By Johnny Cole
Photos by Stephen Anderson
Cary Laine is back! The singer-songwriter, now living in Long Beach, Mississippi, is finally back with a brand new collection of songs in her 2023 EP Rebel Rose. Cary is one very busy lady who has found a way to balance her music career with being a wife and mother of three. Her eldest child, who has just graduated from high school and is joining the U.S. Coast Guard, and her two young daughters, named after the music greats Bill Monroe and Arlo Guthrie, certainly bring an extra amount of joy to Cary and her husband’s lives.
Truthfully, Cary has never been away – she has remained busy performing all along the Gulf Coast and writing new music to the delight of her many longtime fans. Cary has had a fascinating career since growing up in Alabama. Her successful appearance on TV’s The Voice in 2014 prompted instant attention on the young singer-songwriter as such a show is known to do. The Southland Music Line first became familiar with Cary nearly a decade ago and has always enjoyed following her career. We also spotlighted her album Miss Alabama in the early summer of 2016, a tremendous album recorded at Admiral Bean Studios and produced by Anthony Crawford (known for his work with Neil Young, Steve Winwood, Dwight Yoakam, and others). This album gave Cary’s fans what they had been wanting, thanks in part, to the awesome single “Hurricane.”
Now in 2023, Cary Laine is releasing a brand new EP with four new songs. She chose her latest music to be recorded at Josh Bright Productions in Boaz, AL. Cary has previously worked with Josh Bright, singing a duet and providing background vocals with him on the album Wandering Soul by Robert Lee, a friend from The Voice. Cary says “I chose Josh because of his talent and I have really enjoyed working with him in the past. Plus, I love how he has the ability to capture the most natural version of my vocals.”
Cary’s comments about Josh Bright ring true when listening to her latest EP. When I first heard the four new songs, I was instantly impressed by her personalized and meaningful songwriting. This is evident in the song, “Heaven’s Band Application.” Cary relates, “I wrote this song after a dear friend passed away due to suicide… just two days prior, he was goofing off and singing with me at a show.” Cary says the writing of this song helped her process everything. She further adds, “It really makes you think about struggles, mortality, and this song spilled out in a matter of minutes helping me come to grips with such a loss.”
This talented songwriter obviously doesn’t mind tackling an array of subjects and in the song “Rebel Rose,” she again does just that. A story of a woman who decides to not be a victim of domestic violence anymore. Someone who is strong enough to not only walk away, but at a minimum scare the perpetrators to the point of hopefully ending the cycle of abuse. When referring to this song, Cary, who has witnessed close family and friends face such adversity, says “it was comforting to create a story where the woman not only escapes, but thrives.”
Cary is joined by fellow songwriter Nate Curry of the band The Boom and The Bust as a co-writer on the song “Dying Breed.” She first met Nate while living in Wyoming. He was a writer on her last album. This song works on all levels and delivers as obviously intended. Once again Cary recalls, “We wanted to tell the story of a true working cowboy, the dying breed of American heroes. This song was so satisfying to record because it has the exact feel that I pictured from the first time I sang the chorus.”
You never know where a songwriter will draw his or her next inspiration. A good example of this is in the song “Balls.” Cary remembers how two male musical peers once showed her enormous disrespect as a woman and a music artist. One of these individuals told Cary she could not be a mom and make music the way she wanted. The other said she was just a girl who toyed with music….neither has ever apologized. And what does a good songwriter do about such an offense? They write a song.
Cary says, “I saw red…I sat down with my guitar completely frustrated and angry, refusing to let it defeat me.” She further told me, “I didn’t want any woman to feel like she can’t do anything she sets her mind to, including being a mom. I also didn’t want any woman in the music industry, or any other for that matter, to think they should accept blatant disrespect.”
Four well-crafted songs sung with such conviction and honesty. I applaud each song and absolutely love Cary’s true classic country voice. After hearing her new songs back in early April, I was warmly reminded of what I have loved about Cary since the first time I heard her sing. She has certainly written and recorded some new music that will resonate with others. On her latest, Cary has delved into some challenging topics with real determination.
Cary Laine continues to enjoy immersing herself into her music. She related to me how free and creative she has been in recent years. In 2023, she wants to promote her new EP both locally and abroad. She is also in talks of doing a promo tour with a recording artist from Los Angeles who cut some songs she co-wrote. Yes, this is one woman who isn’t toying around with her music.
Click Here to learn more about Cary and her latest music.
Page Designed & Edited by Johnny Cole
Additional Editing by Deborah Chatham
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