Meet Singer Songwriter Carrie Rodriguez

If you're ready for a musical artist who can sing and fiddle one minute and switch to tenor guitar and electric mandolin the next, you're going to love Carrie Rodriguez. What makes her special, besides her easy-to-listen-to voice and down to earth stage presence, is her versatility as a folk artist and innate passion for Texas, roots music. In addition, Carrie Rodriguez has connections that have given rise to important musical collaborations along the way, allowing her to develop her artistic chops and showcase her skills as a performer.

Family Ties: Key To Success

Carrie Rodriguez found musical inspiration in her constellation of family and friends. Her mother was a longtime opera enthusiast. Her father? Noted songwriter David Rodriguez. Her great-aunt Eva Garza was a popular Latin recording artist in the 50's. Family friends include Lyle Lovett, who invited Rodriguez to sit in with his band when she was a college student and helped her along the way to develop as a folk artist and performer. These and other connections have influenced Carrie Rodriguez' musical choices since the beginning.

From Teenage Violin Student to World Class Folk Artist

Carrie Rodriguez' rise to folk stardom has been nothing short of remarkable. She started playing classical violin at the tender age of five and performed at Carnegie Hall by the age of ten. By the time she was a teenager, Carrie Rodriguez was appearing in clubs with her father, likewise an Austin-based singer songwriter.

Since 2001, she has released several notable albums and shows no sign of slowing down. Carrie Rodriguez' professional career was launched in 2001 after a chance meeting with Chip Taylor ("Angel of the Morning" and "Wild Thing") with whom she later recorded four albums and an EP.

Rodriguez released her debut solo album, Seven Angels on a Bicycle in 2006. Two years later, she released her second album, She Ain't Me. Carrie Rodriguez Live in Louisville captures her tour with the legendary Lucinda Williams. In 2010, Carrie released her album of cover songs, Love and Circumstance and We Still Love Our Country is her latest artistic endeavor in collaboration with the talented Ben Kyle.

Love & Circumstance: Covers with a Heart

Love & Circumstance is somewhat of a departure for Carrie Rodriguez. Instead of writing the compositions herself or collaborating with Taylor and others, this album features covers by some of her favorite singer songwriters, like John Hiatt, Nick Lowe, Ry Cooder, Jim Keltner, Buddy Miller, Julie Miller, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Richard Thompson, Townes Van Zandt, M. Ward, Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens, Hank Williams, and Lucinda Williams. Songs by her very own songwriting father David Rodriguez also find an important place on this album. Who says that covers have to be boring? Indeed, Carrie Rodriguez' interpretations take the listener on a musical journey worth traveling.

We Still Love Our Country: A New Album with Purpose

Carrie Rodriguez' new album We Still Love Our Country (with Ben Kyle of Romantica) had its digital release in early 2011 and it's expected that this album will propel Carrie Rodriguez to new heights as a American singer songwriter and folk artist. In the meantime, you can catch Carrie Rodriguez on tour and on television. Look for her 2008 performance on Austin City Limits, a double bill with The Wallflowers' Jakob Dylan.

Selected Discography

In the Studio with Carrie Rodriguez
We Still Love Our Country (2011)
Love And Circumstance (2010)
She Ain't Me (2008)
Seven Angels On A Bicycle (2006)
Albums with Chip Taylor
Let's Leave This Town (2002)
The Trouble with Humans (2003)
Angel of the Morning (7 track live EP) (2004)
Red Dog Tracks (2005)
Live from the Ruhr Triennale (2007)

Solo with Carrie Rodriguez
Seven Angels on a Bicycle (2006)
She Ain't Me (2008)
Carrie Rodriguez Live in Louisville (2009)
Love and Circumstance (2010)

RESOURCES

Carrie Rodriguez
Yahoo! Music

Official Website - Carrie Rodriguez
www.carrierodriguez.com

Facebook - Carrie Rodriguez
www.facebook.com/carrierodriguez

My Space - Carrie Rodriguez
www.myspace.com/carrieLrodriguez