CARTER VAIL
Cannery Hall Presents:
CARTER VAIL
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2024
ROW ONE STAGE AT CANNERY HALL
Doors: 6:00PM
Show: 7:00PM
AGES 18+
Carter Vail is the kind of guy who can look on the bright side no matter what. Take one listen to the infectious pop-rock he’s been making since 2018 or watch his hilarious videos on TikTok or Instagram, and you’ll find a relentless optimist who crafts inviting tunes with humor and heart. Though the Los Angeles songwriter’s sophomore LP 100 Cowboys boasts the same tasteful and turbocharged alternative that dominates his catalog, beneath the breezy arrangements are his most bracingly personal lyrics yet. Written following a devastating breakup, Vail channels messy, heartbroken feelings into nine galvanizing and cathartic songs. It’s as anthemic as it is compelling, all delivered with palpable, tongue-in-cheek charm.
The Connecticut-raised Vail released his first single “Melatonin” in 2018 as a college student at the University of Miami. His degree in music engineering led him to Nashville in 2019 where he started a recording studio with his friends. “We were not very good at it,” says Vail. “We pretty much just ate black beans for two or three years because no one would hire us. The good thing was that gave me a lot of time to work on my own music.” While he amassed a large following on social media making comedy songs and sketch videos on TikTok and Instagram during this span, he also put out three increasingly adventurous albums: 2020’s full-length Red Eyes along with the EPs The Interstellar Tennis Championship Pts I and II in 2020 and 2023. “With all of my music so far, it just came out of a desire to make music rather than a specific inciting incident in my life,” says Vail. “That all changed with 100 Cowboys.”
In 2023, Vail, now living in Los Angeles, went through an unmooring breakup that marked the end of a six-year relationship. “Emotionally, I just didn't want to deal with it beyond wanting to write about it,” says Vail. “I locked myself in my studio with my roommate and we wrote this whole record in a month.” Recorded with co-writer and co-producer Noah Tauscher, all but one of the nine songs on 100 Cowboys was written and tracked during this month. The exception is the single “Nashville.” Originally written two years ago as a goodbye to his former home city, he realized the melancholic lyrics like “It’s better to see you all on your own / Than know that you’re out there moving on” took on new, prophetic meaning after the dissolution of the romance.
Despite the raw feelings Vail was navigating while making 100 Cowboys, it’s an ebullient, energetic listen throughout. “My friends make fun of me because I never write truly sad songs,” says Vail. “Even if I'm channeling a sad emotion, the thing that's coming out is usually an upbeat pop banger.” There’s no better example of this than the sunny opener “Arizona.” Complete with fuzzy guitar riffs that evoke Phoenix and the Strokes, Vail sings of the spark leaving a once-thriving relationship, “We’re gonna fall eventually / So baby don’t stop don’t stop / Do it again.” With such an earworm chorus, it takes a keen ear to catch the sadness at the track’s core. Elsewhere, the single “Marilyn Monroe” is the most uplifting offering. With a propulsive bass line, Vail sings in the chorus, “I know we’ll be alright.”
For Vail, writing these songs proved to be healing. “Writing felt so cathartic,” says Vail. “Because so many of the songs came together super quickly, I was processing my emotions in real-time. It
all just kind of came out.” Though Vail played every instrument on 100 Cowboys, he credits his creative partnership with Tauscher, his first time working with another producer and songwriting collaborator, with taking him out of his comfort zone. “Writing with him feels super natural,” says Vail. “We've been friends for eight or nine years and I live with him in Los Angeles. He's just a really great songwriter and a great producer. After knowing each other for so long, we've developed so much trust between us.” This tandem finds its most resonant peak on “Harder To Kill,” a rocker that finds Vail channeling Springsteen in its explosive chorus. Its second verse is an emotional gut-punch with the lines, “How's your dog / how's your sister / I shouldn't care / I shouldn't miss them.”
100 Cowboys is a playful and perceptive pop-rock album about getting through a bad time. It takes its title from Vail’s infatuation with campy Spaghetti Westerns and a throwback to his time recording country acts at his former Nashville studio. “I like how like campy old cowboy movies are and in a lot of ways I think that's what being a musician is like,” says Vail. “You can be your own persona. A lot of these songs are super personal to me but dressing them up as pop and rock songs is a lot of fun. It's how I can share this brief period of my life that was really sad.”
WEBSITE
IG: @cartervailmusic
TT: @cartervailmusic
1 Cannery Row - Nashville, TN - 37203
ADDITIONAL KNOW BEFORE YOU GO’S
This ticket cannot be replaced if lost, stolen, or destroyed. This ticket is valid for the event for which it is issued. No exceptions. This ticket is a revocable license which may be withdrawn, and admission refused any time at the sole discretion of the management of Cannery Hall upon refunding the printed purchase price. Inappropriate conduct and resale at a higher price than that printed on the front of the ticket are grounds for seizure or cancellation without refund or compensation. The holder of this ticket agrees they cannot transmit or aid in transmitting a description, account, picture, or reproduction of the event to which this ticket admits them. This ticket may not be used in any way for fundraising, promotion (including contests and sweepstakes) or any commercial, business, or other trade purposes without the express written consent of the Cannery Hall. By presentation of this ticket for admission to Cannery Hall, the person presenting this ticket waives all action or claims against Cannery Hall and the agents, employees, and the subcontractors of all the indemnities for bodily injury or property damage caused by or at the event or by the actions or inactions of Cannery Hall. The holder of this ticket voluntarily assumes all risk danger of personal injury and all other hazards arising from or related in any way to the event for which the ticket is issued, whether occurring prior to, during, or after the event. Breach of any of the foregoing will automatically terminate this license. This holder grants permission to Cannery Hall and its licensees and agents to utilize the holder’s image or likeness incidental to any live or recorded video display or other transmission or reprotection in whole or in part of the event to which this admits the holder. Tickets obtained from sources other than Cannery Hall Box Office or any authorized ticket outlets may be lost or stolen ticket sand in such case will subject the bearer to non-admission or expulsion from the venue. All events subject to date fan time change. No refunds, exchanges, or cancellations. Cannery Hall reserves the right to refuse admittance (with refund of admission) to ticket holders who refuse to allow inspection of their person, or any purse or package carried by them when entering Cannery Hall. No alcohol, drugs, bottles, cans coolers, baby strollers, infant carriers, air horns, fireworks, frisbees, beach balls, video and audio devices, laser pointers, flash cameras, food beverages, weapons or dangerous devices of any type may be brought into Cannery Hall. Patrons found in possession of contraband materials may be subject to expulsion to Cannery Hall and or confiscation of items. Smoking is not permitted. Every person must have a ticket to enter Cannery Hall.
