Carla Ryder

Noise Issue # 203
Jumping off the Band Wagon: The Same Funny Story

The Mudhens have a solid fan base and three impressive albums, the last two of which were produced by Anthony Resta (Duran Duran, Collective Soul). They've charted on AAA Top 40, toured with national acts, won numerous prizes, and are known for the somewhat quirky element of having the only euphonium player on the scene. Though the Mudhens are gearing up to begin recording their fourth CD next month, Carla Ryder won't be with the band in the studio, nor on the subsequent tour. Longtime Mudhens fans responded to Carla's departure with a mixture of regret and well-wishes for the willowy singer and her killer pipes. "I needed something that was a bit more "folky", explains Carla. "I loved the music we made in the Mudhens, but the band is pretty grounded in where they want to be and what directions they want to take, and I felt that I couldn't commit to them geographically or personally." After six years as the most recognizable Mudhen, Carla's yearning for a return to the simplicity of the acoustic coffeehouse venues led her to record a more Lillith Fair-like, stripped down album called Pulling Down Sky. In a recent show at the Kendall Café, Carla confides that the title explains what she felt like as she turned thirty this year. The CD release party was at the International in Boston on May 5th. In a funny self-realization moment, "I've sound that the styles are very similar," admits Carla, "And since each of the Mudhens contributed something to the album, it has a definite Mudhen flair. I'm finding that I love doing the acoustic shows, however, I actually miss the full band setting and sound, so I'll probably split my time between both." For CD and show information check out www.carlaryder.com.

Uploaded to Youtube by jamesmcgathey on Jan 12, 2008

Singer/Songwriter Carla Ryder and her band performing at the Lizard Lounge
Cambridge, MA 11/30/07