Carolyn Shulman is Making a Scene

September 16, 2024

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Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Carolyn Shulman

Carolyn Shulman is a Denver-based folk singer-songwriter whose connection with music has been a lifelong journey. Her father has played guitar as a hobby for most of his life, so when Carolyn expressed an interest in learning to play, he brought home a kid-sized acoustic guitar perfect for a nine year-old’s hands and set her up with lessons. By the time she was fourteen, she was writing songs and playing in coffee shops and restaurants in her hometown of Mobile, Alabama.

Carolyn continued playing, writing, and performing as a college student at Rice University in Houston, Texas. During college, she played at numerous venues on and off campus, including Houston’s storied folk venue, Anderson Fair. She performed at the 2001 Houston Women’s Festival along with artists like Susan Gibson, Edie Carey, Patrice Pike, and Ruthie Foster. In 2002, she competed as a finalist in the University Songwriters Showcase at the Kerrville Folk Festival.

After college, Carolyn continued to play music, but scaled her efforts down while she earned a law degree. She practiced law in Houston for seven years, focusing on Social Security disability law, and in 2013, she and her husband welcomed their daughter to the world. These life-changing experiences continue to help shape her worldview and inform her songwriting.

In 2014, Carolyn moved to Denver, Colorado with her family. Viewing this transition as an opportunity, she decided to stop practicing law in order to spend more time with her young daughter and refocus on her lifelong passion of music. She began writing new songs again, and connected with her close friend, folk singer-songwriter Jen Hitt. They began performing together around Denver as the duo The Truth About August, and the fun experience of performing live again led Carolyn to pursue solo shows as well, which is primarily how she performs now.

Most heavily influenced by the women who helped define contemporary folk & Americana music before her, Carolyn’s sound is a nod to artists like Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lucy Kaplansky, Catie Curtis, Susan Gibson, and Patty Griffin. She also cites classic Americana rockers like Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Young as influences. In the vein of these musical role models, Carolyn builds powerful emotional landscapes in her songs by layering poignant, vulnerable lyrics atop skillful guitar work that varies from driving rhythms to intricate fingerpicking.

In 2021, Carolyn released her debut full-length album, Grenadine & Kerosene, recorded with producer John McVey at Cinder Sound Studios in Longmont, Colorado. Music critics praised the album, calling it “a fantastic album, full of great songs,” and “an introspective musical journey that is equal parts tender as it is powerful.” Grenadine & Kerosene also received radio play from folk DJs around the globe, landing it on the Folk Radio Charts for three months. The album ultimately reached the number 22 spot and placed Carolyn among June 2021’s top 40 most-spun artists on folk radio.

On the heels of her debut album’s success, Carolyn’s songwriting talent earned her a spot in the 2022 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase. As one of ten finalists out of a pool of 300 applicants, she was honored to perform on the hallowed main stage at Planet Bluegrass in Lyons, Colorado.

Carolyn is now preparing to release a new, full-length album, Heart on a Wire. This collection of ten songs reveals a more seasoned and experienced artist who has deepened her creative focus. The lyrics on Heart on a Wire delve into character-driven narratives, social issues, and Carolyn’s emotional world. She writes about themes such as believing in one’s self, parent-child relationships, burnout and rejuvenation, maintaining hope and joy in challenging times, and working to create a better world.

Carolyn teamed up with producer John McVey at Cinder Sound Studios in Longmont, Colorado once again for this latest effort. With McVey shaping the sonic landscape of Heart on a Wire, its sound ranges from traditional, acoustic folk with hints of bluegrass to a more folk-rock and Americana vibe. Across the board, the production is rich and warm, enhanced by a full band of seasoned musicians. Heart on a Wire is slated for release in September 2024.

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