“I Feel Like I Just Got Here”: Carter Faith on Her Meteoric Rise, New Music, and Film Debut (Exclusive)

Carter Faith’s star is on the rise. Since the release of her debut album, Faith has gone from playing open mics and bar shows to opening for Post Malone, headlining tours, and nabbing ACM nominations.

“I don’t want to say I’m out of my depth, but I definitely still feel like I just got here and have stars in my eyes about it,” Faith told host Lisa Konicki on the latest episode of American Songwriter’s Off the Record podcast. “My whole band, crew, and my photographer… we’re all doing this for the first time, so there’s no one [that’s] jaded. We’re all just excited.”

All of that success is thanks to Faith’s ability to “go against the grain.” It’s a trait fans saw clearly on her debut LP, Cherry Valley. With hits like “Bar Star” painting a unique and vivid picture for listeners, it’s no surprise that both they and Faith were awed by the album.

“When we did the Cherry Valley Tour… I was like, ‘Whoa, people actually resonated with this album,’ not just the ‘Bar Star’ and ‘Betty’ that are on playlists,” Faith recalled. “They loved ‘Misery Loves Company’ and random ass songs like that, which I really loved the most too.”

With that in the back of her mind, the “lyric obsessed” Faith sat down to write her sophomore album. However, some of the songs she penned felt more like Cherry Valley than a new musical era.

“I thought maybe I could have a little audience for these songs, and that if I wanted to keep being in this world for a second, they would too,” Faith said of her fans.

Carter Faith Breaks Down Cherry Valley Forever

Enter Cherry Valley Forever, a deluxe edition of the hit LP that features five new songs.

“They all kind of touched on one of the colors of the Cherry Valley color palette to me in a way, but took it a step away from it,” Faith explained. “Cherry Valley‘s very candy-coated… This kind of felt like similar topics, similar approach, but taking a little bit of the makeup off, stripping it back a little bit. I feel like that’s where I am right now. I don’t feel like I need to put on a character to put out music that is really honest.”

Faith said that her favorite of the five new tracks is “Dead Horse,” a fact she credits to its harmonies. The release also includes “If a Man’s From Texas” and “Nothing Better to Do,” the latter of which features Wyatt Flores, whom Faith loves for his “different sound.”

The collaborations continue on “Pearl Handled Pistol,” which features Laci Kaye Booth and Baby Nova.

“Jessie [Jo Dillon] had the title ‘Pearl Handled Pistol.’ I don’t know if she saw a picture of one in a book or something, but she was like, ‘We have to write this song.’ I feel like Laci kind of reacts to that same description too. She’s so sweet, but she’s hardcore, badass,” Faith said. “It was just so fun writing it. I feel like we got to maybe tap into a different version of both of ourselves. And I was like, ‘We have to put this out.’”

For “Ain’t Over Me Yet,” Faith came into her writing session with Hillary Lindsay and Steve Rush with a freshly completed chorus.

“I just loved, ‘All gussied up to get down.’ I kept turning that over in my head,” she said. “… We just wrote it from a really honest perspective. I’ve had this experience before where you’re hoping someone’s not over you yet, because you’re not over them yet. And maybe we could have one last hurrah-type thing just for the night.”

Carter Faith Talks Her Film Debut

In between all the music, Faith carved out time to shoot her film debut, Heartland. Faith stars in the upcoming Netflix thriller alongside Jessica Chastain and Garrett Hedlund.

“I like doing things I’ve never done before, but I was totally on edge the entire time, trying not to mess up anything,” Faith admitted. “There are so many things that go into making a movie—so many people, so many wires that I’m not stepping on—but it was so fun.”

“I have always loved film and TV. Getting to look behind the Wizard of Oz curtain was not disappointing for me. It was really cool,” she continued. “It made me view things with so much more respect.”

Faith said that she hopes the “crazy” experience isn’t a one-off, as she’d “love to do it again.” Fans will get to see the fruits of Faith’s labor when Heartland hits Netflix on Nov. 13.

The post “I Feel Like I Just Got Here”: Carter Faith on Her Meteoric Rise, New Music, and Film Debut (Exclusive) appeared first on American Songwriter.