Austin-based singer-songcrafter/upright bassist Melissa Carper will join JD McPherson’s upcoming “Socks: A Rock & Roll Christmas” Tour, a run of 14 dates that kicks off in Louisville, Kentucky, on December 4.
“It’s a dream come true to be opening for my friend JD McPherson on his annual Christmas tour,” Carper says. “JD encouraged me a couple of years ago to record a Christmas album; he told me how fun it is to write Christmas songs, and I’ve taken that advice to heart! This tour is going to be a blast and, I’m sure, the best holiday season I have had in years.”
Rolling Stone Country has praised Carper’s writing and style, saying she sounds like a “voice from a bygone era.” Dubbed “Hillbillie Holiday” by friend and frequent collaborator Chris Scruggs, Carper has an instinctive sense for storytelling, both observant and intuitive.
As with the message of her latest LP, 2024’s Borned In Ya (Mae Music/Thirty Tigers), these traits have been sharpened by life experiences and the many turns of her career. Carper’s deep, old-timey music roots were firmly planted as a child, playing upright bass and singing in her family’s traveling country band in rural Nebraska. Her love of country classics was cultivated as she lay beneath the console listening to her parents’ record collection. Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, and more became the soundtrack of her youth. When Carper’s father gifted her a collection of Jimmie Rodgers’ recordings, she began to find her voice and calling as a songwriter.
As a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, she spent much of her time in the music library, instinctively drawn to the great jazz classics and jazz vocalists such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole. She also discovered Lead Belly, uncovering a deep well within when singing his songs. Carper stands firmly on the shoulders of American ramblers, crooners, and songsters; you’ll hear all of these influences in the music she has made over the years as a member of numerous touring acts and as an internationally recognized solo performer.
Carper’s Daddy’s Country Gold (2021) and Ramblin’ Soul (2022) both received strong critical praise for their seamless blend of vintage styles and her warm, distinctive vocals. Borned In Ya built on that journey and cemented Carper’s reputation as one of today’s most compelling and authentic voices in roots music.
SOCKS: A ROCK & ROLL CHRISTMAS TOUR DATES
12/4 – Louisville, KY – Headliners
12/5 – Nashville, TN – Basement East
12/6 – Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle
12/7 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
12/9 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
12/10 – Baltimore MD – Ottobar
12/11 – Wilmington, DE – Arden Gild Hall
12/12 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
12/13 – Rochester, NY – Temple Theatre
12/14 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
12/16 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Music Hall
12/17 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
12/19 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
12/20 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
