Carrie Elkin

Carrie Elkin (born 1974), is a folk/country singer and musician based out of Austin, Texas where she lives with fellow musician and singer-songwriter Danny Schmidt, they married in October 2014. Active since the mid-1990s, she has travelled to and settled in a variety of places, including Cleveland, Athens, Taos, Steamboat Springs, Colorado Springs, and Boston, finally coming to settle in Austin in the summer of 2007. In September 2010 she signed with Red House Records.

She self-released her first album, Simplicity, in 1996. Her second album, Live at the Front Room, was released in 2001. The Waltz arrived in 2004 and The Jeopardy of Circumstance in 2007. Her fifth record, Call It My Garden was released in early 2011 by Red House Records; her first with that label (she originally released the album in 2010). It was produced by Colin Brooks and Danny Schmidt and features Sam Baker, Raina Rose, Robby Hecht, A. J. Roach, Anthony Da Costa, and Storyhill's John Hermanson. The first track, "Jesse Likes Birds", made number one on the FOLKDJ-L radio playlists (a.k.a. "Folk DJ List") for the month of January 2011 (based on 15,346 airplays from 157 different radio disc jockeys). The album was listed fifth for the same month.

She appears with Danny Schmidt on his more recent albums. She recorded "Little Drummer Boy" with Danny on the Our Christmas Present (2008) fundraising record for Our Community Place in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Carrie has performed the national anthem at a Chicago Bulls game and opened for such artists as Jesse Winchester, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Greg Brown. She tours extensively, in the US and UK, often appearing with Danny Schmidt live and on his recordings. They both appear as separate acts at the 2010 Storyhill Fest Midwest. She has been selected to appear at the 7th Annual Rice Festival in Fischer, TX November 2010 and the 24th annual International Folk Alliance Conference February 2011 in Memphis, TN. She appeared on the Bob Harris Country show on BBC Radio 2 August 6, 2009. She sang with Danny Schmidt on the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Show in 2010 (radio hour number 526). Fall 2014 she was playing guitar and accordion and singing with Sam Baker on his 'Say Grace' tour.

In support of her new album, Carrie will be on tour throughout the US and Europe in 2011 and will showcase at the South By Southwest Music Festival (SXSW) and the International Folk Alliance Conference.

Carrie is an acoustic guitarist who performs mainly in the folk and country musical genres. She also sings reverential music, similar to gospel; often closing her shows, for example, with a version of "Amazing Grace".

"We have never seen a performer so in love with the act of singing. Onstage Elkin was simply a force of nature."Maverick Magazine

• Simplicity (1996) CarrieElkin.com
• Live at the Front Room (2001) CarrieElkin.com
• The Waltz (2004) CarrieElkin.com – ASIN: B000CAEAY0
• The Jeopardy of Circumstance (2007) CarrieElkin.com – ASIN: B0010V57EW
• Call It My Garden (2011) Red House Records – ASIN: B004DK4A5O

With Danny Schmidt at house party in UK
November 30, 2009

• "Folk Alliance 2009 – Andy Cohen & Carrie Elkin" impromptu moment captured on the Klyma Cam at the 2009 Folk Alliance conference when Andy Cohen walked up and strummed a tune on Devon Sproule's 1954 Gibson ES-125, which Carrie had borrowed.
• "Carrie Elkin – Did She Do Her Best, at WNRN" Carrie performs "Did She Do Her Best" on WNRN's Acoustic Sunrise in Charlottesville, Virginia on December 11, 2008 before her show at Gravity Lounge with Danny Schmidt.
• "Carrie Elkin – Questions About Angels" performing her song "Questions About Angels" live at the Cactus Cafe in Austin, TX.

• She and Danny Schmidt appear at An Evening with Friends-Something to Smile About, a benefit for the Interfaith Dental Clinic presented by Delta Dental of Tennessee, featuring Emmylou Harris and BlackHawk at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee May 11, 2012.
• "Jesse Likes Birds" from Call It My Garden was listed as one of the best songs of 2011 (17th of 22) by The Austin Chronicle's music reviewer Jim Caligiuri.
• She was named one of Texas Music Magazine's 2011 "Artists of the Year" in their Winter 2012 issue.
• In 2011 she appeared at the 24th annual International Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, TN (February ), and the 7th Annual Rice Festival in Fischer, TX (November).
• In 2010 she appeared at Storyhill Fest Midwest and the Home of the Islands Folk Festival on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.
• She sang with Danny Schmidt on the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Show in 2010 (radio hour number 526).
• She recorded "Little Drummer Boy" with Danny Schmidt on the Our Christmas Present (2008) fundraising record for Our Community Place in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
• She appeared at the 2007 South Padre International Music Festival on South Padre Island, Texas.

• Interfaith Dental Clinic homepage.
• "Best of 2011, So Far" by Jim Caligiuri in earache!, The Austin Chronicle; July 11, 2011.
• "Artists of the Year: 2011" by Laura C. Mallonee, Texas Music Magazine – Winter 2012 (p. 59); confirmed by e-mail from Stewart Ramser ([email protected]) March 13, 2012.
• Storyhill Fest Midwest 2010.
• WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Show in 2010 (radio hour number 526).
• Our Christmas Present 2008 Our Community Place, Harrisonburg, VA.

• "Carrie Elkin Call It My Garden (Red House)" FEATURED CONTENT SXSW Records Saturday, by Jim Caligiuri in the Austin Chronicle; March 18, 2011.
• "Carrie Elkin: Call It My Garden" review by John Davy for Flyinshoes on February 18, 2011.
• "Call It My Garden: Carrie Elkin" review by James Allen for allmusic—Rating 3.5/5.0 stars; Released January 25 on Red House Records; 42:18; Folk; AMG Album ID: R 2102866.
• "Carrie Elkin's Call It My Garden and Danny Schmidt's Man of Many Moons (both on Red House)" by Jeff Burger for No Depression; February 13, 2011.
• "FAME Review: Carrie Elkin – Call It My Garden" review written for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange by Frank Gutch, Jr.; February 2, 2011.
• "Carrie Elkin: HAPPY TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A TREE HUGGING HIPPY" Maverick Magazine March 2011 (with review of latest album).
• Review of Jeopardy of Circumstance (2007) in C-60 Low Noise July 22, 2010.
• "Folk Couples, Covered: Sproule & Curreri, Schmidt & Elkin, and Ritter & Landes" Cover Lay Down June 27, 2010.
• "The Budgeteer's heart-to-heart with Carrie Elkin" by Matthew R. Perrine Duluth News Tribune July 2, 2009. "The latest need-to-know name coming out of the fertile Austin, Texas, scene is singer/songwriter Carrie Elkin . ."
• "Carrie Elkin – 'The Jeopardy of Circumstance'" By Kim Ruehl About.com 2008.
• "Women In Music Series – Carrie Elkin" by Dan D. – July 7, 2000, interviewed on Athens Musician Network.