Luray

Washington, DC-based band Luray has stepped gracefully into the world of indie folk with this debut album. 'The Wilder' is a family affair, the brainchild of singer-songwriter Shannon Carey (banjo, ukulele, and vocals) and produced by her brother Sean Carey (of S. Carey and Bon Iver), who also contributed musically on keyboard, percussion, vocals and vibes. As you may expect from a sibling collaborative, the songs feel warm and personal. The title track gently guides the listener through soft, ethereal keyboard and bowed bass, accented by Shannon's beautifully droning vocals, with a burst of banjo, absent for the majority of the song, introduced only in the last minute, at the tail end of a slow, atmospheric swell. The rest of the album is much more banjo-heavy moving through a progression of elegant compositions that showcase Shannon's songwriting versatility, including the bittersweet folk in "What Becomes" and "Luray," upbeat country in "Crying" and the incredibly catchy "Kalorama," stirring dark folk in "Promise of Lakes," and the charming ukulele tune "Already There." - Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Dec 2013

Named after a small Virgina town near the Shenandoah Mountains, Luray is the Americana-folk namesake of banjo-playing D.C. singer/songwriter Shannon Carey but her debut album The Wilder (August 27) is definitely a collaborative family affair. The project was recorded in Eau Clair, Wisconsin with Carey's brother Sean -- of S. Carey and Bon Iver -- in the producer's chair, brother Colin on vibes and drums and Shannon's husband Gabriel Wisniewski on electric guitar. The result is an exquisite collection of post-bluegrass Americana and chamber folk that is both delicately refined and, thanks to the prominence of Carey's rich banjo backing, unpretentiously rustic. "What Becomes" is one of The Wilder's best tracks, a gentle acoustic hymn with a sublime melody and multi-layered vocals reminiscent of Brian Wilson at his most pastoral. Click through to stream "Kalorama" and watch a few live videos. - Direct Current Music

Luray is the project of Washington, D.C. singer, songwriter and banjo player Shannon Carey – sister to Sean Carey, whom you might know from Bon Iver. Possibly drawing its name from a town in the Shenandoah Valley famed for its geological attractions, Luray is very earthy and organic in sound, with spacious keyboard soundscapes and electronic pop undercurrents blending with warm vocals and acoustic instrumentation. Produced by Carey’s brother, and recorded with her husband Gabriel Wisniewski on guitar and her other brother Colin on drums, Luray’s debut The Wilder, self-released last week, recalls The Innocence Mission’s Glow, Sarah McLachlan’s Solace, and Bon Iver’s Blood Bank with maybe a touch of Grizzly Bear. The band performs in Philadelphia tomorrow night at The Tin Angel; tickets are available here. For today’s My Morning Download, we bring you the introspective title track; hear it below, and stream two other tracks from the album via Bandcamp. - WXPN Philly

If you think of banjos and the kinds of music they are used in, you would be forgiven for conjuring images of sweaty hillbillies in dirty chequered shirts and denim jeans torn at the knee, picking dixie dittys between swigs of moonshine bourbon and singing slurred songs about how their woman has left them. It’s an image perhaps synonymous with the banjo sound. But this summer, one indie folk outfit have reinvented the wheel and given the banjo a modern facelift.

Luray are a quintet fronted by Shannon Carey who plays the aforementioned banjo. For those recognising the surname you would indeed be right: she is the sister of Bon Iver’s Sean Carey who helped produce the album. However don’t be fooled into thinking she is trading off the name. What Shannon Carey has created with Luray is her own sound and her own identity.

The simple fact of the matter is that no one out there is playing banjo led indie at all, let alone banjo led ethereal indie. They describe it as ‘atmospheric bluegrass’ which is probably about right.

The opening title track with its slowly soaring synth lines creates a gloriously serene backdrop before the gentle plucking of Carey’s banjo leads the charge. It is tantamount to the style of the whole album itself, and it works a treat.

