Rorey Carroll is a singer songwriter sitting pretty between her Americana folk and alternative country/ bluegrass influences. Her fiercely independent spirit is reflected in her songwriting, while her sweet voice resonates soul-felt energy. Rorey’s instinctive musical talent began in her youth, as she studied vocals, piano and wrote poetry. From her life experiences on foot, through the window of a car, to the bed of a freight train, Carroll has learned to use her guitar as a vehicle to tell a story.
She began wandering when she was 19 after a short stretch of college in Northern Michigan. She ended up in Leadville, CO where she continued her studies. She learned guitar while staying at a friend’s house for a couple weeks. From her first three chords, she wrote her first songs.
That next year she decided to walk the Appalachian Trail, from northern Georgia to Maine, with a good friend, a mean dog and a guitar on her backpack. On the trail she fell in love with the older mountains and culture of Appalachia. She went back to home base herself in Colorado, but she was never quite settled. She found ways working across the country as a wilderness therapy guide, as well making her way to different countries around the world (Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Ireland, Scotland….)
Her wilderness therapy training brought her to a job in Asheville, NC. Immersing herself into an area of the country thick with amazing songwriters, musicians and inspiration, Carroll learned more about the art of songwriting and composition. She delved deeper into herself to create songs with love, tension and emotion.
“There should be no filter on experience, so why should there be in songwriting. People listen to music because it makes them feel an emotion, and a songwriter’s goal is to relate ones own experiences with the audience.” - Rorey
Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul" — Plato
“Roadside Lullabies”, her first album, was recorded with Eric Willson and was released at the end of September, 2010. The album was dedicated to her brother, Michael Carroll, who had passed away suddenly the year before in November, 2009.
Rorey Carroll Band
Rorey has since moved back to Colorado in Lyons, home of Planet Bluegrass, where she put together a band with some of the most talented musicians in Colorado.
“I fell in love with Murph’s guitar playing the first time I heard him play. I knew we would make great music.” –Rorey “ He has a graceful ear, and anyone who has played music with him understands his gift to lift and enhance a song.” Murph has performed with Crooked Still Richard Greene, and members of the Punch Brothers.
Rorey met fiddle player Zeb at a festival in Georgia, where he followed her around with his fiddle for two days. “Zeb wouldn’t know what to do without a fiddle. He’s been playing one since he was 4 years old, it’s like another limb.” “Not only does he play from the soul, he’s really good at it.” He has toured with many bands including Big and Rich and Emmit-Nershi Band.
Bass player Ashleigh Caudill is based out of Asheville North Carolina where she was awarded first place in bass, and vocals in the North Carolina Mountain State Fair Bluegrass Competitions. She is a Berklee College of Music alumni and “has an undeniable gift for songwriting with a keen aptitude for carving out a tune." -Claire Lynch
Along with Rorey's ability to carry someone through a story, her sultry lyrics grab ones attention line by line. The band is cleverly arranged around each song, but there is always room for some mid song jam with smooth guitar and mind-blowing fiddle and powerful female harmonies. The band lets Rorey's songs come alive. “Songs” described by Phil Collins, “that responds to her touch with the intimacy of one lover to another.’”
Instrumentation
Rorey Carroll - guitar and vocals
Ashleigh Caudill - Upright Bass and Vocals
Brad Murphey - Acoustic Guitar
Zebulon Bowles - mandolin and 5 string fiddle
Discography
Roadside Lullabies: album released 2009 produced by Eric Willson and Rorey Carroll
A Rock By The Sea Christmas: Volume 2 - released November 8th 2011 - song, "Let it Snow"
Booking inquiries:
contact Zeb at (615)438-5446 or zebulono79@hotmail.com