Carolyn Wonderland has paid her dues and has hit a new artistic peak. The Texas-based singer/songwriter and guitarist began playing professionally at age 15 in the 1980s and has never stopped, even when she didn’t have a roof over her head.
In her candid interview with WBGO, Wonderland talked about the community of female artists in Austin that support each other and those in need.
“The women I get to run with, I can’t even tell you how lucky I am. Myself, Marcia (Ball), Ruthie (Foster), and Shelley (King), we all volunteer at this group called HOMEAustin.org and what we do is make sure musicians 55 and older in and around Austin get to stay in their homes and that’s the hardest thing if you’ve ever experienced homelessness is getting out of the system, to have the dignity of having your own home again.”
Unfortunately, she knows of what she speaks. Through a snafu with a landlord early in her career, Wonderland found herself living in her van for an extended stretch.
“It turns out when you’re poor, everything is exponentially more expensive than if you’re not. If you’ve got to go to the bathroom, that costs money. If you need a drink of water, that costs money. It took about two years and I definitely don’t want other people to have to be in that situation because it’s a waste of time. I can’t believe we don’t look out for each other. Until we, as a society, can take care of each other, that’s why groups like HOME exist. We will continue to plug away.”
This is an artist who has known the blues and come out the other side. The Austin Music Hall of Famer has had fun along the way and reached peaks that few can match. She was the lead guitarist in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, a position of great honor (they once did 50 shows in 60 days in 19 countries). She has played with Levon Helm, Bonnie Raitt, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Bob Dylan is a fan. She has opened for B.B. King, The Allman Brothers Band, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, Buddy Miles, and many others. She has appeared at many major blues festivals and cruises.
Her 2021 Alligator Records album Tempting Fate was a strong effort and a blues hit. Her eighth solo album, the just-released Truth Is, has matched it. Both albums were expertly produced by Dave Alvin, who also contributes some arrangements, songwriting, and instrumentation. Ten of the 12 songs are originals. Wonderland has found her voice, literally and figuratively. The songs are memorable, stylistically diverse, and meet the moment. “After so many years of getting better, I think I finally sound a bit more like myself and more comfortable in my skin doing it”. Her work garnered a Blues Music Award nomination this year for Contemporary Blues Female Artist.
Wonderland is on an extended tour that will take her through the New York/New Jersey region in late May. Gigs include May 29 at The Falcon in Marlboro, NY, May 30 at Iridium in New York, and a May 31 show specifically for the campers at Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, NJ.
Carolyn Wonderland – Sooner or Later:
Carolyn Wonderland – It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry:
Carolyn Wonderland with John Mayall – Open Eyes:
Carolyn Wonderland with Bonnie Raitt – Ain’t Nobody’s Fault But Mine:
