The Bobby Bones Show: Bobbycast – Ketch Secor & Molly Tuttle on Wagon Wheel

Date: April 7, 2026
Guests: Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show), Molly Tuttle
Host: Bobby Bones

Episode Overview

This Bobbycast brings together Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show and bluegrass virtuoso Molly Tuttle – who are both celebrated artists and now engaged – for a lively, heartfelt exploration of their personal journeys, musical upbringings, songwriting technique, the legendary "Wagon Wheel," bluegrass’s place in the mainstream, and memorable stories about musical heroes. The episode flows with playful banter, honest reflections, and deep dives into the American roots tradition, all colored by tangible respect and admiration among the guests.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Stories & How They Met

[07:42]

• First Meeting: Molly and Ketch met when Molly opened for Old Crow Medicine Show at the Ryman Auditorium. Friendship deepened when they toured together, rehearsing often.
• Becoming a Couple: During the pandemic, Ketch confessed his feelings for Molly, describing his affection as overwhelming and transformative.

  “The kind of love that I was feeling...was like, whoa, I don’t think this is going away. And it was achy, too. Like, it wasn’t just, I really like this gal. We’d be so great together. It was like, a little painful...”
  – Ketch Secor [09:52]

• Letter Writing & Courtship: After their respective breakups, Ketch wrote Molly a heartfelt, multi-page letter delivered just 1.8 miles away.

  “I’m a letter writer...when I get a pencil, I really start talking.”
  – Ketch Secor [12:37]

2. Musical Upbringing, Practice, and Drive

[19:36] – [23:13]

• Molly’s Family: Grew up in a musical household, playing in a family band with her dad (a bluegrass teacher) and brothers.
• Nature vs. Nurture: Both Molly and Ketch reflect on whether musical talent is inherited or learned, agreeing it’s a blend and adding the idea of “soul selection.”

  “I think there’s another component, which is, did your soul get selected to be brought into the world of entertainment?”
  – Ketch Secor [25:00]

• Burnout & Motivation: Molly struggled as a child with burnout from pressure—practiced guitar two hours a day for self-improvement, connection with her dad, and self-confidence.
• Ketch’s Early Experiences: Exposed to folk traditions early, notably inspired by John Hartford in first grade and driven by a sense of wanderlust.

3. Musical Styles, Techniques, and Affirmation

[18:00] – [29:56]

• Guitar Techniques:
  • Clawhammer Guitar: Adapted from old-time banjo playing, creates a rhythmic, percussive sound. Molly learned it inspired by Gillian Welch.
  • Flatpicking: Fast, intricate picking style quintessential to bluegrass, used by greats like Tony Rice and Doc Watson.
• Affirmation: Both share stories of their first public musical “wins.” For Molly, it was nailing a solo at a music camp. Ketch found affirmation in the Young Singers of Missouri and busking.

4. Songwriting, Inspiration & "Wagon Wheel" Origin Story

[49:16] – [54:54], [62:19]

• The Story Behind “Wagon Wheel”:
  • Ketch came across a bootleg cassette of an unfinished Bob Dylan chorus “Rock Me, Mama,” acquired via a friend in London.
  • Drawing inspiration from rewriting and adapting traditional material, he finished the song at age 17, making it autobiographical (references New Hampshire's motto “Live free or die”).
  • Busked the song for years before it became an Old Crow standard and later a hit with Darius Rucker.

    “If I hadn’t have been a songwriter in my teenage years, you know, I wouldn’t have messed with this thing. […] I finished the song. I wrote it. It was good. It was instantly memorable to me.”
    – Ketch Secor [00:11], [51:05]

  • Songwriting Credit: The official co-write is 50/50 with Dylan, although Dylan later claimed his inspiration came from Arthur Crudup, who learned it from Big Bill Broonzy—a musical lineage stretching to the 1920s.
• The Spell of Song:

  “I know that there is magic in this world because ‘Rock me, Mama like a wagon wheel’ is a spell.”
  – Ketch Secor [64:14]

5. Bluegrass in the Mainstream

[66:57] – [69:51], [73:35]

• The Bluegrass Boom: Both artists note a marked expansion of bluegrass audiences in the last five years—larger, more diverse crowds post-pandemic, and greater mainstream recognition.

  “Just seeing 10,000 people singing along with a Bill Monroe song from the 1950s is so cool.”
  – Molly Tuttle [67:52] “It’s a really amazing power that American music traditions have of coming back up, bubbling back up to the surface again…I agree it’s happening right now, very much so.”
  – Ketch Secor [67:54]

• Genre Boundaries: Molly discusses the tension between genre purists (who claim her work isn’t bluegrass enough) and broader audiences who see her music as bluegrass.

  “I think in the bluegrass world, they’re a little more closed…But then people outside of bluegrass call it bluegrass, so that’s something I’ve always sort of ran into.”
  – Molly Tuttle [74:32]

6. Heroes, Meeting Influences, and “Don’t Meet Your Idols?”

[77:42] – [83:07]

• Ketch’s Heroes:
  • Met Merle Haggard through Marty Stuart (who helped Old Crow break out in Nashville).
  • Has not met Bob Dylan but once received a compliment via Dylan's manager:

    “He said, ‘Oh, crow…you guys are killing it.’ That was enough for me.”
    – Ketch Secor [57:08]

• Molly’s Heroes:
  • Met Joni Mitchell briefly backstage at the Grammys:

    “She was just super nice, although it was, like, super brief. And then I just handed her the Grammy. I was like, ‘Yay.’”
    – Molly Tuttle [82:04]

  • Hopes to meet Joan Baez, a hometown hero in Palo Alto.
• Bobby’s Reflections: Bobby shares his own stories of meeting (and avoiding) musical heroes (esp. Adam Duritz of Counting Crows), and how expectations shape those encounters.

7. Psychics, Magic, and Identity

[41:03] – [47:42]

• The trio debates the legitimacy of psychics, ghosts, and aliens—skeptical but open-minded.
• Molly shares a visit to a psychic who told her she’d be “one of the most powerful witches of all time,” linking the concept to creative magic:

  “What if your powers are your music? …What if, like, our magic is like the art we create?”
  – Bobby Bones [47:10]

8. Touring, Career Growth, and Playing with Marty Stuart

[74:50] – [77:02]

• Molly’s Upcoming Tour: Excitement about her “Guitars on Fire” tour with Marty Stuart, putting together an acoustic trio and anticipating collaborations with Marty’s band.
• Nashville Performance Anxiety: Both Molly and Ketch discuss why playing in Nashville can be especially intimidating.

9. Notable Quotes & Moments

• “There’s only, like, two people I’m intimidated by – dentists and bluegrass players, for the record.”
  – Bobby Bones [01:18]
• “For an Arkansan, that’s kind of rare, because most people from your state, you let them know we’re from here…Not as much as Texans, to be fair.”
  – Bobby & Ketch Secor [07:06]
• “All my friends were either moving to New York or Nashville, and…I just assumed I would move to Nashville because all the music I listened to, all my favorite artists lived there.”
  – Molly Tuttle [64:31]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [07:42] – How Molly and Ketch met
• [18:00] – [19:36] – Guitar techniques: Clawhammer and flatpicking
• [19:36] – [21:47] – Musical upbringing, practice routines, family bands
• [25:00] – [26:16] – "Soul selection" and the calling of music
• [49:16] – [54:54] – The true story of “Wagon Wheel”
• [62:19] – [63:52] – Songwriting split, the song’s lineage
• [66:57] – [69:51] – Bluegrass’s mainstream surge and tradition
• [77:42] – [83:07] – Meeting heroes, memorable celebrity encounters
• [45:15] – [47:45] – The psychic/witch story on Molly's birthday

Tone, Vibe, and Memorable Moments

• Vibe: Playful, self-deprecating, and often philosophical, blending the technical with the personal.
• Personal Connections: Molly’s birthday is revealed mid-show [46:47]; Ketch proposes music is a form of real-world magic; everyone laughs over the intimidation factor of bluegrass music versus dentists.
• Mutual Admiration: Both guest musicians express authentic respect for each other’s skills and journey, with Molly giving credit to Ketch for inspiring her and vice versa.
• Surprising Details: Both share failed ratings auditions, the weight of living up to expectations, and industry pressure.

Summary Takeaways

This Bobbycast is not just about "Wagon Wheel" or industry war stories – it’s an intimate look at what it means to build a musical life from a unique tradition, to love, to risk, to create, and to find your people along the way. Listeners get technical insight, behind-the-scenes storytelling, and a front-row seat to two of roots music’s most engaging personalities – all filtered through Bobby Bones’ playful, inquisitive style.

Listeners will come away with:

• The origin story and modern folk lineage of “Wagon Wheel”
• A peek into the hearts and creative habits of Molly Tuttle and Ketch Secor
• Reflections on bluegrass moving mainstream
• Relatable anecdotes about burnout, ambition, and the joy of musical affirmation
• A reminder that even musical "spells" (and perhaps being a “guitar witch”) start with someone listening and believing

For upcoming tour info: mollytuttlemusic.com
Notable birthdays: Molly Tuttle – on the day of this recording! [46:47]