Music
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Carrie On
Versatility and complexity lift sing-songwriter Carrie Webber’s sound above the ordinary.
By Jay Upchurch
Ask Carrie Webber to provide an exact definition of her music, and she readily admits it’s difficult. It’s not that the Oklahoma City-based singer-songwriter has formulated some new genre, but more about her sound being a wildly eclectic mix of influences and her own unique style all rolled into one.
Webber is part rock, part pop, part folk and part blues, with a little funk and country thrown in. Her evolution as a performer has been marked by success as both a solo artist and lead singer for different bands, and according to at least one well-respected local musician source, Webber is the real deal.
“All I know is whatever Carrie decides to sing – no matter what type of music- she has the versatility and the voice to do it and do it well,” said Charlie Rayl, a longtime music instructor who has partnered with Webber to perform and write songs sing 2003. “I’ve worked with some pretty talented singers over the years, and I can honestly say no one is better than Carrie. What she can do vocally is absolutely amazing.”
At 29, the Davis native admits she is too old to be a pop idol, but that is not going to stop her from pursuing her dreams.
“I suppose compared to a lot of people in this business, I’m still a newcomer. One thing I am always trying to do is grow as an artist, and I’ve been so fortunate to be surrounded by so many great influences,” explained Webber, who cut her musical teeth with the band Hurricane Jane (2002-03) after giving up her day job as a public relations specialist.
“It took a while for me to build the confidence to do this, but there is no turning back now,” she said. “It’s what I do, and I’m passionate about it.”
In 2006, Webber released her first independent solo album (“This Time”), as well as a new CD (“forever and six conversations…”) with her band ReVeL. While earning critical acclaim on the local music scene, the two projects perfectly showcase the versatility Webber possesses: from a softer, pop-folk side to the more electric, upbeat effort of ReVeL.
Lately, she has done shows with guitarist Mitch Bell and will partner with longtime friend and former Hurricane Jane band mate Sarah Wilhite for some gigs this spring.
“Getting a chance to play with so many great musicians and people I respect, I feel so fortunate,” said Webber, who points to the unrelenting support of her husband, Jess, as a key to her continued success. “I love to perform. It’s all therapy to me.”
Having watched Webber come into her own over the last few years, Rayl believes the sky is the limit for the musician.
“Carrie is one of those one-in-a-million girls, not only because she has an enormous amount of talent both as a singer and songwriter, but because she has such a great heart,” he said. “I honestly believe she has a great future in music.”
Oklahoma Gazette
February 14, 2007
- Jay Upchurch, The Oklahoma Gazette
Carrie Webber's splendidly evocative voice is hardened steel wrapped in summery silk - a prairie flower whose subtle acoustic compositions feel like sitting on a porch during a spring rainstorm, cozy and familiar. Formerly of Hurricane Jane fame, Webber has completed her debut solo effort, "This Time," a collection of 10 songs with an assist from her cohort Charlie Rayl, who also produced the disc.
From the wistful "Wishes" to the stormy "She Cries," Webber relies upon spare instrumentation - little more than acoustic guitar, dobro, piano and the odd string quartet - to sketch these fleeting vignettes. Raw with emotion and addictively propulsive, Webber's work here runs the gamut and marks her as a local singer/songwriter to keep tabs on.
Check out myspace.com/carriewebber for more information. - Preston Jones - Oklahoma Gazette
Carrie Webber's splendidly evocative voice is hardened steel wrapped in summery silk - a prairie flower whose subtle acoustic compositions feel like sitting on a porch during a spring rainstorm, cozy and familiar. Formerly of Hurricane Jane fame, Webber has completed her debut solo effort, "This Time," a collection of 10 songs with an assist from her cohort Charlie Rayl, who also produced the disc.
From the wistful "Wishes" to the stormy "She Cries," Webber relies upon spare instrumentation - little more than acoustic guitar, dobro, piano and the odd string quartet - to sketch these fleeting vignettes. Raw with emotion and addictively propulsive, Webber's work here runs the gamut and marks her as a local singer/songwriter to keep tabs on.
Check out myspace.com/carriewebber for more information. - Preston Jones - Oklahoma Gazette
by Danny Marroquin
March 02, 2006
During a rehearsal break while the sun goes down on Charlie Rayl’s wide College Avenue porch, the admiration between him and vocalist Carrie Webber doesn’t wane with the light.
“I don’t think there’s a better voice in Oklahoma period,” Rayl said.
Rayl, who has owned and operated Charlile Rayl Music Lessons for almost 30 years, adopted Webber like one of his students and used his musical versatility to shape what he said is her strongest solo material to date.
Rayl and Webber will release Webber’s CD with a performance at Othello’s.
“It’s home base,” Webber said.
The record is in the same musical vein as Oklahoma City songwriters Chamille Harp and Lisa Curl because Webber’s lyrics are brought to life by smooth vocals and a whiff of country with Rayl’s guitar/harmonica punch.
Webber admitted she’s spread herself thin with her vocal work: she sings in the more funk/jazz-oriented Revel.
“Just being involved in music, I think, opens you up to seeking music out that’s not exactly on the radio,” Webber said.
Seeking is exactly what Rayl did with the Webber collaboration. Rayl said he was one of many stray admirers left over from Webber’s more rollicking days in Hurricane Jane, a Norman/Oklahoma City rock band which toured the region and attracted a strong following.
“I got lucky,” Rayl said. “I had had a hard time trying to find her and I saw Hurricane Jane’s ex-sound guy at [Brook Mays,] and I asked him if I could get Carrie’s number. He said, ‘lots of guys want Carrie’s number.’ But he gave it to me and told me to wait a day to call her so he could tell her, ‘I gave some guy your phone number.’”
