A total eclipse is a rare phenomenon when dark and light converge. Strangers lift their faces toward the perfect circle in the sky, and, for a moment, the world around us quiets and all divides erase. It’s a reckoning similar to the one Americans now face: a reminder that, however different we are, we share the same shadows and the same fragile earth. The traveling musician knows this well. They absorb the people, experiences, struggles and successes they meet along the way like devoted historians. Such is the case on Path of Totality, the third full-length album from Cincinnati-based folk duo The Montvales (coming March 20, 2026 on Free Dirt Records – PRE-ORDER).
Like so many traveling musicians before them and so many still to come, Sally Buice and Molly Rochelson make their way from city to city, committed to understanding the world and documenting its tribulations. Conceived under eclipsed skies during a tour from Pittsburgh to Texas in April of 2024, Path of Totality unites the vast American diaspora by weaving us all into one collective and cosmic tapestry. Inspired by a long tradition of radical country and folk artists (Woody Guthrie, Indigo Girls, John Prine, The Chicks), The Montvales use their passion for literature and storytelling to craft an album that reckons with the current global fever pitch. The album’s twelve introspective, thematically and sonically layered tracks chart a transformative pilgrimage through an inextricably connected world at odds.
Place and fate resonate throughout Path of Totality. Raised in the staunchly conservative state of Tennessee, Buice and Rochelson were outliers, destined to meet before they were even born. Their parents were family friends and former co-workers who nurtured their creative children and taught them the importance of empathy and community. Home to the Highlander Center, a historic social justice organizing space, and a diverse and busy Market Square in Knoxville, their East Tennessee community was a hotbed for political movements and for the arts. The duo took to Market Square in middle school to kick off their busking career, performing alongside all sorts of entertainers in the robust chaos of the commons.
Path of Totality does not shy away from the weight of political strife and catastrophe, opting instead to boldly confront it. The Montvales ask us not only how we will endure despite our differences, but how we will find each other again. Their songs are descriptive and textured. The characters are vivid. Their stories are crucial.
This can be heard in the standout track “Carolina,” which we are excited to premiere on Glide today. Over a steady beat with a touch of banjo and just enough twang, The Montvales give us their gorgeously rich harmonies and ponderous songwriting. As they lyrically explore themes that speak to our current moment of injustice and disaster, the duo lays down soulful vocals that practically levitate over their warm country-tinged folk music to ultimately remind us of their talent.
Sally Buice describes the inspiration and the process behind the tune:
“Written in the wake of Hurricane Helene, ‘Carolina’ explores the creeping feeling that late-stage capitalism has left us with very few places that still feel safe. I was out West when the hurricane hit, surrounded by folks who know what it’s like to have to leave home in a hurry when the wildfires spread. I took an early morning drive through a darkened canyon of elk and felt, if not safe, alive. I got an email from somebody we met at a show in Taos, New Mexico – he asked for the lyrics to a song and said ‘I hope the machine never finds you, or if it does, you tell it to fuck off.’ I saw a video of a lone fiddler playing on a stranded North Carolina mountainside. I talked with Molly, who was organizing with our Cincinnati neighbors to send supplies to folks in East Tennessee. All of those ingredients came together to make ‘Carolina’: a testament to the folks who forge ahead in beauty.”
LISTEN:
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Must play —- Santa Fe Trad Fest. Don’t tell them to fuck off. Tell them we’re coming at you.