Caroline Herring

Singer-songwriter, contemporary folk

The first comparison that comes to mind when listening to Caroline Herring's music is that of Iris DeMent or Townes Van Zandt. Indeed, fans of each would appreciate Herring's creative, introspective and at the same time topical approach to her work. Fans of folks like Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Danielle Howle, and Justin Townes Earle may appreciate Herring's work. If you're already a fan of Herring and looking for similar newcomer artists, check out Whitehorse, Anais Mitchell, and Shovels + Rope.

Camilla (Signature Sounds, 2012) compare prices

Golden Apples of the Sun (Signature Sounds, 2009) compare prices

Wellspring (Blue Corn Music, 2000) compare prices

"Fireflies" (from Camilla)
"Lay My Burden Down" (from Lantana)
"The City Grew Up Around Her" (from The Little House Songs)

Caroline Herring was born in Canton, Mississippi, and grew up with an interest in music. It wasn't until she was enrolled at the University of Mississippi's Center for the Study of Southern Culture as a graduate student, though, that she began singing as a performer. Around that time, she founded a public radio show which continues to this day.

After earning her graduate degree from that institution, Herring made up her mind to chase her musical muse and eventually lit out for the Live Music Capital of the World. It was in Austin, Tex., where she leaped into the always vibrant and competitive community of artists in that town to make her own way toward a career as a solo singer-songwriter.

She arrived in Austin 1999 and wasted no time in making her mark. Her first album, Twilight (not named for the vampire series) was released two years after she arrived in Texas. The recording was a firm and creative debut, which earned her the praise and recognition of the SXSW Austin Music Awards, who named Herring their Best New Artist of that year.

Over the next handful of years, Herring developed a habit of releasing albums, mostly putting them out on her own, and earning praise from every nook and cranny, from NPR to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, to the Boston Globe and Texas Music magazine. From there, her career has taken off and earned her a place among some of the most highly respected contemporary folksingers.

Straddling the line between the personal and political, Herring's songs are richly, deeply rooted in the spirit of the South. She tells stories of Southern people through their own tall tales, work, culture, rhythm, and language. Less an ethnographer taking notes on Southern culture, Herring is more the type of folk singer who is singing on behalf of the communities which raised her, those in which she's lived and traveled, and those in which she came of age. She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and children, though she frequently travels in support of her songs and recordings.

Herring has performed at some of the finest music festivals in the land, including Bumbershoot, Newport Folk Festival, Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival in Ireland, Austin City Limits Festival, and other various gatherings throughout the US, the UK, and Western Europe. She's appeared on A Prairie Home Companion and has earned the praise of many critics and bloggers across the folk and Americana spectrum - including her 2012 release 'Camilla', which was named among the best folk music albums of that year on this website. For more information about Caroline Herring's songs, albums, and tour dates, keep an eye on her website at CarolineHerring.com.