Crucially the folk influences haven’t been left behind, and there are teases and snippets of the traditional sound, but all swathed in a forlorn air of character and epic majesty. This is none more evident than on Promise of Lakes which you expect to launch into a full on assault of finger pickin’ good Americana before it is all brought back down into a gorgeous swaying tune conjuring images of early morning strolls on the shores of misty lakes in forgotten corners of the world. It’s lovely stuff.

The only downside is Carey’s vocals which lack clarity, and at times make it difficult to decipher her lyrics, which is a shame considering the music lends itself to some poetical stories of love and loss rather well. She can sing, and her voice is wonderful, but it’s a little muffled.

There can be no doubt that what Luray are doing is entirely their own, and have achieved that ‘Chamber Americana’ sound they are gunning for with real gusto. There may indeed be no other band doing more for reinventing traditional folk sounds to a modern audience right now, which, given that this is their debut release is even more impressive. Hopefully this will be a sign of things to come. - CultureFly UK

If you think of banjos and the kinds of music they are used in, you would be forgiven for conjuring images of sweaty hillbillies in dirty chequered shirts and denim jeans torn at the knee, picking dixie dittys between swigs of moonshine bourbon and singing slurred songs about how their woman has left them. It’s an image perhaps synonymous with the banjo sound. But this summer, one indie folk outfit have reinvented the wheel and given the banjo a modern facelift.

Luray are a quintet fronted by Shannon Carey who plays the aforementioned banjo. For those recognising the surname you would indeed be right: she is the sister of Bon Iver’s Sean Carey who helped produce the album. However don’t be fooled into thinking she is trading off the name. What Shannon Carey has created with Luray is her own sound and her own identity.

The simple fact of the matter is that no one out there is playing banjo led indie at all, let alone banjo led ethereal indie. They describe it as ‘atmospheric bluegrass’ which is probably about right.

The opening title track with its slowly soaring synth lines creates a gloriously serene backdrop before the gentle plucking of Carey’s banjo leads the charge. It is tantamount to the style of the whole album itself, and it works a treat.

Crucially the folk influences haven’t been left behind, and there are teases and snippets of the traditional sound, but all swathed in a forlorn air of character and epic majesty. This is none more evident than on Promise of Lakes which you expect to launch into a full on assault of finger pickin’ good Americana before it is all brought back down into a gorgeous swaying tune conjuring images of early morning strolls on the shores of misty lakes in forgotten corners of the world. It’s lovely stuff.

The only downside is Carey’s vocals which lack clarity, and at times make it difficult to decipher her lyrics, which is a shame considering the music lends itself to some poetical stories of love and loss rather well. She can sing, and her voice is wonderful, but it’s a little muffled.

There can be no doubt that what Luray are doing is entirely their own, and have achieved that ‘Chamber Americana’ sound they are gunning for with real gusto. There may indeed be no other band doing more for reinventing traditional folk sounds to a modern audience right now, which, given that this is their debut release is even more impressive. Hopefully this will be a sign of things to come. - CultureFly UK

Haunting, ephemeral, and just a little rustic, Luray’s banjo and vibe-infused folk is a little hard to categorize. Maybe atmospheric bluegrass? Chamber Americana? Named for a small town in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Luray stirringly evokes the “tall grass, wildflowers, and rolling green hills” that songwriter Shannon Carey says inspired much of the album. No shock that Bon Iver’s own S. Carey—who is also Shannon’s brother—was sitting in the producer’s chair. The Wilder will be available August 27.

Listen: "Promise of Lakes" by Luray



Read more: http://www.utne.com/utne-reader-music-sampler.aspx#ixzz2ZN7zn6fA - Utne Reader

Banjo-toting District songstress Shannon Carey might have named her band, Luray, after the tiny Shenandoah Valley town, but she reaches beyond the simplistic nature of old-time mountain songs, mixing them with undertones of indie rock experimentation.

