Two beloved acts have come together for a small but heartfelt release. Five-time Grammy winner Mary Chapin Carpenter has unveiled a two-song collaboration with John Darnielle’s acclaimed indie folk band The Mountain Goats, out now via Cadmean Dawn. The EP pairs two cherished covers: “Put the Message in the Box” by World Party and “Migrations” by Christine Fellows. Both tracks are available digitally now, with a limited-edition 7″ vinyl, pressed in Tar and Clear variants, up for pre-order.
The collaboration grew out of a long friendship. “John Darnielle and I have been friends for many years now, he’s been a dedicated correspondent and ally in all topics connected to song writing, recording, touring and the balancing act that a life involving these pursuits requires,” said Carpenter. “To have collaborated on these two favorite songs with John and the Mountain Goats has been a joy and a gift, joining our voices, singing these words from other favorite artists, and feeling the music deeply.”
Darnielle was just as enthusiastic. “I’ve looked up to Mary Chapin Carpenter for half my life. Getting to know her over the past few years has been such a pure pleasure, so when she asked about doing a split single where we pick songs to cover and help each other out on the effort, what could we say but ‘hell yes’?” he said. “Mary Chapin picked a World Party song I’ve always loved and I picked out a Christine Fellows song I can barely sing without crying. But I did it! Matt arranged it!”
The release was produced and engineered by Matt Douglas at his studio in Raleigh, North Carolina, mixed and mastered by Chris Boerner, with Carpenter’s vocals recorded at Bias Studios in Springfield, Virginia, by engineer Bob Dawson. The 7″ runs an exclusive 500 copies of each color.
The EP follows Carpenter’s 2025 album ‘Personal History,’ which drew acclaim from Americana Highways, Music Row, UNCUT, and more, with The Arts Desk naming it the year’s best and calling Carpenter “a rare treasure.” She toured the record alongside fellow Grammy winner Brandy Clark, with stops at New York’s Town Hall, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and the Newport Folk Festival. This summer, she joins American Tunes: Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing alongside Rhiannon Giddens, Mavis Staples, and Hurray for the Riff Raff, a run of outdoor shows beginning June 26 in Seattle.
EP Tracklist:
Side A: Put the Message in the Box (Karl Wallinger)
Side B: Migrations (Christine Fellows)
Mary Chapin Carpenter Live:
June 26 – Seattle, WA @ Venue TBA
June 27 – Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater
July 30 – Bentonville, AR @ The Momentary
August 1 – Asheville, NC @ Hellbender by The Orange Peel
August 2 – Pelham, TN @ The Caverns Outdoor Amphitheater