2013 was Carbon Leaf’s most ambitious year yet as a fully independent band, releasing two full-length albums, Ghost Dragon Attacks Castle and Constellation Prize six months apart from each other.

For 2014, the band is taking a quick breath to look back at their 2004 album, Indian Summer, by celebrating it’s 10-year anniversary with a complete re-recording and a 50 city tour this fall.

Lead vocalist Barry Privett:

“The timing was perfect since we had just come off of 5 album releases back-to-back since leaving the label in 2010.  We were ruminating on what the next batch of songs would look like when we realized Indian Summer was going to be 10 years old this fall!   We wanted to acknowledge the album’s anniversary, as it was a fan-favorite and a very seminal album for us.  There was only one problem - our former label owned the master recording, so we were pretty limited as to what we could do.  However, we owned the songs, and after doing a little digging through the contract, we found a work-around that opened up an opportunity for us to simply re-record the album anew, so that’s what we did.    Now, we have a great way of celebrating an album that helped us widen our audience, while putting Indian Summer back under the band’s wing again.

“We left our label in 2010, partly so that we could adopt a more rigorous release schedule and not wait to release an album every 2 years.  We wanted to see how far we could push ourselves musically so we set about a rigorous agenda for writing, recording, releasing and touring. With 5 projects released since 2010, plus the Curious George II soundtrack for Universal and U.S. tours behind them all, it’s been an intense time to say the least, so looking back at some of the music that shaped our career earlier on, while trying to crawl into that creative space you were in back then but with fresh eyes and ears, is very gratifying.  We think fans are going to really enjoy Indian Summer Revisited.”

2013

2013 has been a prolific year for Carbon Leaf as they release their second full-length album, CONSTELLATION PRIZE, in September behind their 50 city “JUMP IN OR FALL”U.S. Tour. 

The band’s autonomous spirit in returning to their roots of recording and producing independently – from their own studio – and releasing their music directly to fans, has rekindled their creative output and inspired them to release more music and with greater frequency. Since 2010 the band has released 5 independent albums – why wait two years for an album cycle?

This year kicked off with GHOST DRAGON ATTACKS CASTLE, a 12-song collection of Celtic-inspired, original tunes, and is already a fan favorite, debuting at #15 on the Billboard Top New Artist Album (2/24/13) and #2 on the iTunes Rock Chart (2/24/13)]. 

Sixth months later, Carbon Leaf’s 11th album CONSTELLATION PRIZE, explores American roots and folk, with 10 tracks ranging in tone from bluegrass and Appalachia, to country, rock and some more languid, extended jams. It is an eloquent and sweet musing on the threads that keep our hearts intact as we wisen and grow with age, and ponder what is waiting in the unknown beyond our friends, family and community. Ultimately it is a call to live well, to love, and to lean in and trust. Constellation Prize also marks the first time working with PledgeMusic, a fan-funding platform akin to Kickstarter, but created exclusively for musicians that allows a more interactive connection between the band and it’s fans. [Check out the funny PledgeMusic videothe band produced!]

Carbon Leaf has been blending Folk, Celtic, Bluegrass, Americana, Rock and Pop traditions into their own sound for 12 albums now, and perhaps their music can be summed up best by the title of one of their earliest releases:  “Ether-Electrified Porch Music” -a sound that conveys an aura of warmth, punctuated by diverse instruments including mandolin, upright bass, fiddle, penny whistle, banjo, cello, peddle steel, accordion, acoustic and electric guitars, bodhrán and bagpipes.

Now in their 20th year of award-winning recording, this Virginia quintet is consistently traversing America with their nonstop touring schedule, bringing with them an impressive portfolio of achievements, as they continue to produce a steady stream of new music coupled with energetic live-shows throughout North America.

Carbon Leaf debuted as an independent college band in 1993, eventually leading to a recording contract with Vanguard Records in 2004, resulting in three albums during their six years with the label. Along the way, Carbon Leaf has scored hit singles at AAA and Hot AC Radio with “Life Less Ordinary” and “The Boxer”; placed first in the International Songwriting Competition for “The War Was In Color”; was the first independent band to ever win an American Music Award; and in 2010, recorded the music for Universal Pictures Curious George 2 soundtrack. Since then, the band has released a wonderfully received original holiday/winter concept album, Christmas Child, as well the EP How the West was One and a live concert DVD Live, Acoustic…and in Cinemascope!

In celebration of 20 rich years together – and with 12 original records already under their belt – the band has an ever-ambitious slate ahead for new singles and full-album releases going forward.