Fretboard Journal Feature and New Video

The late afternoon light has a slant to it, and yesterday I wore a jacket to walk the dogs. I hope your summer has been drenched in kitchen table flowers and cool lake swims. It feels like fall is peeking around the corner here, and I welcome it. New trio shows continue to appear on my tour calendar in the Midwest (with Will Seeders and Joachim Cooder), and one last single will sneak out before the new record, Night Owl Envies the Mourning Dove comes out in October!

And the record has already garnered some good press, the highlight being this stunning feature in Fretboard Journal. It is simply the best introduction to my new record I can imagine — a window into the songs and the recording process. Any mention in Fretboard is a very good day for a guitar player, but Eric Pooley goes above and beyond to brilliantly frame the new record in the past few years of my life and music. It is a relief and a blessing when a writer has the insight to really hear what I’m saying (with my songs as well as during our rambling interview) and the skill to craft a story that covers the bullet points, while shining quite a flattering light on my music. Also he made my mom cry.

He even got some bandmates on the record with quotes that had me laughing out loud. Sam Kassirer; “I was sort of terrified when she showed up with three guitars and a carful of groceries,” and Rich Hinman; “I’ve seen her pull a Fender Pro Junior out of her suitcase.” (It makes more sense if you read the whole thing).

Caitlin Canty’s guitar seems to have been around forever – it’s a battle-scarred Recording King Jumbo from 1939 – and her songs are the same way. Her melodies draw from the blues and folk tradition but in startlingly fresh ways and with lyrics as vivid and precise as Raymond Carver short stories. “They seem to exist without having been forced into existence,” says guitarist Rich Hinman, her frequent collaborator. Canty delivers them in a voice that’s clear, smart, ardent, sometimes aching yet always restrained, so that every quiver, burr and microtonal bend cuts deep.

Plenty of us already know Canty well. At 43, she has been building her sparkling indie-folk catalogue for 20 years: five full-length albums, four EPs, and million-streaming singles like her 2020 masterpiece, “Where is the Heart of My Country.” But for the rest, here’s your chance. Canty’s new album, Night Owl Envies the Mourning Dove, which is available to buy now and starts streaming Oct. 2, may be her best yet. To understand what makes this one special, it helps to know what the artist has been up to… READ MORE

BIRD DOG WITH MATT LORENZ

The Bluegrass Situation recently premiered a duet version of my song, “Bird Dog” with Matt Lorenz (The Suitcase Junket). I’m playing my kitchen guitar - a sweet little red Silvertone I bought in Rutland, VT at a music store going out of business. It is the only guitar in our home that hangs on the wall, for quick access, for small peanut-butter covered hands to play, and something pretty to look at while I’m doing the dishes. I play it more often than most of my guitars these days, and I’m thrilled it got its jangly debut in this video with Matt. More videos coming soon from this session filmed by Brian Carroll.

Night Owl Envies the Mourning Dove is available now only on CD or Vinyl. The music releases on all streaming platforms October 2. Find your copy at my website store or Bandcamp and I’ll ship it out myself straightaway. Thanks to all who have already adopted their own copy of the record. It feels just wonderful to mail this music out to you.

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Caitlin

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Caitlin

UPCOMING SHOWS

Aug 15 - Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots - Manchester, VT

Nov 8 - Stoughton Opera House, Stoughton, WI

Nov 10 - Dakota, Minneapolis, MN

Nov 12 - SPACE - Evanston, IL

Nov 14 - G.A.R. Hall - Peninsula, OH

Nov 21 - Paramount Theatre - Rutland, VT

Jan 3 - Burnham Hall - Lincoln, VT

Tickets at www.caitlincanty.com/tour