ST. JOHN’S, N.L.
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
CANADA
The last year has proven to be a big one for singer-songwriter Carolina East.
Hailing from South River and now living in the St. John’s area, East relaunched her career as a solo artist performing original material.
Working with Toronto-based songwriter and producer Rob Wells, she recorded a six-song self-titled debut recording. The songs let East’s strong voice shine in a country-pop setting, with elements of soul and modern RnB sprinkled into the mix.
Coming off of an East Coast Music Award nomination for Indigenous Artist of the Year, an Indigenous Music Awards nomination for Best Country Album and three MusicNL Awards nominations, she’s now preparing to release her second solo recording.
“Crossroads” is a seven-song EP that finds East once again working with Wells. Its release date is Friday, Sept. 28.
In a recent interview with The Compass, East said the recording’s title reflects the significant changes in her life over the last year, with many of them dictated by a touring schedule that’s kept her busy on the island and elsewhere in Canada.
The first single from the EP will be “Only a Girl.”
“Sometimes in life we get a little bit jealous when our significant other is getting attention from somebody other than us, and it’s just basically a song to that person,” she explained. “It’s something fun and good to dance to.”
The experience of recording her first album in a Toronto studio may have been nerve-racking at times, but it was a fruitful one. For the second go-around with Wells and his songwriting partner Shobha Lee, it was smooth sailing all around.
“This time going up, Rob and Shobha have become best friends of mine, and it was much easier to dig in and be very vulnerable with the songwriting and super honest with the lyrics,” she said. “And it just gets better and better. This album is really a testament to the amount of comfort I felt up there this time, for sure.”
Opening act
This Thursday, Sept. 20, East is an opening act at the Iceberg Alley Performance Tent by Quidi Vidi Lake in St. John’s for Canadian rock and country artist Dallas Smith. East said she will also be making an appearance during the headliner’s set to share lead vocals on his duet “One Drink Ago” (originally recorded with Canadian country artist Terri Clark).
“The band is ready to go,” East said of her impending performance, scheduled to be a 75-minute set. “We’ve been really working hard to get everything prepared.”
For the MusicNL Awards, taking place next month in Twillingate, East is up for best female artist, best country artist and rising star of the year. She’ll also be there to perform during MusicNL Week, running Oct. 10-14.
“It feels pretty awesome to be recognized for something you’ve worked so hard on,” she said of the nominations. “It really helps push the fact that what I’m doing is the right thing and that we’re moving in the right direction.”
An album release show for “Crossroads” will happen this October in St. John’s, with the exact date and venue still to be announced. She’s also planning to tour throughout the fall and winter, with dates soon to be announced on her website: http://carolinaeast.ca/. East will be a part of the annual Ours Divas Do Christmas event in St. John’s, as well as the popular Feast of Cohen tribute to Leonard Cohen. She’s also hoping to schedule a show in the Conception Bay North area over the Christmas holidays.
SEE RELATED: