Rodriguez' journey
from teenage violin student to touring the world with the likes of Chip
Taylor (famed songwriter of "Wild Thing), Lucinda Williams and
Alejandro Escovedo, has resulted in a prodigious output of recordings -
eight albums in as many years - for the young musician.
Rodriguez' professional career was launched in 2001 after a show at South By Southwest introduced her to Taylor, with whom she has recorded four full albums and an EP. Her musical development started much earlier, however, and at the hands of an equally seasoned songwriting veteran, her father David Rodriquez. "My dad gave me a Leonard Cohen record for my ninth birthday! I hated it. But of course I rediscovered it at thirteen and loved it." By fifteen Rodriguez and her dad were touring the Netherlands together; chops were being honed.
Rodriguez' maternal side of the family also influenced her musical upbringing. Not only was her mother a fanatical opera enthusiast, her great-aunt, Eva Garza, was a popular Latin recording artist in the 50's, and it was from Garza that Rodriguez first heard 'La Punalada Trapera,' which soon became a mainstay in her live set. Having family friends include Lyle Lovett, who invited Rodriguez to sit in with his band when she was at college, also helped her develop as a performer.
She employs her
crystal clear voice and fiddle-, mandobird-, and tenor guitar-playing
on material ranging from classic country through Mexican folk songs to
rockin' Americana, with a lot of territory in between. Carrie was the
Roots Music Association's 2008 & 2009 Folk Songwriter Of The Year.