DEANA CARTER plays The Coach House Apr. 29; press photo
Deana Carter could have been content to bask in the glow of her father’s storied Nashville career industry legend, Fred Carter Jr., who collaborated with Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, Simon & Garfunkel, and Joan Baez to name a few. Instead, Carter forged her own path to stardom, changing the country music landscape with her 1996 debut album Did I Shave My Legs for This?, a country-crossover mega-hit that went five-times platinum, and yielded a Grammy nomination for the single “Strawberry Wine.” Since then, Carter has recorded several albums, including 2013’s Southern Way of Life, and continues to tour. Catch her at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Apr 29.
Calling from her hotel in Nashville, Carter is audibly devastated by the news that Fort Nashborough, a historic stockade she would often visit, is being demolished.
“Will someone please tell me what the HELL happened to FORT NASHBOROUGH?” Carter tweeted.
“Could you not incorporate the original freaking building? What is wrong with you people???”
As we discuss Carter’s Nashville roots and her attempts to connect her LA-raised son to them, she can’t help but get emotional about the changing landscape, “I’m tearing up right now talking about it.”
Clearly, roots and a sense of time-honored place are important to Carter, something she has consistently incorporated into her career, most recently with the establishment of Little Nugget Records. A charming homage to her father’s label, Nugget, a Nashville institution that both her parents put their heart and soul into.
“Our lives revolved around it,” she says warmly.
Fond memories of watching her father passionately work with artists continue to make an impression on Carter.
“He helped out a lot of people. You had to be good, but he really believed in people.”
Southern Way of Life features some of her most personal songwriting to date. Songs like “Do or Die” and “Before You Left” are poignant ruminations on experiences from Carter’s own life, which likes to use songwriting as a kind of therapy.
“I was a stroke and head injury therapist, that’s what I went to school for,” Carter explained.
“I used music with patients and I’ve seen it work wonders. Music and songs to me are medicine. I don’t journal. The idea of journaling makes me want to scratch my eyes out, if you can believe it. My songs are my journals.”
Another standout on the album is the title track, a clever reworking of Southern phrases and idioms, a playful sendup up to the place where Carter’s heart truly lies. She is undoubtedly proud of where she comes from, laughing when asked what the most Southern thing about her is.
“Besides my dialect, probably my moral compass,” Carter admitted.
“I’ve swung it all around over the years [laughs], but I’m rooted in those values. Working hard, sticking to your word, handshake deals.”
A true southern belle, Carter is sweet and gracious with her honey-dipped drawl and self-deprecating nature, downplaying her influence on country music. The truth is, the through-line that began with Carter’s unique mix of country, rock, and pop in 1996 can be traced down to superstars of today like Carrie Underwood and even Taylor Swift, an observation that Carter is both surprised by and nothing but grateful for.
“Not a lot of people make that connection, so thank you for saying that,” Carter said.
“I may not be as out in the limelight as someone like Sheryl Crow, but I’m so happy and proud to have had any kind of hand in it.”
Despite her graciousness, it’s inarguable that Carter has been around industry heavyweights since she was a kid, rubbing elbows with the likes of Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. When asked who would still make her star-struck, Carter becomes endearingly bashful, answering immediately.
“Tom Petty. That’s my dream collaboration. I was at one of his shows and I remember just wanting to run up on the stage and hug him.”
Carter brings this sweet enthusiasm to her own shows, singing songs, telling stories and savoring her time with the crowd. Fans can expect a career-spanning set with an emphasis on her first album, and maybe even some 70’s rock covers.
“I still like to get up there and rock, I’m just a lot more sore the next day.”