The phone call connected and Webber and Rayl worked from Webber’s notebook of 30 songs, a number that keeps growing.
With each of Webber’s tracks the lyrics came first and Rayl laid down the instrumentation with the help of friends. The record was recorded in a few days at Joe Skinner’s outhouse-style studio.
“We found a great way to write songs,” Webber said.
Though the Oklahoma music scene is far from thriving, Webber said she still returned here from New York to be with family.
Othello’s has been home to the bulk of Rayl and Webber’s collaborative efforts. All summer they played Fridays in the wine room to cover requests and good times — sometimes sprinkling touches of their own material.
“It takes a long time to start a draw with musicgoers in a crowd,” Webber said. “For original music there are so few places that don’t already have their bands. But I love doing what I’m doing. It’s still there. I feel so fortunate. We have real faithful people there [at Othello’s].” - OU Daily
by Danny Marroquin
March 02, 2006
During a rehearsal break while the sun goes down on Charlie Rayl’s wide College Avenue porch, the admiration between him and vocalist Carrie Webber doesn’t wane with the light.
“I don’t think there’s a better voice in Oklahoma period,” Rayl said.
Rayl, who has owned and operated Charlile Rayl Music Lessons for almost 30 years, adopted Webber like one of his students and used his musical versatility to shape what he said is her strongest solo material to date.
Rayl and Webber will release Webber’s CD with a performance at Othello’s.
“It’s home base,” Webber said.
The record is in the same musical vein as Oklahoma City songwriters Chamille Harp and Lisa Curl because Webber’s lyrics are brought to life by smooth vocals and a whiff of country with Rayl’s guitar/harmonica punch.
Webber admitted she’s spread herself thin with her vocal work: she sings in the more funk/jazz-oriented Revel.
“Just being involved in music, I think, opens you up to seeking music out that’s not exactly on the radio,” Webber said.
Seeking is exactly what Rayl did with the Webber collaboration. Rayl said he was one of many stray admirers left over from Webber’s more rollicking days in Hurricane Jane, a Norman/Oklahoma City rock band which toured the region and attracted a strong following.
“I got lucky,” Rayl said. “I had had a hard time trying to find her and I saw Hurricane Jane’s ex-sound guy at [Brook Mays,] and I asked him if I could get Carrie’s number. He said, ‘lots of guys want Carrie’s number.’ But he gave it to me and told me to wait a day to call her so he could tell her, ‘I gave some guy your phone number.’”
The phone call connected and Webber and Rayl worked from Webber’s notebook of 30 songs, a number that keeps growing.
With each of Webber’s tracks the lyrics came first and Rayl laid down the instrumentation with the help of friends. The record was recorded in a few days at Joe Skinner’s outhouse-style studio.
“We found a great way to write songs,” Webber said.
Though the Oklahoma music scene is far from thriving, Webber said she still returned here from New York to be with family.
Othello’s has been home to the bulk of Rayl and Webber’s collaborative efforts. All summer they played Fridays in the wine room to cover requests and good times — sometimes sprinkling touches of their own material.
“It takes a long time to start a draw with musicgoers in a crowd,” Webber said. “For original music there are so few places that don’t already have their bands. But I love doing what I’m doing. It’s still there. I feel so fortunate. We have real faithful people there [at Othello’s].” - OU Daily
Discography
Hurricane Jane: Today (2003)
This Time (2006)
ReVeL: forever and six conversations... (2006)
Photos
Bio
Raised around music her entire life, Carrie Webber began her love affair with music at the young age of five. Performing for school, church, local television shows, local theater groups, and local festivals, Carrie began honing her vocal skills while growing up in a small Oklahoma town.
With a classically trained pianist and country western singer as a mother, Carrie was surrounded by a wide variety of music. She grew up listening to her parents’ old records and reel-to-reel collections of country, Motown, Broadway, and classic rock. It comes to no surprise to Carrie that the influences in her songwriting run the gamut.
At 25 Carrie decided to take her chances with music professionally by joining forces with Oklahoma band, Hurricane Jane in 2002. During her time with Hurricane Jane, the band toured throughout Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Kansas, averaging four to five shows a week for two years. Three years into the project, the band went separate ways, and Carrie began new projects with various musicians in the area.
Today, Carrie performs and writes in four different projects, her rock band, ReVeL, which released its debut album in 2006 titled “forever and six conversations…”, and three acoustic projects. Her acoustic project with guitarist Charlie Rayl allowed Carrie to pen her first solo album titled “This Time,” in 2006 and received rave reviews throughout the area.
In 2007, Carrie is playing two to three nights a week, touring with her band, as well as with her newest project with violinist, Sarah Wilhite, where Carrie is experimenting with her guitar playing and songwriting skills in a more eclectic atmosphere.
The intriguing mix of influences in Carrie’s voice leave people at a loss many times on how to describe her sound. Names such as Sheryl Crow and Nikka Costa have been heard as well as occasional comparisons to Joss Stone or Eva Cassidy – depending on the environment people catch Carrie performing.
Carrie has a deep passion for music that keeps her pursuing her dream day after day. The joy of creating music and doing what she loves for a living keep her energized and ready for whatever may come her way. Look for new music from Carrie in 2007 as well as tour dates throughout the south and southwest.
Past performances:
Colorado Music Summit, Denver Colorado
Diversafest, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Bricktown 4th of July, Oklahoma City, OK
Bricktown St. Patrick's Day, Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma City Arts Festival, Oklahoma City, OK
Venues throughout Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Arkansas, Colorado and Tennessee.
Links
