In an era of strategically spaced singles and algorithm-driven release schedules, Carla Muller is doing something audacious: she’s releasing two complete albums on the same day. ‘In Between’ and ‘Paper Stars’, both out now via Canterbury Music Company, represent a creative floodgate opened—a songwriter unwilling to wait any longer to share the stories she’s been carrying for years. This double release defies conventional music industry wisdom, but for Muller, the decision reflects an artistic urgency that couldn’t be contained by typical rollout strategies. Based in Woolwich, Ontario, Muller spent years balancing family life with a lifelong dream to share her music with the world. It wasn’t until 2020 that she began recording at Canterbury Music Company, working alongside veteran engineers Jeremy Darby and Julian Decorte and collaborating with Canadian heavyweights like Jason Fowler, Mark Lalama, Nathan Hiltz, and Gary Craig. “I write from my heart, for the people I love, and for myself—past and present,” Muller explains.
‘In Between’ opens with “Hold The Door,” a masterclass in narrative songwriting co-written with Scott Metcalfe that captures the lightning-bolt moment Muller’s parents met sixty years ago—a story involving borrowed heels, a wing-tipped automobile, and 1960s chivalry. Anchored by Metcalfe’s piano and coloured with Chris Quinn’s banjo and Drew Jurecka’s violin, the song moves from literal to metaphorical, using the “door” as a symbol for life’s transitions: “The day they first met he drove her home / In her pretty bright blue dress and borrowed heels” and “The wolf’s done kicked it in, so let’s all dance across the floor / ‘Cause we can’t hold the door anymore.” The inspiration came from observing her parents’ six-decade marriage, ultimately becoming a meditation on “a life well-lived” and the realization that the most beautiful moments happen when we stop trying to hold the door against time’s inevitable changes.
‘Paper Stars’ reveals a different dimension of Muller’s emotional landscape. “Too Much To Ask” examines teenage heartbreak through the lens of middle-aged wisdom, written at forty-three about a love that consumed her at sixteen: “All that I ask / Is that you love me for tonight / But all I ever wanted / Was you to love me for all time / Is that too much to ask?” The emotional centrepiece arrives with “Beautiful Day,” a tribute to her friend and musical collaborator Sean Cunnington, who passed away in 2020. The song emerged unexpectedly one morning after Muller feared she might never write again: “I woke up this morning with a song in my head / I just had to call you up to say / I’m on my way, just getting out of bed / And it’s gonna be another beautiful day.”
The dual album release strategy reflects Muller’s unconventional career path and her priorities as an artist. She doesn’t tour, stating: “I would be giving up the very thing I’m always writing about—family, friends and home if I did that. Home is where the magic happens—that’s where the stories flow from. I also need to stay close to my parents, family and my new grandson. I don’t want to miss a single moment.” Rather than spacing releases for maximum commercial impact, she’s chosen to share both bodies of work simultaneously, trusting listeners to engage with the music on their own terms.
The albums showcase Muller’s range as a storyteller, moving seamlessly between generations and emotional registers. ‘In Between’ explores family legacy, resilience, and the passage of time, while ‘Paper Stars’ delves into personal memory, romantic intensity, and creative grief. Together, they present a songwriter at the height of her powers, unafraid to be vulnerable and unwilling to compromise her vision for industry convention.
. Notably, Muller continues her philanthropic commitment, with 50% of proceeds from sales and streams of the track “We’ll Be Alright” directly benefitting the Food Bank of Waterloo Region, and 25% of all CD and vinyl sales of ‘In Between’ also supporting FBWR. In a world that often feels like “nothing would ever be the same again,” Muller’s music argues that as long as we have these stories, we’ll be all right.