MELISSA CARPER RELEASES SINGLE “MAKIN’ MEMORIES” VIA AMERICANA HIGHWAYS

MELISSA CARPER RELEASES SINGLE “MAKIN’ MEMORIES”  

VIA AMERICANA HIGHWAYS   

NEW LP DADDY’S COUNTRY GOLD OUT ON MARCH 19 

 "With her bass making a dependable, rhythmic anchor, Melissa Carper sings like a bird soaring “where the wind blows high above the trees,” as Bob Dylan said.” - Vintage Guitar Magazine 

Photo: Aisha Golliher

LISTEN // WATCH: “MAKIN’ MEMORIES”

Singer/songwriter and upright bassist Melissa Carper has unveiled her brand new single “Makin’ Memories,” the first from her forthcoming album Daddy’s Country Gold, set for release on March 19th. Carper’s refreshingly unique style calls to mind greats like Kitty Wells, Billie Holiday, and Loretta Lynn, beautifully conveyed in the grooves of the album’s 12 sparkling gems. Carper enlisted fellow bassist Dennis Crouch (The Time Jumpers) and producer/engineer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Margo Price) to co-produce the album and bring her dream to life. Recorded live to tape at Tokic’s analog studio wonderland The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, the album features Crouch (bass), Chris Scruggs (guitar, steel guitar), Jeff Taylor (piano, organ, accordion), Matty Meyer (drums, percussion), Billy Contreras (fiddle), with guest appearances from Brennen Leigh, Sierra Ferrell, and legendary pedal steel maestro Lloyd Green. “As a dish cooked up with the spice of many talented hands, there rightfully should be a line out the door to sample this new album by Melissa Carper,” says Americana Highways in its premiere of “Makin’ Memories.” “And it’ll meet all your expectations for a classic country music with a dose of carefree humor.”   

  As a child, Carper, who acquired the nickname “Daddy” years ago from her bandmates for always knowing how to “take care of ‘bidness’,” would lay her head underneath the family record player as she listened to Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and other greats from her parents’ collection. After a childhood spent in her family’s country band, Carper attended the University of Nebraska on a music scholarship, spending much of her time in the library devouring every Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole album she could find. Around this time, Carper’s father gifted her a full collection of Jimmie Rodgers’ recordings, which was a pivotal moment in finding her unique style of songcraft.  

The wayfaring Carper soon found herself in the historic town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where she saw street performers for the first time. Busking seemed a very free and appealing endeavor, so Carper diligently learned all the old country songs she loved as a child. She soon relocated to music hubs like New Orleans, New York City, Austin, and eventually Nashville, oftentimes busking to make ends meet until gigs would come along. On the way, she founded award-winning bands like power trio The Carper Family, playing festivals and gigs across the globe, and on shows like “A Prairie Home Companion.” Carper also holds a spot in award-winning Arkansas foursome Sad Daddy, and founded roots duo Buffalo Gals with Sad Daddy bandmate and girlfriend Rebecca Patek. 

Her forthcoming solo record Daddy’s Country Gold is just that - 12 glittering Carper originals of the country, western swing, and jazz variety. From the first notes of album opener “Makin’ Memories,” to the whimsical “Would You Like To Get Some Goats,” and the heart-wrenching tenderness of album closer “The Stars Are Aligned,” this lifetime of work, experience, and wanderlust culminates in a beautiful portrait of heartfelt music, written by a road-lovin’ gal who has lived these songs and spent her life playing music for folks that still love the real thing. 

  Every digital album pre-order comes with a download of “Makin’ Memories” and an exclusive download of yet-to-be-released album track “I’m Musing You.” Click HERE to order. You can catch Melissa Carper perform live on Facebook live every Monday night at 6 pm CT, which is streamed HERE.   

