Turtle Zwadlo

I'm a lyricist first, a mentor has described my style as “James McMurtry with the folksiness of Dylan”. I'll take that all day long. My recorded collections lean more heavily on my rock and roll roots giving the tunes a larger sound that provides a bed for the narrative style of my song craft. The characters in "Turtle’s World" are often the ignored or overlooked members of society and I try to tell their tales from a place of compassion, giving them dignity and respect, reminding you, the listener, of our shared humanity hidden under the differences of individual experience. I'm a firm believer that the path to correcting social injustices inherent in our systems begins with connecting on a deeply human level. As a recovering alcoholic, I believe those connections with others, as well as ourselves, are the way out of addictions of all kinds. Fans have made comparisons of my work to Leonard Cohen, Lou Reed, and Johnny Cash, and I hope to continue the tradition of being a voice for people whose stories are not always told. 

I am the bassist for the groups Pale Blue Dot in Charlottesville Virginia and Lighthouse Rodeo from the state capitol of Richmond. Adding to my decades-long career on the bass I have branched out to other stringed instruments and developed an affinity for the tenor guitar. My most recent releases are completely DIY, created in my home studio in central Virginia. 

When I'm not writing, recording, or performing you’ll find me quietly missing city life while staring at the Milky Way.