Biography
Caroline Herring, a contemporary folk performer recognized for her insightful songwriting, draws added depth from an academic foundation that refines her way with words. She was born in Canton, Mississippi, where early exposure to music came through her father’s guitar playing and her mother’s piano work. Though her parents arranged piano lessons, Herring soon favored the guitar and the opportunity to perform her own material.
She first began composing songs while enrolled as a graduate student in American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, finding ready inspiration in a city rich with songwriters. Earlier, during her undergraduate years at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, where she later earned a Master’s in Southern Studies, she appeared weekly with the Sincere Ramblers on the local Thacker Mountain Radio program.
Guest Peter Rowan encouraged her to pursue music more seriously, prompting a move to Austin, Texas. She soon drew notice through regular sets at the Cactus Café and a weekly happy-hour engagement at Stubb’s BBQ, all while completing her PhD in American Studies at UT-Austin. Support from fellow singer-songwriters helped her attract larger audiences and secure an Austin booking agent.
Her debut album, Twilight, featured contributions from some of Austin’s and the nation’s leading session musicians, including Rowan on guitar, Lloyd Maines on dobro, Billy Bright on mandolin, and Richard Bowden on fiddle. Released in 2001 on Houston’s Blue Corn label—also home to blues and folk artist Ruthie Foster—the record was followed by Wellspring in 2003 and the critically praised Lantana in 2008.
In late 2009 Herring issued Golden Apples of the Sun on Massachusetts-based Signature Sounds. Recorded at the label’s studio in Pomfret, Connecticut, the album highlighted her voice and guitar against understated piano from producer David Goodrich. Alongside original material, she reinterpreted Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors,” the blues traditional “See See Rider,” Joni Mitchell’s “Cactus Tree,” and poet W.B. Yeats’ “Song of the Wandering Aengus.” Her eighth studio album, Verses, appeared in 2019 after sessions in Nashville engineered by Shani Gandhi and guitarist Steven Sheehan.
She first began composing songs while enrolled as a graduate student in American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, finding ready inspiration in a city rich with songwriters. Earlier, during her undergraduate years at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, where she later earned a Master’s in Southern Studies, she appeared weekly with the Sincere Ramblers on the local Thacker Mountain Radio program.
Guest Peter Rowan encouraged her to pursue music more seriously, prompting a move to Austin, Texas. She soon drew notice through regular sets at the Cactus Café and a weekly happy-hour engagement at Stubb’s BBQ, all while completing her PhD in American Studies at UT-Austin. Support from fellow singer-songwriters helped her attract larger audiences and secure an Austin booking agent.
Her debut album, Twilight, featured contributions from some of Austin’s and the nation’s leading session musicians, including Rowan on guitar, Lloyd Maines on dobro, Billy Bright on mandolin, and Richard Bowden on fiddle. Released in 2001 on Houston’s Blue Corn label—also home to blues and folk artist Ruthie Foster—the record was followed by Wellspring in 2003 and the critically praised Lantana in 2008.
In late 2009 Herring issued Golden Apples of the Sun on Massachusetts-based Signature Sounds. Recorded at the label’s studio in Pomfret, Connecticut, the album highlighted her voice and guitar against understated piano from producer David Goodrich. Alongside original material, she reinterpreted Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors,” the blues traditional “See See Rider,” Joni Mitchell’s “Cactus Tree,” and poet W.B. Yeats’ “Song of the Wandering Aengus.” Her eighth studio album, Verses, appeared in 2019 after sessions in Nashville engineered by Shani Gandhi and guitarist Steven Sheehan.
Albums
Live