DADDY’S COUNTRY GOLD TRACKLIST 

MAKIN’ MEMORIES 

I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT YOU 

BACK WHEN 

OLD FASHIONED GAL 

YOU’RE STILL MY LOVE 

WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET SOME GOATS 

MY OLD CHEVY VAN 

ARKANSAS HILLS 

IT’S BETTER IF YOU NEVER KNOW 

I’M MUSING YOU 

MANY MOONS AGO 

THE STARS ARE ALIGNED   

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IZZY HELTAI SHARES NEW SINGLE “SONGBIRD” VIA AMERICANA HIGHWAYS

IZZY HELTAI SHARES NEW SINGLE  

“SONGBIRD” VIA AMERICANA HIGHWAYS  

 DEBUT LP FATHER 

SET FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 9TH 

Photo: Joanna Chattman

LISTEN: “SONGBIRD” 

Massachusetts-based singer/songwriter Izzy Heltai has shared “Songbird,” the second single from his forthcoming debut full-length album Father, due out October 9th. "I spend a lot of my time on the road, playing wherever anyone might listen to me. Whether or not this is the most strategic move for my career is yet to be determined, but I can say I have a lot of fun,” Heltai explains of the song’s inspiration. “I end up sleeping in my car a decent amount and am no stranger to the luxuries a Walmart parking lot can offer when on the road. I was in Pittsburgh one night in early June. At this point, I’d been touring for about a month and a half and was pretty drained. As a rule of thumb, many of us road trippers, car campers, or just plain ole’ masochists know that it’s Walmart’s common practice to allow overnight parking for the purposes of a good night's rest. This was the night I learned it’s apparently not a nationwide policy. Thankfully, the security guard who found me, cozied up in my sleeping bag, half-awake and reading a book by flashlight, took pity on me and gently encouraged me, while profusely apologizing, to try the abandoned parking lot adjacent to the one I was currently in. I thanked her and went on my way,” he recalls. I woke up the next morning with this melody in my head. The lyrics came pretty quickly, and after about an hour this song came into existence." 

“Izzy Heltai has the contemporary indie folk vibe nailed down perfectly,” Americana Highways said in the premiere. “With a song that has both widespread appeal on the pop edge and layers of musicality, ‘Songbird’ is one not to be missed. Here’s to sleeping in our cars.” “Songbird” follows the release of lead single “The Stranger You’ve Become,” a compelling track about betrayal.  

LISTEN: “THE STRANGER YOU’VE BECOME”  

With brutal honesty towards himself and forgiveness for those around him, Izzy Heltai’s music walks the elusive line between confessional and relatable. On his debut album Father, Heltai dives deep into his fascination with human relationships, and specifically the way that those relationships change and reorganize themselves over time.    

Heltai sees his own coming of age reflected in the album, which includes songs written over the past four years. “Finding myself as an adult has largely been about how the people who have always been there for me can fit into my life in a new way,” he explains. 

On the album’s opening track “To Talk About Yourself,” Heltai, who is trans, looks back at the way society fixates on his identity as the only story that he has to tell. “Being trans is a part of me that is worth talking about” he says. “It’s a really cool thing that happened in my life, and informed a lot of how I see the world and how I know myself, and how I reflect on things… but as a marginalized individual, there comes a point where you feel commodified and exploited for your identity, and I’ve always had a fear, as an artist with many stories to tell, that my being trans is the only aspect of my work that people would take interest in.”  

Throughout the record, Heltai braves the exploration of not only interpersonal and societal relationships but also his own relationship to himself, and reckons with the ways that periods of depression have caused him to abandon those he loves.  The production is raw and full, with subtle harmonies and guitar lines weaving their way unexpectedly through the mix almost as if they were grown in the song. There is no sign of musical overthought, allowing Heltai’s emotional vocals to shine organically.     

At a time when any conversation with a stranger can quickly become a sociopolitical battle, Heltai’s introspective and thought out songs are a breath of fresh air. With an overwhelming empathy for humanity, and willingness to search for personal responsibility, Heltai’s Father will not leave your heart or your ears unchanged.  

CONNECT WITH IZZY HELTAI: 

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