Carolyn Kendrick first caught my ear as half of the rootsy duo The Page Turners. Freshgrass was my segway into to their music and Carolyn’s voice, both vocally and instrumentally, has always captured my attention since that first set at Mass Moca a number of years back.
Fast forward a few years and Kendrick is setting out on her own with some new tunes in tow.
“Setting out on my own has been both liberating and daunting,” she tells us. “It’s liberating because this music is fully my own vision. I can mold songs, lyrics, and arrangements in whichever direction I feel suits the music best without the deliberation and time management that being in a larger group requires. It’s freeing to be able to experiment at the genesis of a project and say “screw it, I’m just going to have fun and say my piece.””
But as we know, its not all roses. With a solo project comes the duty of doing justice to the songs and filling out arrangements all yourself.
Carolyn continues on, “However, working on a solo project also brings more responsibility for myself. What you put in is what you get out, and there is no delegating work to other bandmates. Overall though, it is an entirely positive experience and feels very fulfilling to be able to inhabit my individual musical identity.”
That musical identity recently took shape in the form of a new video for her single “Tear Things Apart”. A beautifully lit room and Kendrick’s sultry vocal drifting about over just an acoustic guitar. Thought there might the fear of not filling out the songs as one might be used to in previous projects, she squashes those thoughts immediately. Her range filling the air and swooping ooooh’s drawing your attention closer. Girls got some soul deep down in her chest and if this first song is any indication, this solo venture will bear some beautiful fruits.