Newcomer is recognised as a rare breed of singer/songwriter: the kind who illuminates life with startling depth, humor and clarity. Her ability for sharp observation of the world lead the Dallas Morning News to rave, "She's the kind of artist whose music makes you stop, think and then say, 'that is so true'." Mining what is true, Newcomer's latest Rounder release, Before and After is a multi-layered work that invites the listener to slow down and reflect on the experiences that have changed and shaped our lives. On Before and After, Newcomer remarks, she has "peeled back another musical and emotional layer". The result is melodious and smooth, infused with classic Newcomer grace and honesty, so that, she says "there is something unguarded and naked about this album."
Praised by Billboard as a "soaring songstress," Newcomer is an acclaimed musician who continues to create music from her uniquely spiritual and poignant take on the world. Before and After is no exception, highlighting Newcomer's ability to blend her rich alto with a poetic lyricism on a skillfully arranged and performed collection of folk roots tracks, with Appalachian and classical influences. "The joy and challenge in creating this album was endeavoring to be fearlessly uncluttered and subtle," Newcomer says. The title track features an unforgettably haunting and beautiful duet with a special guest appearance by Mary Chapin Carpenter, launching the album with a remarkable collaboration from two of acoustic music's most resonant female vocalists.
Recorded and produced by Newcomer and David Weber at Airtime Studios, Before and After is Newcomer's twelfth release on Rounder, with prior albums including Regulars & Refugees, The Age of Possibility, The Gathering of Spirits, the Betty's Diner collection and her last critically acclaimed album The Geography of Light. Before and After results from working closely with a core of exceptional musicians, including Gary Walters on piano, Chris Wagoner on violin, mandolin, dobro and accordion, Mary Gaines on cello, Byron House on upright acoustic bass, Jim Brock on percussion, Keith Skooglund on guitar, and a second stunning duet featuring special guest Krista Detor on "Do No Harm." At the center is Newcomer's adept guitar work and resonant voice, which the Austin Statesman has described as being "as rich as Godiva chocolate." The album's artwork features the work of Hugh Syme, whose sense of magical realism captures Newcomer's joyous idea about finding miracles in common places.
On Before and After, the listener experiences a deep connection through Newcomer's lyrics, which explore life with a progressive spiritual sensibility. The Minneapolis City Pages wrote, "Newcomer's musing is deeply introspective, but she offers it with a poet's sense of nuance and a folkie's common touch, turning philosophical theory into the stuff of people's daily lives." On the captivating title track, Newcomer ponders the notion that "We live our lives from then until now, by the mercies received or the mark upon our brow" - exploring the large and small experiences by which we mark our lives. On "Stones in the River" she tenderly reveals that we may never see fruit from the seeds we plant today, but regardless, it is still vital that we plant them. She holds close the insistence of hope in "If Not Now" ("But miracles do happen every shining now and then") in a style reminiscent of the richness and depth of the traditional spirituals. From the cinematic lushness of "Before and After" to the elegant string accompaniments of "I Do Not Know Its Name," to the lighthearted and poignant "I Wish I May I Wish I Might," Before and After is both timeless and contemporary.
Newcomer, a Quaker, cuts across secular and spiritual boundaries. In recent years, she has emerged as a respected and recognized artistic voice for the progressive spiritual community. On Before and After, Newcomer continues to be inspired by her friendships and recent collaborations with leading authors and theologians, including Parker J. Palmer, Phillip Gulley, Scott Russell Sanders, Jim Wallis, Brian McLaren, Jill Bolte Taylor, Richard K. Thomas and Barbara Kingsolver. Her relationship with this community influenced many of the album's compelling themes and inspired the songs: "Do No Harm," "Stones in the River," and "I Wish I May, I Wish I Might."
Newcomer has worked with many notable artists throughout her career and has met with critical acclaim for her music. In 2008, she was listed as one of the Top Most Influential Artists of the past 25 Years by Boston's WUMB. Her successful 2008 release, The Geography of Light, also earned her Artist of the Year and Album of the Year from Folk Wax Magazine. She has toured with Alison Krauss and Union Station in Europe and the U.S. and recorded the title track of her 2002 The Gathering of Spirits album with Krauss. Krauss went on to introduce Nickel Creek to Newcomer's song "I Should've Known Better," which the band recorded on their Grammy-winning, gold-selling album This Side (produced by Krauss). Currently Carrie is writing a collection of essays and a musical based on the characters and music of Betty's Diner with author, playwright and internationally recognized sound designer Richard K. Thomas.
Newcomer's music has been praised in Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Acoustic Guitar, Performing Songwriter, Paste Magazine and several other outlets. In the words of acclaimed writer Barbara Kingsolver, author of The Poisonwood Bible, "Carrie Newcomer is much more than a musician. She's a poet, storyteller, snake charmer, good neighbor, friend and lover, minister of the wide-eyed gospel of hope and grace."
