Today GRAMMY winning, two-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the year Bronwyn Keith-Hynes announces the release of her sophomore solo album I Built A World out May 24th via Sugar Petunia Records and shares her new video for “Trip Around the Sun.” Long renowned as a prolific instrumentalist and member of Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, her latest album finds the Charlottesville, VA native unlocking an impressive new sound: her voice. Watch “Trip Around the Sun” here.

Now, as her own entry in bluegrass history expands from celebrated instrumentalist to bandleader and frontwoman, Bronwyn isn’t just crafting a career in the image of genre greats like Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas; she’s bringing them along for the ride. Both Bush and Douglas are featured as players on I Built a World, and they’re not the only of Bronwyn’s musically-inclined pals and heroes to make an appearance.

Darrell Scott sings on “Angel Island,” a Peter Rowan tune. Country fans may recognize Dierks Bentley singing harmony on “Trip Around the Sun” and Brit Taylor on “Answers”. Longtime pal Molly Tuttle and Bronwyn’s fiance Jason Carter (an accomplished fiddle player himself) also appear as vocalists on multiple tracks. And rounding out the band are Bryan Sutton on guitar; Dominick Leslie, Bronwyn’s Golden Highway bandmate, on mandolin; Wesley Corbett and Scott Vestal on banjo; and Jeff Picker on bass.

Indeed, community is the axis on which I Built a World spins. Long before she tapped talent for the studio, Bronwyn sourced songs for the album from her musical network in Nashville and beyond. "A lot of the songs are gathered from my friend group and community here in Nashville," she says. "I reached out to friends and just people whose music I liked and asked, 'Is there any chance you have anything that you're not planning on recording?'" Many did.

Not all of the songs were new territory, though. In fact, she’d been holding onto the title track for years after hearing it on the radio while driving through Kentucky. She contacted the artist, Matthew Parsons, for his blessing to record it, and the song set the tone for the entire project.

I Built a World is about daydreaming and creating better worlds in your mind. “I was definitely a kid who did a lot of that,” Bronywin shares, “but as an adult, I feel like music still can take me to that place.” She hopes listeners can take a little bit of that dreaminess with them. “Each song on this album is its own little world, its own story, a space and a place in your mind that you can travel to and explore. Whatever you're needing or wanting to feel, you can go to that place here. I hope you enjoy the journey.”

TOUR DATES

4/29 - Nashville, TN @ Dee’s (6-8pm)

5/3 | Conway, AR @ Toad Suck Daze Festival

5/4 | Paducah, KY @ Paducah Beer Werks

5/6 | Nashville, TN @ Dee’s (6-8pm)

5/13 - Nashville, TN @ Dee’s (6-8pm)