On Luray’s debut album, “The Wilder,” the standouts are Carey’s radiant voice, which fluctuates between soothing and soaring, and her melodic banjo strumming. Beneath the surface, though, keyboard layers, subtle electric riffs and well-placed echoes set the mood.

The opening title track and subsequent “What Becomes” are sparse and dreamy, carrying emotional fragility and minimalism reminiscent of Bon Iver’s “For Emma, Forever Ago.” A common thread is production by Carey’s brother Sean, a member of Bon Iver, who undoubtedly helped give “The Wilder” its ethereal glaze.

But Shannon Carey has a background in bluegrass, so she veers the album toward the traditional. “Kalorama,” a country-hued pop song about struggling with the transition to city life, flows with the rustic elegance of an Emmylou Harris tune, while the slide-guitar-accented “Crying” takes a full leap toward the high, lonesome sound that would please fans of Alison Krauss.

The band’s namesake song, “Luray,” is a pastoral folk journey with poignant sentiments about loss and insecurity — proof that Carey has found a fertile route for discovery, both musical and personal.

— Jedd Ferris - Washington Post

Taking the name of the Luray caverns in Virginia, banjo player Shannon Carey got help from her brother Sean Carey (Bon Iver) to produce this beautifully lush album. - NPR All Songs Considered

Just because because someone is a sibling of a well known musician, that doesn't mean that they should be forgotten. Jamie Lacey seems to be doing pretty well for himself as part of Coasta, even while he's done his best to keep away from his revered brother's name. As the sister of Sean Carey (of S. Carey and Bon Iver fame), Luray's Shannon Carey is embracing her brother's talent, enlisting him as the producer of the group's debut full length The Wilder. Ms. Carey embraces the banjo, using it to infuse her folky tunes with a bluegrass tinge. The majority of the tracks are dominated by the the banjo, while her sweet voice creates quite an enjoyable listen. However, the atmospheric title track and opener of the record stays closer to her brother's projects, focusing on vocals among soft pulses of sound, creating the most unique and interesting track in the arsenal. More diversity could be used, but the talent is obviously there and The Wilder is definitely a successful debut for the group. The Wilder is out August 27th, so be sure to follow what the band does on Facebook! - Muzik Discovery

It’s often that artists talk about forging ahead with their music in order to make their dreams come true. But they don’t mean it literally. Their musical pursuits are the product of their passions and ambitions converging on making art, not the strange projections of the subconscious mind. But in the case of Shannon Carey, both the figurative and literal meaning of chasing a dream are true.

Carey fronts Luray, which will celebrate the release of its debut album The Wilder Saturday at Sixth and I Historic Synagogue. And it was a dream that connected her to her signature instrument, the banjo, the one that led her to form the folksy indie-rock group.

Carey had a dream that she got a guitar for some special occasion – Christmas or her birthday, she can’t remember which. But in the dream she was disappointed because she had wanted a banjo instead. She was in her mid-20s then, a social worker living in San Francisco. She played guitar when she was younger – in fact in high school, she played a number of instruments. But she’d stopped making music as an adult. She didn’t play the banjo. She wasn’t even all that familiar with banjo music, save for where it might have appeared in the folk and country music she was exposed to growing up.

“That kind of surprised me,” Carey said, “because I didn’t think I wanted to play banjo, but then I woke up and I was like ‘no, I want to play the banjo.’”

She sought out instruction and began to learn, but it was a difficult process for her. She had to think about it, she said, unlike when she was a child and the study of an instrument could easily fill her ample free time. She had to be disciplined in her study as an adult, as she was balancing the commitments of a full-time job, friends, and family.

After she began in earnest learning the instrument, she discovered an entire realm in which the banjo was king: bluegrass music.

“I never really got exposed to it until I started to learn the banjo,” Carey said. Musicians she’d met in her studies would call upon the standards of the genre, but those tunes were foreign to her.

“It’s such a big repertoire, that’s one of the things you learn when you learn bluegrass, but I just came at it kind of funny, really academic,” Carey said.