In the fall of 2009, Newcomer was invited by The American Center, the cultural outreach division of The American Embassy in India, to represent the U.S. as a cultural ambassador. Newcomer performed concerts for Indian audiences and young people involved with community service, taught workshops on songwriting, community service, and met and performed with contemporary, traditional and classical Indian musicians. She also visited slum programs for women and children at risk throughout the country of India. About her impressions of India, Newcomer says, "Music can be a language deeper than words. I love our differences. Cultures are rich and what makes each culture unique is to be celebrated, but I was powerfully moved by what we share as a human family."
www.carrienewcomer.com
There and Back
Carrie Newcomer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here and there I have walked
And I have found more beauty than I'd ever had thought
But I still dream often of that place I know
Deeper in my bones than most places ever go.
I can see home shining like a silver star
Like paradise calling me from oh so far
A long dirt road, a faithful dog, and an old white house
I have survived the bustle, but I still like the lights
I have stared up in wonder at countless shining nights
But no matter where I go, I find there I am
The same old stranger in an even stranger land
I can see home shining like a silver star
Like paradise calling me from oh so far
When I shade my eyes I can just make it out
A long dirt road, a faithful dog, and an old white house
Often have hungered for the way you feel
And the smell of summer thunder and the quiet winter fields
I have walked with madness and lay down with lies
And learned how to stand, but better yet how to fly.
I can see home shining like a silver star
Like paradise calling me from oh so far
When I shade my eyes I can just make it out
A long dirt road, a faithful dog, and an old white house
Yesterdays are many and tomorrow's filled with doubt
And still I don't know what this whole darn thing is about
But you what you are and it's better to find out.
What it is that you love most of all.
I have loved so many things in this great wide world
And the simple sounds of home are the sweetest things I've heard
For right here the means are humble but hearts are proud
And don't mind standing up and saying right out loud
I can see home shining like a silver star
Like paradise calling me from oh so far
When I shade my eyes I can just make it out
A long dirt road, a faithful dog, and an old white house
Carrie Newcomer's "There and Back" is a love letter to her hometown. Throughout her travels, she discovers beauty in unexpected places, but there's something special about her childhood home that she can't shake. She dreams often about the place she knows better than any other, home. She sings about the way that home shines like a silver star, calling her from afar, and how all she has to do is shade her eyes to see the image of the long dirt road, the faithful dog, and the old white house that she loves so much.
Despite all of the chaos and the things that she's been through, Carrie still hungers for the way that she felt in her hometown. She's walked with madness and laid down with lies, but she's learned how to stand, and even better, how to fly. Still, she knows that no matter where she goes, she'll always be the same old stranger.
The song is ultimately about the search for meaning in life, and how that meaning is often found in the places that we call home. It's about discovering what we love the most, and how those simple things can be the sweetest sounds we've ever heard. Carrie's love for her hometown shines through every line of the song, and it's clear that this is a place that will always hold a special place in her heart.
Line by Line Meaning
There and back I have traveled
I have traveled far and wide.
Here and there I have walked
I have explored different places.
And I have found more beauty than I'd ever had thought
I have discovered more beauty than I had imagined.
But I still dream often of that place I know
I still dream of my home.
Deeper in my bones than most places ever go.
It is a place that is essential to me.
I can see home shining like a silver star
I can picture my home clearly in my mind.
Like paradise calling me from oh so far
It feels like paradise to me.
When I shade my eyes I can just make it out
I can almost see it.
A long dirt road, a faithful dog, and an old white house
My home is characterized by a long dirt road, faithful dog, and an old white house.
I have survived the bustle, but I still like the lights
I have experienced the busy city, but I still enjoy city life.
I have stared up in wonder at countless shining nights
I have marveled at the beauty of the night sky.
But no matter where I go, I find there I am
I remain the same person wherever I go.
The same old stranger in an even stranger land
I feel like a stranger in unfamiliar places.
Often have hungered for the way you feel
I often long for the feeling of being home.
And the smell of summer thunder and the quiet winter fields
I miss the familiar smells of summer thunderstorms and peaceful winter fields.
I have walked with madness and lay down with lies
I have experienced craziness and deceit in my life.
And learned how to stand, but better yet how to fly.
I have learned to stand up for myself and pursue my dreams.
Yesterdays are many and tomorrow's filled with doubt
I have many past experiences and an uncertain future.
And still I don't know what this whole darn thing is about
I still don't understand the meaning of life.
But you what you are and it's better to find out.
It's important to discover what you love.
What it is that you love most of all.
What truly brings you joy.
I have loved so many things in this great wide world
I have experienced many things in life.
And the simple sounds of home are the sweetest things I've heard
But the familiar sounds of home are the most comforting to me.
For right here the means are humble but hearts are proud
My home may be simple, but the people there are hardworking and proud.
And don't mind standing up and saying right out loud
They are not afraid to speak their minds.
Contributed by Micah T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.