Hi, I’m Carsie. I write, perform, and record songs. My music is classic American pop, but people call it lots of things. Some call it folk, because of my “uncanny sense for lyric” (which isn’t actually mine, I got it from early exposure to John Prine, Loudon Wainwright III, and Patty Griffin). Some call it jazz, because I like 7th chords, and I sing behind the beat (which I learned from all the Billie Holiday and Nina Simone songs I covered as a teenager). Some call it rock, because I love the sound of a tight, nasty band with a giant pocket (a la The Band, Elvis Costello, or especially Ray Charles).
More importantly, I believe that music is magic, and everybody needs it. That’s why I give mine away.
I’m from Luray, Virginia, which is a small town at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains. I live in Philadelphia, which is the fifth-largest city in the United States. My favorite place in the world is New Orleans, which is a mythical land of music, oysters, and candy-colored houses. I love love, sex, and the stupid things people do for them both. I also love tattoos, jasmine tea, Vargas pinups, good books, and the Lindy Hop. Although I agree with Tom Waits (who agreed with Thomas Hobbes) about the nature of life, I still find it miraculous, awe-inspiring, and most of all, ridiculous.
I have a brand new album coming out on January 31st. It’s called Idiot Heart, and it was produced by Oliver Wood, who fronts my favorite living band, The Wood Brothers. Here are some things The Washington Post said about it. I’m pretty sure you’ll love it.
