bronwyn Talks Songwriting On New Album For the First Time: ‘I Need a Catalog That Is Mine’

In 2020, two-time IBMA Award-winning bluegrass fiddle player Bronwyn released a project, Fiddler’s Pastime , that showcased her prowess on the instrument.

A year later, she joined Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, earning a best bluegrass album Grammy in 2023 for her work on the album Crooked Tree .

Since then, each solo album has seen Bronwyn sifting through new musical elements.

Her 2024 set I Built A World showcased her lead vocals.

And when Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway amicably parted ways in 2025, as the members pursued solo careers, Bronwyn used the past year to delve more deeply into crafting her own music.

As a result, her latest solo album, Rattlin’ Bones — which was released Aug.

14 and mixes sonic textures including bluegrass, alt-country and jamgrass — adds another layer to her artistry: songwriting.

“It’s definitely been organic … me just kind of feeling my way forward artistically and exploring things that interest me,” Bronwyn tells Billboard .

“I had considered trying to write some songs for [ I Built A World ], but singing was such a new thing for me that I felt I should just focus on singing good songs written by other people,” she continues.

“But once I made that record, and started performing and singing more, I started to get to know my voice better and what kind of songs appealed to me.

I realized I wanted to pursue a solo career, and at that point I was like, ‘Most of my favorite artists write at least some of their own material.

If I’m going to do this, I need a catalog that is mine.” The first person Bronwyn reached out to was songwriter Melody Walker, known for co-writing some of Tuttle’s hits, including “Crooked Tree” and “The River Knows,” as well as writing songs recorded by Sierra Ferrell.

For Rattlin’ Bones , Walker and Bronwyn wrote “The Ride” and “Sticks and Stones,” among others.

“That’s the thing I found about co-writing, is it’s really validating when someone says they like your idea, and it’s nice to have someone else give you a little encouragement,” she says.