The Rough & Tumble aren’t casual road dogs, but they aren’t letting on, either. From their upbeat, commanding stage presence and sharp banter, to their earworm-inducing melodies and heartstring lyrics, this thriftstore Folk-Americana duo refuses to bring the haggard road-worn stereotype to their audience-- even though they’ve earned it. In fact, The Rough & Tumble have been elbowing out of most stereotypes.
The Rough & Tumble, a dynamic duo comprised of Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler, have been captivating audiences with their unique blend of dumpster-folk and thrift store-Americana for over a decade. The Pennsylvania-born Graham and Central California's Tyler have a knack for weaving together elements of joy, sorrow, comedy, and drama in their music, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats. On November 24, 2024, the band will release their new record, Hymns for My Atheist Sister & Her Friends to Sing Along To.
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An album for the faithful, the faithless and the somewhere-in-between. The Rough & Tumble’s latest, Hymns for My Atheist Sister & Her Friends to Sing Along To, is a record wherein all are welcome. For those that are brokenhearted from a faith that didn't love them back, those who are still carrying religious baggage, or those who are continuing in the faith they were taught as children. It's an album about truth, about mystery, and most importantly about loving your neighbor. This message is at the forefront of the vocally expansive opening track and first single “Love Them Too,” released October 4, 2024.
In contrast to their full-band 2023 studio album Only This Far, Mallory Graham & Scott Tyler’s approach to this record is a path less traveled. Instead of the band’s signature unpredictable multiple instrumentation, they created a challenge of using less. All instrumentation on this record was limited to what Graham was permitted to have in her church growing up– piano, organ, guitar, and tambourine. This intention meant that The Rough & Tumble would lean heavily on the human voice– and not just their own. Orchestrating from across the country, the duo called on fellow musicians Dave Coleman, Alice Wallace, Flagship Romance, Halley Neal, The Honey Badgers, Ordinary Elephant & Sam Robbins to fly in vocals from afar. The result is what the duo calls “The Congregation of Kind Souls.” The collaboration not only forms an irrepressibly emotive sound, but embodies the theme of inclusion and acceptance, as each artist utilized their artistic voice with full creative license without Graham & Tyler dictating specific notation.
The limitation of instrumentation does not limit the capacity of feeling and strength for these 10 songs. In fact, The Rough & Tumble noted that by instituting these arbitrary rules, it allowed creative growth in much the same way that their religious upbringing did– an opportunity to transcend beyond barriers to something bigger and more beautiful than themselves.
Hymns for My Atheist Sister & Her Friends To Sing Along To is already profoundly reaching live audiences as the band performs on tour– for both the religious and irreligious. The Rough & Tumble are walking a tightrope– not of neutrality, but of radical love that appeals to the heartstrings of a wide array of audiences– most poignantly in a time of a country critically divided in an election year.
The curious listener may not be able to decipher the particulars of the band’s beliefs from listening to the record– and that might be the point. Hymns for My Atheist Sister & Her Friends to Sing Along To is neither dogma nor doctrine, but a direct path to the soul.
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“There are plenty of acoustic songscapes that will pleasure fans of the likes of Nanci Griffith... while other songs have an elegance and emotional craft to the lyrics which stand shoulder to shoulder with master songsmiths such as Gretchen Peters or Guy Clark."
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"...they sure as hell are peaking high and mighty in this music and songwriting game."
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---Brian Carroll, Red Line Roots, September 2019
Writing and performing together since 2007, Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler inevitably formed The Rough & Tumble in 2011 as the friends turned into bandmates. In 2015, after a bad Nashville landlord left them without heat for twelve days during an ice storm, the bandmates-turning-spouses decided to hit the road. They sold everything they could, bought a sixteen-foot camper (despite the warning of their families and the lot salesman), packed up their instruments, their dogs, and a couple of small trinkets shaped like elephants and mice that they couldn’t part with, and hit the road. They’ve been touring relentlessly ever since with their two 100 lb rescue dogs, Mud Puddle and Magpie Mae, in spite of multiple burnt up axles, busted tires, and consistent water leaks.
Their 2023 release, Only This Far, is a powerful and thought-provoking collection of songs that reflects The Rough & Tumble's diverse influences and experiences alongside a smorgasbord of instrumentation. The band's remarkable storytelling ability is on full display here, serving as a timely beacon of hope in a world in dire need of just that. With its powerful lyrics, emotive vocals, and evocative overtones, this is an album that will resonate with listeners long after the final notes have faded away.
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In 2022, after a series of strange events including an invitation to see an historic jail, the band found themselves planted in a home in northern New Hampshire-- at least part of the year. Home life has them cultivating their local music scene, but can't seem to keep them from the road-- not even after their old home-on-the-road finally fell apart at the end of 2023. The Rough & Tumble called a Hail Mary to their supporters, hoping to scrape together a down payment for a new touring vehicle. In under 3 hours, they made more than a down payment-- in 2 weeks, the couple was floored by the support they received and were able to purchase a sturdy new camper outright. They're happily and safely back on the road in 2024 thanks to their unbelievably supportive fan base.
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It continues to look up for the duo as, at the end of 2023, they became one of the yearly recipients of the Club Passim Iguana Fund. This is a grant program that for the last 16 years has given over $40,000 annually in grants to New England based artists to be used for tour support, recording projects, and a host of other necessary expenses artists face in today's musical economy.
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It takes determination and stamina to live this hardscrabble lifestyle, but not as much as it takes for them to stay still. With some luck and old-fashioned working together, you’ll be able to see The Rough & Tumble pull their camper into your town to do what they do best; speaking up until they’re heard. We suggest you do the same.
“I laughed my ass off, I cried buckets. By the third song I realized, I need to pace myself!”
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---Aubrey, Reidsville, NC
"Wow, what an appealing package. High-quality originals in all sorts of traditional veins, from haunting ballads to stomping, screaming folk anthems. All performed with expert, polished musicianship and flawless ensemble. Amazing array of instruments (a few you will never have encountered before, I bet!), and attention to musical detail, without a trace of pretension or preciousness. The vocals are a pleasure – natural yet perfectly executed. The whole effect seems fun and blithely effortless."
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---M. McLeod, Empty Nest Concerts,
Maplewood, NJ
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