MARCH 20, 2026 — Cincinnati-based folk duo The Montvales (lifelong friends Sally Buice and Molly Rochelson) return today with their third full-length, Path of Totality, via Free Dirt Records (Jake Blount, Willi Carlisle). Produced by Mike Eli LoPinto (guitarist for Chris Stapleton and Wyatt Flores, producer of Emily Nenni's On The Ranch), the 12-track set was written over the course of the duo's 2024 tour that inadvertently followed the path of a total solar eclipse, capturing the political, social, and economic tensions shaping the country's landscape at the time.
Already garnering considerable acclaim, No Depression says, "Fierce and thoughtful at once, Path of Totality is a bracing shot of truth," and Americana Highways praises, "Path of Totality is The Montvales’ most expansive and politically engaged work to date, and it’s my album of the year so far. Fans of Courtney Marie Andrews, Jason Isbell, and contemporary Americana storytelling will find much to love here. It’s a record that rewards attention, invites reflection, and lingers long after the final note." Under the Radar adds, "The album is dotted with road songs and layered character portraits, given texture by the tensions and peculiarities the band witnessed on the road." Ahead of release, The Montvales shared a track-by-track breakdown of every song on the record. Dive in at Magnet Magazine.
When The Montvales embarked on their tour from Pittsburgh to Texas in the spring of 2024, their route matched part of the path of totality for a total solar eclipse across North America. In astrological symbolism, an eclipse is said to bring dark, shadowy material to the surface, often confronting us with difficult truths. As Buice and Rochelson traveled from city to city, student demonstrations across the country protested the genocide in Gaza at the same universities where students in the '60s had protested the Vietnam war, under the same series of Aries and Libra eclipses. Many Americans suddenly grappled with a deeper understanding of the suffering their tax dollars were funding, amidst a skyrocketing cost of living. Neither of the front runners in the impending presidential election seemed to have much to say about it. American democracy felt more and more tenuous, and the threat of a second Trump term hung heavily in the air. Under this weight, The Montvales crafted a cosmic American tableau for modern times, one that traces a transformative pilgrimage through a world inextricably connected yet deeply at odds with itself.
The duo's politically-driven songwriting is heavily informed by their upbringing in the South, witnessing the tenacity of people organizing for liberation under violent and tumultuous conditions. 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 Knoxville's diverse and busy Market Square, their East Tennessee community was a hotbed for political movements and for the arts. “It was a really inclusive scene.” Rochelson remembers.
But growing up in that world also meant experiencing the backlash firsthand. The Highlander Center was set on fire and faced several bomb threats, there was a politically-motivated shooting at their Unitarian Universalist Church, and the Planned Parenthood where Rochelson worked was burned down. Reminiscing on the lyrics to John Prine’s “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You into Heaven Anymore,” Buice explains that politically driven folk music gave her a sense of agency in dark times, and she’s always wanted to be part of that musical lineage.
“I’ve always thought that would be the best possible way to do music,” Buice says. “I don’t always set out to convey a particular message. I think it works better to see how politics obviously informs everything about our lives, and braid that into the songs.”
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.
Path of Totality Tracklist:
1. World of Trouble
2. Hellbent on Colorado
3. Loud and Clear
4. Carolina
5. The Wicked
6. Plains of Ohio
7. Cincinnati
8. Runaway Horse
9. Overtime
10. Funeral Singer
11. Our Lady
12. Eastern Bluebird
The Montvales On Tour:
March 21 — The Woodward | Cincinnati, OH+
April 8 — Eddie's Attic | Decatur, GA*
April 9 — Songbirds | Chattanooga, TN*
April 10 — Pilot Light | Knoxville, TN*
April 11 — Petra's | Charlotte, NC*
April 15 — The Monarch | Louisville, KY^
April 16 — Beachland Ballroom | Cleveland, OH^
April 17 — Rose Bowl Tavern | Urbana, IL^
April 18 — Live at Leona's | Eau Claire, WI^
April 19 — Oak Center General Store | Lake City, MN^
April 22 — Showboat Saloon | Wisconsin Dells, WI^
April 23 — Hideout | Chicago, IL^
+Full Band
*with Blue Cactus
^with Chris Acker & the Growing Boys
