Hello friends! New friends, old friends, friends who haven't heard from me for the past 6 weeks (apologies!). I was touring like a madwoman, and now I'm back in the Watermelon and just goldang delighted to share some of the stuff I've been ruminating on.

This song is about 12 hours old - I wrote it on the loooong drive back to New Orleans from Charlotte, North Carolina (where we just completed a tour opening for The Weepies, who are excellent in every imaginable way). 

It was inspired by the kind of observation that can only come from the mouth of a friend who has spent every waking hour with you for the past six weeks (and plenty more over the past six years). Mr. Joe Plowman (longtime bassist and collaborator) provided this comment, as I simmered in the heady funk of another fresh crush on another roguish gentleman: "He's exactly your type. A scoundrel with a heart of gold. Like Han Solo."

The simple truth of this statement hit me with a smack, rattled around in my noggin, and spewed forth yesterday in a starry geyser of song. 

So here it is, an anthem for the hopeless rogue-chaser. If anybody sympathizes, god help us.

Carsie

PS. Download directly from soundcloud by clicking the down-arrow at the top right of the patreon post.

Hey hey patrons! Here's another new song for your consideration. A few fun facts:

1) I keep a list of my favorite words in the back of my notebook, for future usage in songs. This one contains five: vim, vigor, vinegar, doxy and moxie.  

2) I started working on this song in reaction to the soft-serve feminism that has been trending in pop culture for the past year or two. I love Beyonce, Meghan Trainor and the others; this isn't to speak ill of them (wouldn't dream of it!), but of the surrounding culture that deems them feminist revolutionaries. Most of these so-called feminist pop songs suffer from the same few fatal flaws: they are still pandering to the male gaze, obsessively commenting on how attractive their bodies look, and fixated on "catching a man". 

This song is an experiment in actual feminist pop. 

3) I finished it the other night, inspired by the movie Magic Mike XXL. Believe me, I'm as surprised as you are. 

Turns out I totally loved it: it's a shiny, feverish, alternate-universe sex fantasy, like a lot of movies, but this one is a female sex fantasy. All the men are hard-bodied and muffin-hearted, and live to serve all the women (who come in a variety of body types and personalities). 

I left the theater feeling giddy, and thinking, "why does it feel so revolutionary to see a female sex fantasy enacted on screen? Have I actually never seen that before?" That thought prompted me to write the second verse of this song (which had been languishing in the back of my head, half-finished, for months).

Just wait for the music video.

Love and moxie,

Carsie

You may ask yourself, 'Gee, when will Carsie get over the songwriting genius of Nick Lowe, and start listening to someone else?' The answer is: not yet. 

The dude is a heavyweight, that rare lyricist with guts and an ear for melody, of Paul Simon or Carole King caliber, but weirdly unsung here in the states. I feel it is my civic duty to study and share his work with the utmost dedication.

Also, I only got turned on to Nick a couple years ago (thanks to Milton, who I may never be able to repay), and he has a huge catalog. It's taking me a while to catch up.

This song is from Nick's 1982 album 'Nick the Knife', which I recommend HIGHLY. Here are a few of the things that make it perfect, in my humble opinion:

1) Catchy and somehow fresh-sounding earworm of a chord progression, made of the most oft-used chords known to man (1, 4, and 5 (in this case, C, F and G)).

2) Heartbreaking lyrics paired with uptempo, poptastic melody; leaving the listener feeling giddy but full of a strange and incongruous sorrow.

3) Weird time signature that you wouldn't even notice if I hadn't just told you about it.

4) Lyrics that give you the one-two punch of being adorable and fun to hear, while tackling a confusing and emotionally complex topic. 

The topic, in this case (according to me): what it's like to be a sensitive, marshmallow-hearted person who can't help but fall in love (and/or in lust) constantly, heartbreak be damned. 

I have no idea what that's like, of course, but here's my take on it anyway.

Yours in heartbreak,

Carsie

Greetings from beautiful Wilmington, NC, where I'm taking a little beachside work-cation in the middle of my tour!

Besides touring, I've been getting my ducks in a row for the new album. We will be in the studio in January, which means I need to come up with a pile of money to fund the dang thing. Thus, I'm about to start running another Kickstarter, starting on October 6th!

I have a special request for you, my darling patrons. I've decided I won't be posting any "paid" work here on Patreon for the month of October; instead, I'll ask you to pledge your monthly patronage to my Kickstarter project. I'll send a reminder on the day the Kickstarter begins (October 6th). 

I'm also looking for HELP DESIGNING, PROMOTING, AND RUNNING my Kickstarter. If you'd be willing to help (with reward ideas, promoting the project online, or by becoming a major donor), SEND ME AN EMAIL at [email protected] Put "hell yes I'll help!" in the subject line, and INCLUDE YOUR PHONE NUMBER. 

I will personally call you next week to discuss!!

Attached, you'll find the last of the 'studio demos' we made back in May, 'Hot Night'. Very excited about this song! Remember, studio demos are but a step on the long road from song-conception to album-birth; a guiding light to shine into our brains when the hours get long and confusing.

Thanks, as always, for everything.

Playfully yours,

Carsie

PS. The image you see in the magic window is MY NEW TATTOO! And you are the first, in all of internet-land, to see it. The work is By David Hale (as always). It's a river otter named Puck, who will be accompanying me into the studio (and everywhere, til I get dead or armless) to remind me to stay playful. Ain't nobody gonna live it for ya, he says.