We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marcedes Carroll a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Marcedes, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Yes, I am currently making a full-time living from my creative work! However, these last few years are the most successful I have found after seriously pursuing singing, songwriting & performing for 8 years.

Growing up in Montana, I began playing guitar & learning songs when I was 16, then tried to write my own when I was 19. I slowly started playing out at local businesses in my college town (Moscow, Idaho) & my hometown (Belgrade/Bozeman, Montana) with a garage band. We would personally knock on business doors to ask if we could play music for their establishment.

During this same time, I began volunteering at a studio in Bozeman called Live From the Divide. My volunteer work slowly turned into a job & ultimately into the best music craft, sound & business education I could have asked for. This is where I recorded my first record & learned an immense amount from the process from mentors Jason Wickens & Doc Wiley.

In 2021, I decided to travel the country playing music as much as I could. I met so many amazing folks along the way that taught me a great deal about playing & performing in different parts of the country. It was a special time. I travelled down Utah into Arizona, across New Mexico into Texas, then through the deep South down to the Florida Keys. Eventually I made my way up the East Coast to Upstate New York to visit my co-writing friend & mentor Jennifer Schmidtt before returning home to work in my home state again.

Back home I was able to record my debut album with incredible local musicians & friends. “We Lost Track of the Stars,” is out now & doing great around the country!

I don’t think I would have been interested in speeding up the process because all of this time to learn & develop, I believe, set me on a strong foundation for a future in the music business.

Marcedes, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hello, my name is Marcedes Carroll & I am a Northern gal. I grew up in a small town & am a country girl. I have worked tirelessly to make a living from making art & am still very much on the journey!

I am a songwriter, singer/performer & I love to record music. My music derives from a lot of time spent in nature & solitude as well as in a music studio.

Singing as I grew up & learning guitar at 16 was my start into this passion. I wrote, sang & played through college before beginning volunteer work at a local studio. The volunteer work soon turned into a job. Since then, I have developed a business & relationships throughout the state, region & country in order to record, write & perform.

Something I feel sets me apart in this industry is my approach to recording. With technology these days, I feel a lot of music is becoming too computerized & missing the important aspect of capturing the human connection through music. Because of this, I decided to record my debut full length album “We Lost Track of the Stars,” live in the studio!

Of course some post production edits happen but the band (Ethan Decker drums, Jason Uhlmann bass, Ric Steinke pedal steel, Mike Koziel keys, Jackson Holte lead guitar & Scott Davis, producer) & I recorded 12 songs live in 4 days. We then captured three part background harmony around a single microphone. This set us up to truly listen to one another & to feel the music we were creating together. Another fun aspect of recording this latest record is that the band & I did not rehearse the songs prior to recording. Each member did their own individual work & the songs came to life in the studio. It was magic!

There are many ways to record & to each his own, but I do believe this makes for a beautiful capture & can set an album or a piece of work apart.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Buy the ticket & take the ride! It really comes down to person on person interaction! A lot of independent artists make their living performing. If they have some merch, buy it!

It truly takes a village for most music endeavors to work & therefore everyone has to be a team player. For example, festivals & specialized shows take a team of people to accomplish. However, if we don’t have fans & society to come to the events, there is an entire piece of the village missing & it just doesn’t work.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Performing around the country, I have played to over 500 people & I have played for a single bartender. I think some of the best advice I have received is that every action is merely a brick building your career & you can’t sweat the small stuff. Also, don’t be an asshole. It’s a small world & community, therefore don’t let your ego burn bridges!

You will hear the word “no,” a lot, or unfortunately personal criticisms but that stuff has to be thrown out of your mind.

Sometimes I have wanted to quit because it could seem like you’re working so hard for nothing! My days working in the studio were long & hard, but if I hadn’t stuck with it I would have missed out on so many learning opportunities. I believe staying strong & picking yourself up during the most hopeless times are going to be what makes a career happen! That & leaning into your community!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.marcedescarroll.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcedescarrollmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcedescarrollmusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHAxGbWzhauTKJaCj3SxzDg/videos

Image Credits
All photos are by Madyline Braught Photography.