MELISSA CARPER RELEASES NEW SINGLE
“I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT YOU”
VIDEO PREMIERES VIA WESTERN AF
NEW LP DADDY’S COUNTRY GOLD OUT ON MARCH 19
Singer-bassist Melissa Carper sounds like a voice from a bygone era...Evoking the cool, smoky croon of a lounge singer, Carper gives some winking commentary about having a good time. - Rolling Stone Country
Daddy’s County Gold stays light on its feet, and Carper sings with ease...Carper is a first-rate songwriter, as her new music demonstrates. - Nashville Scene
Captivating and authentic vintage country - Glide Magazine
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…it’ll meet all your expectations for a classic country music with a dose of carefree humor. - Americana Highways
Melissa Carper is a talented singer-songwriter and upright bass player who is worth our intention - Americana-UK
There’s something so absolutely refreshing about straightforward, old-fashioned playing. An homage at points, but very much of Carper’s sound…the right amount of rascally sweetness of a country night out. - Country Queer
Photo: Aisha Golliher
WATCH // LISTEN: “I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT YOU”
Singer/songwriter and upright bassist Melissa Carper has released her latest single “I Almost Forgot About You,” a track from her forthcoming album Daddy’s Country Gold, set for release on March 19th.
“The idea for 'I Almost Forgot About You' came from a weekend in which I had a very good time and had managed to forget about a love interest that I had been obsessing about,” Carper explains of the song. "When I got back home that phrase came to me, 'I Almost Forgot About You' and I realized I had a song there. I just kind of tied in the various lost loves of my life to come up with the rest. It came to me that way and in fact this entire song had a nice easy flow with the way it all came. I like it when that happens, feels like you are getting help from the universe.” “I Almost Forgot About You” follows lead single “Makin’ Memories.”
WATCH // LISTEN: “MAKIN’ MEMORIES”
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 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.
Be sure to catch Melissa Carper perform live on Facebook every Monday night at 6:00 pm CST, which is streamed HERE.
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