Mary Chapin Carpenter – Personal History LP

Mary Chapin Carpenter – Personal History

Carpenter's 17th album "Personal History" was produced by Josh Kaufman (Bob Weir, The National) of Bonny Light Horseman and recorded live at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios in Bath, England. On the eleven tracks, Carpenter presents a series of songs that are more autobiographical than any collection before.

Carpenter says: "A novel I've loved for years is 'My Name is Lucy Barton' by Elizabeth Strout. There's this scene where the main character is taking a creative writing class, and her teacher says to her, 'You're only going to have one story. You're going to write your one story in many ways.' I remember reading that line and audibly catching my breath. In that moment, I said out loud without anyone, 'Oh, that's what the songs are about."

Carpenter, one of the "most reliable and insightful songwriters" (Pitchfork), has sold over 17 million records during her successful career. With hits like "Down At The Twist And Shout" and "He Thinks He'll Keep Her," she has won five Grammy Awards (out of 18 nominations), two CMA Awards and two ACM Awards, is one of only 22 female members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and received the 2023 ACM Honors Poet's Award.

Carpenter's latest solo recording, 2021's "One Night Lonely (Live)," was nominated for Best Folk Album at the 65th Grammy Awards - exactly 30 years after her very first nomination. The album, a rare solo performance, was recorded at the legendary Wolf Trap in Virginia and features songs from across her celebrated career, including from her last solo studio album 'The Dirt And The Stars'.

Most recently, Carpenter released "Looking For The Thread", a collaborative album with legendary Scottish folk stars and songwriters Karine Polwart and Julie Fowlis. Folk Alley describes the album, which was released to great acclaim, as "a collection of warm, introspective and breathtakingly beautiful songs... Their beauty and warmth touch our souls deeply, and each song is a multi-faceted gem of love and hope". Music Row calls the project "enchanting" and The Arts Desk declares, "It's only January, but this is an album of the year ... a class act, heartfelt and beautifully crafted."

In addition to her work as a musician, Carpenter unveiled her new podcast "Hope is a Muscle" last fall, in which she speaks with people from all walks of life, including Joan Baez, Adriene Mishler, John Darnielle and U.S. Congressman Jamie Raskin. During its run, the podcast was in the top 5 music podcasts on both Apple and Spotify. Previously, Carpenter released the three-part audio liner notes podcast "One Story" with American poet Sarah Kay in 2020.

Tracklist:
1 What Did You Miss 4:59
2 Paint + Turpentine 3:39
3 New Religion 4:22
4 Girl And Her Dog 4:59
5 The Saving Things 4:53
6 Hello My Name Is 6:09
7 Bitter Ender 3:28
8 The Night We Never Met 3:31
9 Home Is A Song 4:06
10 Say It Anyway 3:42
11 Coda 4:47

Label: Lambent Light Records 
Released: 2025