BORNED IN YA LP OUT JULY 19 VIA MAE MUSIC/THIRTY TIGERS
NEW TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED
LISTEN // WATCH: “BORNED IN YA”
Austin-based singer-songcrafter/upright bassist Melissa Carper has unveiled the title track of her forthcoming LP, Borned In Ya, due out July 19th via Mae Music/Thirty Tigers. After recording her 2022 album, Ramblin’ Soul, Carper was taking a break, staying in a friend’s camping trailer in the country. Inside the trailer, she found a collection of DVDs and VHS tapes, one of which was Down From The Mountain, the documentary concert film about the O, Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack. The film featured an interview with roots music icon Ralph Stanley.
“I don’t think you can get this sound unless it’s borned in ya,” said Stanley, when asked about what he called “old-time mountain music.” When Carper heard those words, something jumped inside her. She immediately jotted down “borned in ya” on a piece of paper. “I knew I had to write that song,” she recalls. During the writing process, Carper turned the idea of what it means to have something “borned in ya,” and the idea evolved into song about the soul, life experiences, and growing into the highest version of yourself you can.
“Borned In Ya” follows the release of single and video “Lucky Five,” a lighthearted track about past relationships that Holler called “a joyously jazzy slice of old-timey western swing with a sentiment sweeter than a packet of Pixy Stix.” The video, set in the Austin Roller Rink, was filmed and directed by Brian Schwarz of Painted House Productions.
LISTEN // WATCH: “LUCKY FIVE”
In the Spring of 2023, Carper went back to East Nashville’s Bomb Shelter – the same “analog wonderland” where she’d recorded Ramblin’ Soul and its predecessor, Daddy’s Country Gold, and enlisted the help of her trusted co-producers – Dennis Crouch and Andrija Tokic. “Borned In Ya” would become the title track of the new album, out July 19th via Mae Music/Thirty Tigers.
Like much of her writing, the song applies a homespun sensibility – and a bit of humor – to questions about life’s journeys. “Borned In Ya” could certainly stand as a reflection on Carper’s life in music. “Authentic” might be an overused word to describe an artist’s appeal, but there’s something so natural and true about Carper’s musicality that she must have been born with it: An easy sway to her singing, a precise, but laid-back sense of timing. A feel. And, lyrically, she has an instinctive sense for storytelling, both observant and intuitive.
The album showcases Carper’s long-standing influences as well as her artistic growth and sense of adventure. In addition to her familiar blend of country with jazz, blues, soul, and R&B, the new album sees Carper exploring a more subtle and expert crossing of these genres and with a matured lyrical depth.
Borned In Ya features a cast of top-flight musicians like bassist Dennis Crouch (Johnny Cash, Gregg Allman, Alison Krauss, Robert Plant), guitar and pedal steel player Chris Scruggs (Loretta Lynn, Jim Lauderdale), pianist Jeff Taylor (The Time Jumpers, Riders in the Sky), fiddle master Billy Contreras (Ricky Scaggs, Buddy Spicher, George Jones), and multi-instrumentalist Rory Hoffman (Ricky Skaggs, Kathy Mattea, John Cowan). This is Carper’s first album featuring horns; Doug Corcoran, from JD McPherson’s band, plays trumpet and saxophone. And there are soulful backup vocals by Kyshona Armstrong, Nickie Conley, and Maureen Murphy, as well as beautiful harmonies by Carper’s longtime music pal and bandmate, Jenn Miori Hodges (Carper Family). Carper penned the majority of the album’s 12 songs herself, though she co-wrote three tunes with friend and bandmate, Brennen Leigh (Wonder Women of Country).
Carper is eager for the release of Borned In Ya, and hopes it will resonate with fans of her earlier work while establishing an artistic step forward.“The new material I’ve been writing is evolving and going into new places thematically and stylistically,” says Carper. “It feels very fresh to me. I love how the musicians and producers have helped my vision come to life. Once again, I think we’ve done something really special, and I can’t wait for folks to hear it.”
Borned In Ya is available for pre-save HERE. Carper has announced an upcoming run of festivals and tour dates, see below for a full list. Be sure to follow Melissa Carper at the links below for the latest news and updates.
TOUR DATES
6/7 – Blue Light Live – Lubbock, TX
6/8 – Pueblo Canyon Inn – Los Alamos, NM^
6/9 – Whiskey Creek Zocalo – Arenas Valley, NM^
6/11 – 191 Toole – Tucson, AZ^
6/12 – Dirty Drummer – Phoenix, AZ^
6/13 – Pappy + Harriet’s – Pioneertown, CA
6/14 – Zebulon – Los Angeles, CA^
6/15 – Ojai Deer Lodge – Ojai, CA
6/16 – Live Oak Music Festival – San Luis Obispo, CA
6/20 – Hardeman Orchards Event Barn – Red Hook, NY*
6/21 – Narrows Center for the Arts – Fall River, MA*
6/22 – Green River Festival – Greenfield, MA
6/23 – Club Passim – Cambridge, MA*
7/5 – Roskilde Festival – Roskilde, DK
6/6 – Huercasa Country Festival – Riaza (Segovia), ES*
7/18 – Showboat Saloon – Wisconsin Dells, WI
7/20 – 7/21 – Hiawatha Music Festival – Marquette, MI
7/25 – Globe Hall – Denver, CO
7/27 – Red Ants Pants Music Festival – White Sulphur Springs, MT
7/28 – Concerts on the Commons – Teton Village, WY
7/30 – Shrine Social Club – Boise, ID
8/1 – Fry Family Farm – Medford, OR
8/2-8/3 – Pickathon – Happy Valley, OR
8/4 – The Showdown – Portland, OR
8/6 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
8/7 – District Bar – Spokane, WA
8/8 – Lewis & Clark Brewery – Helena, MT
8/9 – Longstaff House – Missoula, MT
8/10 – The Harlo Music Project – Harlowton, MT
8/11 – Pub Station Taproom – Billings, MT
8/13 – Aggie Theatre – Fort Collins, CO
8/16 – The Heights Theater – Houston, TX%
8/17 – Longhorn Ballroom – Dallas, TX%
9/1 – Texas Ballroom – Omni Hotel – Fort Worth, TX*
9/5 – McGonigel’s Mucky Duck – Houston, TX
9/6 – Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe – Galveston, TX
9/7 – The 04 Center – Austin, TX
9/11 – Schubas Tavern – Chicago, IL
9/12 – Lamplight Sessions – Mosinee, WI
9/13 – 7th St Entry – Minneapolis, MN
9/14 – Thrasher Opera House – Green Lake, WI
9/15 – Shank Hall – Milwaukee, WI
9/17 – Rose Bowl Tavern – Urbana, IL
9/18 – The Burl – Lexington, KY
9/19-9/21 – AmericanaFest – Nashville, TN
9/22 – The White Water Tavern – Little Rock, AR
9/27-9/29 – Sisters Folk Festival – Sisters, OR
^ Support from Theo Lawrence
*Wonder Women of Country
%Supporting Asleep at the Wheel
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