Carolyn Wonderland

Carolyn Wonderland, with her dynamic guitar playing, formidable songwriting, and pure Texas vocals, has more than earned her reputation as a fiercely independent artist. Wonderland plays original, bluesified, cosmic soul music, mixed with heavy doses of Tex-Mex and riff-fueled rock ‘n’ roll. She has been performing professionally since the age of 15 and has led a colorful and adventurous life. On the road her entire career, she’s played with icons from Townes Van Zandt to Levon Helm, from Buddy Guy to Hubert Sumlin, from Bob Dylan to John Mayall, all while writing her own story.

On her new Alligator Records album, Truth Is, Wonderland, with her vividly detailed, instantly memorable songs, reflects on the world with honesty and righteous conviction. Wonderland’s bold and insightful songs tell common-sense truths that, in her words, “need to be told.” They are driven by her sometimes savage and other times gently melodic guitar fingerpicking, along with her full-throated yet still vulnerable vocals. As for the album’s brutally honest subject matter, Wonderland says, “There’s always hope and we’re still here for each other, but at some point, you have to sing about the elephant in the room.”

Truth Is is a timeless album for these times. Over the course of the album’s 12 songs—including 10 Wonderland originals and co-writes—Wonderland and her band create lasting musical magic. From the blistering, ear-opening “Sooner Or Later” to the riff-heavy battle cry “I Ain’t Going Back” to the emotional gut-punch of the title track, this is music that commands attention. The poignant, profound and heartbreaking “Let’s Play A Game”, to the swaggeringly bluesy “Whistlin’ Past The Graveyard Again” (“that’s a day in the life of me and my friends,” says Wonderland), to the cathartic closer, “Blues For Gene” (a tribute to her late friend, piano giant Gene Taylor, with Carolyn and album producer Dave Alvin shedding tears as they were recording the track), the songs tell real and relatable stories while running the full gamut of emotions.

On “Wishful Thinking”, Wonderland elegantly sings her Texas heart out, wringing every bit of emotion from her friend Greg Wood’s potent and reflective lyrics. Her version of The Band’s “Orange Juice Blues” shares the same ramshackle, going-for-broke carnival vibe of the “Basement Tapes” original, with Wonderland and her crew turning it all up a notch. Like every song she touches, she makes it her very own. Industry maven Bill Bentley, writing in Americana Highways, said, “Wonderland’s an astounding songwriter…and her ability to totally pull other songs into her own world is the mark of an all-timer. There are no limits to what she can do [with her] powerful vocals and whip-ass guitar playing. It’s clear she isn’t fooling around.”

Truth Is was produced by legendary guitarist and songwriter Dave Alvin (producer of Wonderland’s Alligator debut, Tempting Fate), who also co-wrote four songs, three of which he plays on. Wonderland says of Alvin, “I’ve never had my ass handed to me so thoughtfully in the studio. I came in with songs and Dave took the arrangements I wasn’t married to and put on his “Mad Rearranger” hat to get to the heart of the songs, always looking for and finding something that tells the story better. Dave is amazing. He has an incredible literary mind and is one of the best guitar bashers I’ve ever met.”

Along with bassist Naj Conklin and drummer Giovanni “Nooch” Carnuccio, Wonderland is joined on Truth Is by guests including Alligator labelmate Marcia Ball and friends Shelley King, Ruthie Foster, Cindy Cashdollar (“the Girl Gang,” says Wonderland), Red Young, Bukka Allen, Kevin Lance, Henri Herbert and Stuart Sullivan. The album was recorded and mixed by Sullivan at Wire Recording in Austin, Texas.

With Truth Is, Carolyn Wonderland stakes her claim among the most influential roots music voices today, delivering the blues’ honest truth to all who will listen. Her courageously empowering music packs an emotional wallop, with every track on the album performed with a rare intensity that is welcoming and ultimately uplifting. “She’s something else,” Bob Dylan once said to Ray Benson. “She should be nationwide.”

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