But she absorbed the music, wrapped herself up in it until her calculated study became more comfortable, until she felt she’d found and understood the core of the music.

And then she broke out of the genre and did something new.

The product is her blend of folk, bluegrass, and rock that can be found on The Wilder.

She’d just started to write the album when she and her husband relocated to Washington D.C. two years ago. He’d gotten a promotion that landed him in the nation’s capital, and she was looking for a reason to quit her job and make her music her full-time vocation.

She got some help in her first recording endeavor from brother Sean Carey of Bon Iver and the solo project S. Carey. It was her first time recording an album, and his first time producing one for another musician. They recorded over a few days at his home in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, with local musicians (and Shannon’s husband on guitar). She returned to D.C., and from there the siblings collaborated across the miles via email, phone calls, and Skype to complete the project.

After making the album, she put together her band – “sort of a backwards process,” she admits – and the D.C.-based group will perform the album Saturday for a local audience.

A dream may have started her venture, but these days Carey’s planning is more deliberate. She’s writing songs for the next album. She’s booking dates for a tour in September. She’s thinking about her connections with musicians in the Midwest and the South. And she’s making plans to get her music out into the world.

• For more information about Luray, visit luraymusic.com. - FCNP

This Washington, D.C.-based bluegrassy, ethereal [banjo-driven folk]/ Americana band revolves around singer/songwriter Shannon Carey’s gentle, sun-kissed vocals and diverse banjo playing. On the magical, glorious title track Carey sings in subdued style then hits an exquisite high note at the chorus. This song sounds the mellowest and most electric at the same time, keyboards and guitar being central instruments. “Kalorama” [a section of D.C.'s Adams Morgan] sounds distinctly alt-country while “Already There” shimmers with a sweet banjo twang and kicky beat. “Tidalground” features a more atmospheric sound and swirly vocals. From the first note of “Crying,” you’ll feel like you’ve hit the road in cowboy boots. When something seems inherently simple it can’t possibly be. Carey possesses the songwriting abilities and vocal range for Luray to straddle several genres while maintaining its own sound. Even though her brother Sean (S. Carey of Bon Iver—a more brooding indie band) produced the album, Shannon clearly prefers singing and writing songs with happier vibes. Think fresh air, blue skies, paddles dipping into cool water, trail mixes, reading on a hammock and long winding hikes.

–by Amy Steele - Entertainment Realm

Shannon Carey captures bits of the Shenandoah Mountains’ essence with her band Luray, named after a small Virginia town near the ancient range. Her rolling banjo and sweet, earthy vocals recall the classic sounds of the region, but she’s not too tied to tradition to make beautiful use the steel guitar, either.

With “Crying,” off their new album The Wilder, Carey and Luray use all those elements to imagine a down-home childhood and a time when boys were molded into men.

“I wrote this song about two little boys raised by their mother who taught them to show a brave face to the world and not to show vulnerability,” she tells CMT Edge. “I’m also a person who never cried easily, but when I did, it was hard to stop. So it’s about the value of being in touch with your emotions.”

Produced by her brother Sean Carey (drummer and backing vocalist of the Grammy-winning band Bon Iver), The Wilder comes out Aug. 27.

See what has her “Crying” exclusively on CMT Edge.
- CMT Edge

A debut set from a California import who expanded her vocal and banjo sound with a couple of fine musicians on keyboards/guitar/harmonies and stand-up bass. Instantly, I am impressed with the instrumental choices and arrangements. The bowed bass and keyboards provide a deep nearly psychedelic drone in the manner of a John Cale arrangement (Think Nico, but only the background). They play around with different sounds, but there is always something cool going on. As for the banjo, that is also a fine sound as it is used in a subtle folk manner and does not veer too much toward Americana. Even the bluegrass song has more subtle nuance to it than you would expect. The songs are solid singer songwriter outings and the vocal work is clean and clear, and not as exotic as the music. Great start for this band and a very appreciative nearly packed house really dug the proceedings. - DC ROCK LIVE