Courtesy Emily Pennington
Audio By Carbonatix
Emily Pennington remembers exactly when she fell for Oliver Franklin.
“It was one of our first dates, and Oliver sang David Bowie’s ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide’ to my dog,” she recalls while sitting beside her partner of two-plus years now. “I was like, ‘Oh, no, I’m going to fall in love with this person.’ Music has been such a key part of our relationship deepening.”
Franklin smiles at the memory. The two found each other after moving to Boulder separately to attend Naropa University — Pennington an expat from L.A. looking for a fresh start, and Franklin a Seattle-born musician.
“One of the first things we found in common was singing some Dylan and Bowie songs together was really fun, and we were like, ‘What else can we do?’” Franklin explains.
With three solo albums already under his belt, Franklin played around town whenever possible. Eventually, Pennington began sitting in on his sets, providing hand percussions or harmonies. The intimate covers kept coming, too: Pixies, the White Stripes, Lucinda Williams, Radiohead, Tom Waits.
“We would just play songs together that we loved by other artists,” Franklin shares, adding that creating originals naturally followed. “Then Emily also started writing her own songs, and we started to get some juices following, in terms of really supporting each other in our songwriting, and that’s been really fun starting to get some momentum. We were like, ‘Well, that was fun. Let’s make this a thing.’”
Pennington, a full-time freelance writer by trade, found penning lyrics a surprising creative outlet that didn’t necessarily mimic what she did during her day job. “Songwriting is this weird, almost surrealist outlet, that’s totally different from having to write something linear,” she says.
The first official show for Trouble’s Braids (the band’s name is a nod to a 1980s Waits tune) was in March 2024 at the Trident Café. Since then, the duo has kept busy gigging around the Front Range as much as possible. Its next appearances include pop-ups at the Bread Bar in Silver Plume on Sunday, October 5.
“We’re trying to keep it pretty portable, at least for now,” Franklin says of the light live setup. “It’s something that two people can throw into a van and show up anywhere and do. But we wanted to have the energy of a full band.”
There might come a time when the lineup expands, but for now, Franklin and Pennington are bringing the goth Americana vibes all by themselves. “We positioned ourselves, or are trying to, as being a little different from your average folk duo in Colorado,” Franklin says. “We’re a little more punk, we’re a little more brash.”
The duo’s debut EP, The Big Tourist, released independently in June, is a four-song appetizer of exactly that, and a good representation of what Trouble’s Braids is really aiming to do within the wider Front Range indie-folk sect.
“I feel like the folk music scene in Boulder — and there are so many incredibly talented folk musicians in Boulder County going up to Planet Bluegrass and the amazing historic venues — can get a little bit tired, so I think both of us really wanted to reinfuse it with leftist political messages and rock and roll, more of a punk influence, even though we’re definitely not a folk-punk band,” Pennington explains.
“Body Like a Weapon,” the opening song brought forth by Pennington, is “a little bit jagged and homemade, rebellious, a little bit scared and a lot angry,” as Franklin sees it.
“Yeah, it’s very much about the sensation about wanting to throw your body on a political fire,” Pennington adds. “Using what little we have as humans to do big things and fight fascism and move through the dark times with purpose.” Both of their guitar cases carry a “This machine kills fascists” Woody Guthrie sticker. Pennington is even thinking about making it her next tattoo.
“That lineage of folk music is where want to locate ourselves,” Franklin says.
“We both really admire artists who don’t shy away from the darker corners of the human experience, but I also think what’s critical to note is we’re not trying to be a doom-and-gloom band,” Pennington says of the “weird artists” who inspire Trouble’s Braids. “We really want people to be able to revel in some of the darker emotions that are part of the human experience. People need a place where they can dance or rock out or laugh, even if the topic of the music itself might be a little fucked up.”
For example, “Old Jeremiah,” initially a Franklin offering, is a psychedelic fever dream someone might experience on their deathbed wrapped up in an acoustic gospel. He also contributed “Strange Weather,” a lovelorn ballad about working through moments of miscommunication that could plague relationships. Pennington’s “Fade Out” closes The Big Tourist, a yearning track about those lonely thoughts that might cross your mind during the darkest days of winter. It’s an older entry about how she felt during her first Colorado winter.
“We were intentional about choosing those four songs for the EP,” she explains. “I think we’ve managed to create a sound that’s cohesive, and also, it has a ton of range across totally different genres. So trying to find four that sound cohesive enough to make The Big Tourist was important to us.”
“Basically, we’re trying to play music our sixteen-year-old selves would love,” Franklin quips. “Maybe smart and a little rebellious.”
During a recent show, the two spontaneously decided to bust an Iggy Pop cover they’d been working on. Franklin sees that as a sign of growing confidence. But it’s not just all about covers: Trouble’s Braids comes armed with over two hours of ready-made music and plans to release more singles and B-sides, including live cuts from a recent Stone Cottage Studios appearance, when the seasons change and time permits.
“We’ve been gigging so much that we can’t quite keep up with getting the newer material in the rotation, which is a nice problem to have,” Franklin says. “We’re really ready for the fall and winter to come. We’ll probably chill out somewhat on the gigging and try to make more time to keep it fresh, because we’ve got to get new stuff in the rotation.
“I find that if you don’t give space to your new babies for them to get arranged and performed, the well can start to run dry,” he continues. “We’re a little backed up in that regard, but there is plenty that is just waiting for us to just make the time.”
Pennington looks at him as he shares that last line. “Are you saying that we’re sonically constipated?” she asks.
Franklin doesn’t miss a beat: “Oh, I am, girl.”
They both laugh. Not even four years ago, they both were wondering what Boulder would have in store for them. Franklin, a practicing psychotherapist since graduating last year, says that the couple has settled in nicely to the new surroundings and has no plans of uprooting anytime soon. Similarly, nurturing Trouble’s Braids and their relationship through song is here to stay, too.
“I have a lot of respect for Emily’s writing,” Franklin shares, adding that a song like “Fade Out” shows Pennington’s more vulnerable side. “Emily’s a very go-getter, adventurous person who takes on big things and does big things.
“It’s this feeling of loneliness and tender feelings that we all experience as adult humans, even though we have careers and have done a lot of stuff and we’re really tough in some ways, but also we all have a chewy center,” he explains. “It’s nice to get to see some of the full range of the person through their art, too.”
Pennington smiles at the thoughtful response before reciprocating.
“I think Oliver has the Bob Dylan-esque ability to pull allegory effortlessly into songs that have a more personal bent,” she concludes. “I feel like Oliver’s constantly impressing me with his ability to write smart, relatable lyrics that are also incredibly intellectual. He keeps me on my toes.”
The Big Tourist is available on all streaming platforms.
