Biography
Carolina Story, a husband-and-wife Americana pair, fuse the sincerity and fire of their voices with intimate tales of affection and hardship to shape songs of striking atmospheric depth. Their work centers on the textures of small-town existence, balancing gladness against grief in nearly equal proportions yet holding fast to the conviction that love prevails in the end. Although the act issued early recordings soon after forming, their first sustained studio achievement arrived with the 2018 album Lay Your Head Down, which was succeeded by Dandelion in 2020. The 2023 release Colors of My Mind unfolded as an intensely autobiographical sequence tracing upheaval and renewal.
Ben and Emily Roberts constitute the duo, which took shape in 2009 two years after the pair first crossed paths. Ben, raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, assembled his initial band during junior high, handling guitar and original material. He briefly played football at a Boston-area college before departing Beantown for North Carolina and later enrolling at Visible Music College in Memphis, Tennessee. There he encountered fellow student Emily, who had traveled from Lennox, South Dakota, to study and launch her own path as a performer and songwriter. As their connection deepened, they recognized both romantic and creative compatibility; during a lighthearted exchange about future children, Emily floated the name Carolina Story, which Ben adopted for the group.
The act debuted in 2009 with a self-released, self-titled album that same year. Willing to perform in virtually any setting, the duo logged extensive road miles while gradually cultivating listeners. A succession of limited CD-R releases followed, among them When the River Met the Sea in 2010, Home in 2011, Chapter One in 2013, and Chapter Two in 2014. A personal landmark came in 2014 with Carolina Story’s inaugural appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. Persistent effort led to recording and publishing agreements with Black River Entertainment. Their first full-length project, Lay Your Head Down, emerged in May 2018, drawing notice after the title track amassed more than 750,000 streams and gained radio traction. Ben and Emily returned with the follow-up Dandelion on the same label in September 2020.
Although Dandelion earned favorable critical notice and the pair maintained a demanding tour schedule, the physical demands of the road began to affect Ben and Emily. Their association with Black River concluded, and Ben had developed a reliance on substances. Intending merely to capture preliminary song ideas, the duo entered the studio alongside producer Paul Moak and their touring musicians—Sam Wilson on guitar and pedal steel, Randle Scruggs on bass, and Nathan Sexton on drums—for what was envisioned as a brief session. Instead, new material emerged with unexpected force, yielding a set of songs whose undercurrents conveyed Ben’s wish to shed his addictions through themes of transformation. Once the recordings were finished, Carolina Story had effectively completed an entire album; four days later Ben entered rehabilitation. Restored to sobriety and renewed focus, he finalized the project with Emily and Paul, after which the duo arranged distribution through Soundly Music for the resulting 2023 album Colors of My Mind.
Ben and Emily Roberts constitute the duo, which took shape in 2009 two years after the pair first crossed paths. Ben, raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, assembled his initial band during junior high, handling guitar and original material. He briefly played football at a Boston-area college before departing Beantown for North Carolina and later enrolling at Visible Music College in Memphis, Tennessee. There he encountered fellow student Emily, who had traveled from Lennox, South Dakota, to study and launch her own path as a performer and songwriter. As their connection deepened, they recognized both romantic and creative compatibility; during a lighthearted exchange about future children, Emily floated the name Carolina Story, which Ben adopted for the group.
The act debuted in 2009 with a self-released, self-titled album that same year. Willing to perform in virtually any setting, the duo logged extensive road miles while gradually cultivating listeners. A succession of limited CD-R releases followed, among them When the River Met the Sea in 2010, Home in 2011, Chapter One in 2013, and Chapter Two in 2014. A personal landmark came in 2014 with Carolina Story’s inaugural appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. Persistent effort led to recording and publishing agreements with Black River Entertainment. Their first full-length project, Lay Your Head Down, emerged in May 2018, drawing notice after the title track amassed more than 750,000 streams and gained radio traction. Ben and Emily returned with the follow-up Dandelion on the same label in September 2020.
Although Dandelion earned favorable critical notice and the pair maintained a demanding tour schedule, the physical demands of the road began to affect Ben and Emily. Their association with Black River concluded, and Ben had developed a reliance on substances. Intending merely to capture preliminary song ideas, the duo entered the studio alongside producer Paul Moak and their touring musicians—Sam Wilson on guitar and pedal steel, Randle Scruggs on bass, and Nathan Sexton on drums—for what was envisioned as a brief session. Instead, new material emerged with unexpected force, yielding a set of songs whose undercurrents conveyed Ben’s wish to shed his addictions through themes of transformation. Once the recordings were finished, Carolina Story had effectively completed an entire album; four days later Ben entered rehabilitation. Restored to sobriety and renewed focus, he finalized the project with Emily and Paul, after which the duo arranged distribution through Soundly Music for the resulting 2023 album Colors of My Mind.
Albums
Singles
