The Sit Down with Carter Faith
When we last caught up with North Carolina native Carter Faith, she was about to release her debut album “Cherry Valley” which we later go on to name is our number one album of 2025 and it’s safe to say that we weren’t the only people to lavish the album with much deserved praise. On May 17th, the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada and the project is nominated for Album of the Year, where Carter is the only female nominee for one of the most prestigious awards in all of country music. Whilst she is currently on her third trip across the pond and is joining Tucker Wetmore on The Brunette World Tour for a string of sold out shows in the UK and Europe, she is in for a very busy summer as she will be heading out on the road in the US and Canada with Post Malone and Jelly Roll on The Big Ass Stadium Tour along with collaborating with Kygo on “That’s When You Know” for what is sure to be one of the anthems of the summer. Before the show last Friday in Manchester, Jamie headed up north to hear about everything that has been happening.
Welcome to Manchester friend.
“Thank you.”
Did you play here on your first trip over?
“No, first time here. I’ve been here all day and we’ve got an off day tomorrow, but the weather is beautiful, which is nice because it’s been pretty cold on this tour and I can explore tomorrow.”
This is the first English show of the tour, isn’t it?
“Yes, I'm excited for it.”
You’ve been hitting up Germany and everywhere else in mainland Europe already though.
“Yeah, we went to Sweden and to Norway too. I'm Swedish and Norwegian, so I was like with my people.”
Welcome to Manchester friend.
“Thank you.”
Did you play here on your first trip over?
“No, first time here. I’ve been here all day and we’ve got an off day tomorrow, but the weather is beautiful, which is nice because it’s been pretty cold on this tour and I can explore tomorrow.”
This is the first English show of the tour, isn’t it?
“Yes, I'm excited for it.”
You’ve been hitting up Germany and everywhere else in mainland Europe already though.
“Yeah, we went to Sweden and to Norway too. I'm Swedish and Norwegian, so I was like with my people.”
We first met properly in Berlin didn’t we, but what cities did you play over there on this run?
“We went to Cologne and Hamburg.”
Oh, nice. Cologne is probably my favourite city to visit!
“That's what people kept saying!”
With the cathedral and it being right on the river, it’s so stunning. We always try to do a trip every year and time it around someone touring as an excuse to get back there as it’s got such a cool vibe and it’s also a really good drinking city too.
“Hell Yeah!”
We went when Kacey (Musgraves) last toured properly and when Kip played last year.
“I love Kip Moore and obviously Kacey too.”
Everyone loves Kip here, outside of America his reach is humongous. Like in Europe, Australia and especially South Africa, where he can shift a serious amount of tickets.
“In South Africa? I need to get on what he’s on.”
If you think about it, everyone that is coming to Europe, Australia or both at once, they’re bloody long flights so if you can play somewhere else between them it breaks it down a lot.
“That’s so true.”
Plus, you’ve got an untapped market that’s tailored for it and really keen.
“Kip is one of the first people that took me on tour and because it was one of my first tours, I didn't know what to expect, but his fans are rabid. They’re obsessed with him which I love.”
What about Tucker? How’s he been as a tour buddy?
“He’s great, he’s very sweet and gentle. We're on the same label, so I'll see him at events and stuff but it's been really fun. His crew are so nice, they’ve been out on the road for fifty days now.”
Woah, that’s wild!
“I know, I would be going crazy.”
That is a long run.
“Yeah, and it doesn't seem like any of them hate each other after that long.”
That's always good, but that’s a long time all together on a bus in close quarters. Are you bussing with them over here?
“Yep, on the crew bus, just bussing with a bunch of men.”
Well, you’re gonna be with a couple of other really cool crews for some really big and exciting shows.
“I'm very excited for those.”
I saw the show three times last year, firstly I went to Lisbon for the show in Portugal.
“Fun! That’s awesome.”
Then I went to both shows in London at Spurs, because one of my really good pals; Matt Ferranti plays keys in Jelly’s Band.
“Love that, I've never met anyone on Jelly or Post’s team besides Post’s steel player, but I'm so excited because everyone says they're so nice and fun.”
They are, we got to hang out with quite a few of the Jelly Roll crew when we were out and about but since we last spoke things have been pretty busy. “Cherry Valley” was just about to come out when we last hung out and it’s rightfully getting the recognition that it deserves.
“Thank you.”
How crazy is that to think about, like when you were writing those songs, you spend all that time waiting to be told you can put it out and you're really proud of what you've done, but then to realise OH MY GOD, here's my first ACM nomination and for Album of the Year.
“I actually found that out when I was in Cologne. It is crazy to me, honestly, I'm up against some big albums for sure, so it was just really cool because it was an album that I really was proud of. I talked to you about it how it was very special to me and then to see that it got listened to as this special thing as well that was not just a random album that was put out and that people had to make articles about and stuff. That was pretty crazy and obviously, it's the smallest album on the list, but that was like, I don't know, just a validation of the music that was on there and being the only girl, definitely feels like a pretty big thing for me too.”
It’s also like, everything is about metrics and all of that stuff these days and yes, they show how things are going but it’s similar to when people play the Opry for the first time where you get to actually see and feel something yourself beyond your team telling you things are going great or just seeing a number on Spotify or Instagram.
“Exactly, it’s like a big community all agreed on something. I mean, that was probably the most shocked I've ever been in my life.”
You really shouldn't be, when that came out, how everyone was talking about it being a special record and where people have been talking about you for quite a long time so it really shows you walking the walk with it.
“Thank you, I’m trying.”
I think what's really fresh about it as well, you mentioned being the only girl up this year and to me, I listen to a lot of female artists who are bringing out projects, but there's so much variety across your album. You know, “Cherry Valley” is not all the same tempo or the same vibe throughout and I think it shows a lot of who you are very, very well.
“That was my goal, for sure.”
Since putting the album out, as if being nominated for Album of the Year wasn't enough, you decided you were going to bring out the banger of the summer with Kygo. Firstly, how does that come about? I can't imagine it’s a case of if you being sat in Red Door or somewhere like that and he walked in then you just agreed to make a song together.
“I still haven't met him in person, we’ve FaceTimed, but I think he was just looking for a female vocalist. For some reason, I feel like female country singers really work on those tracks, so he's looking for that and I just sent my vocal in, he loved it and then he was like, can you make a music video in the next week? I was like, damn, sure, I guess. Then now here we are, it's out and I like, to pregame to it.”
“Thank you.”
How crazy is that to think about, like when you were writing those songs, you spend all that time waiting to be told you can put it out and you're really proud of what you've done, but then to realise OH MY GOD, here's my first ACM nomination and for Album of the Year.
“I actually found that out when I was in Cologne. It is crazy to me, honestly, I'm up against some big albums for sure, so it was just really cool because it was an album that I really was proud of. I talked to you about it how it was very special to me and then to see that it got listened to as this special thing as well that was not just a random album that was put out and that people had to make articles about and stuff. That was pretty crazy and obviously, it's the smallest album on the list, but that was like, I don't know, just a validation of the music that was on there and being the only girl, definitely feels like a pretty big thing for me too.”
It’s also like, everything is about metrics and all of that stuff these days and yes, they show how things are going but it’s similar to when people play the Opry for the first time where you get to actually see and feel something yourself beyond your team telling you things are going great or just seeing a number on Spotify or Instagram.
“Exactly, it’s like a big community all agreed on something. I mean, that was probably the most shocked I've ever been in my life.”
You really shouldn't be, when that came out, how everyone was talking about it being a special record and where people have been talking about you for quite a long time so it really shows you walking the walk with it.
“Thank you, I’m trying.”
I think what's really fresh about it as well, you mentioned being the only girl up this year and to me, I listen to a lot of female artists who are bringing out projects, but there's so much variety across your album. You know, “Cherry Valley” is not all the same tempo or the same vibe throughout and I think it shows a lot of who you are very, very well.
“That was my goal, for sure.”
Since putting the album out, as if being nominated for Album of the Year wasn't enough, you decided you were going to bring out the banger of the summer with Kygo. Firstly, how does that come about? I can't imagine it’s a case of if you being sat in Red Door or somewhere like that and he walked in then you just agreed to make a song together.
“I still haven't met him in person, we’ve FaceTimed, but I think he was just looking for a female vocalist. For some reason, I feel like female country singers really work on those tracks, so he's looking for that and I just sent my vocal in, he loved it and then he was like, can you make a music video in the next week? I was like, damn, sure, I guess. Then now here we are, it's out and I like, to pregame to it.”
It’s already found its way onto my pregame list too and I love the whole EDM vibe with it. Have you played it live yet?
“No.”
Are you still trying to work it out? I guess it’s not too straightforward.
“For sure. I mean, I can't do like, you know, a base drop or all that shit, but I feel like if you strip it back, I’ve played it acoustic in my room or whatever and there is a country song element to it when you strip it back, so I'm kind of excited because there’s a song in there, it’s not just a track.”
Was the whole thing very different compared to how you usually work on songs?
“For sure, very different. I went in with Tofer, my producer, to record the vocals and I was just kind of like, trying to match what the demo singer did so it had the same feel because it wasn't my song to begin with so I wanted to make it how he wanted it and I don't sing like that.”
Did you find you were trying to at first?
“A little bit and then I was like, how do I put my spin on it? We had to find the mix, but it was fun to do it as well, for sure.”
It's something that will be a lot of fun once you can do that at the bigger shows and stuff.
“Yeah, I think so. It would be sick and I want to go to one of his raves too.”
Oh, that would be cool. This venue tonight is generally a place where they have a lot of raves, I think historically it was a big part of the Manchester rave scene.
“Hell yeah, that’s crazy.”
Yeah, very different to The Forum in Kentish Town for the three London shows.
“I’m excited for those too!”
This must be probably the longest you'll have got to spend in London as well because C2C was obviously chaos because it’s fast moving and you’re just following feet so you should be able to check some more stuff out.
“Yes, I'll be there about five days because I have two off days thereafter. There’s like a Schiaparelli exhibit that I want to look at, go shopping and see a play.”
The theatres are all in the centre of town and near Covent Garden, so you can go back to Blame Gloria while you’re there.
“Oh God, I forgot you knew about that. I love that area, you just reminded me of that ha-ha.”
I think I said to you before but it's not a part of town that we naturally go to as people who live there. It's probably the same for you guys in Nashville and Broadway, or if you live in New York, you're not going to Time Square, because it's touristy and more expensive.
“Yeah, so true.”
“No.”
Are you still trying to work it out? I guess it’s not too straightforward.
“For sure. I mean, I can't do like, you know, a base drop or all that shit, but I feel like if you strip it back, I’ve played it acoustic in my room or whatever and there is a country song element to it when you strip it back, so I'm kind of excited because there’s a song in there, it’s not just a track.”
Was the whole thing very different compared to how you usually work on songs?
“For sure, very different. I went in with Tofer, my producer, to record the vocals and I was just kind of like, trying to match what the demo singer did so it had the same feel because it wasn't my song to begin with so I wanted to make it how he wanted it and I don't sing like that.”
Did you find you were trying to at first?
“A little bit and then I was like, how do I put my spin on it? We had to find the mix, but it was fun to do it as well, for sure.”
It's something that will be a lot of fun once you can do that at the bigger shows and stuff.
“Yeah, I think so. It would be sick and I want to go to one of his raves too.”
Oh, that would be cool. This venue tonight is generally a place where they have a lot of raves, I think historically it was a big part of the Manchester rave scene.
“Hell yeah, that’s crazy.”
Yeah, very different to The Forum in Kentish Town for the three London shows.
“I’m excited for those too!”
This must be probably the longest you'll have got to spend in London as well because C2C was obviously chaos because it’s fast moving and you’re just following feet so you should be able to check some more stuff out.
“Yes, I'll be there about five days because I have two off days thereafter. There’s like a Schiaparelli exhibit that I want to look at, go shopping and see a play.”
The theatres are all in the centre of town and near Covent Garden, so you can go back to Blame Gloria while you’re there.
“Oh God, I forgot you knew about that. I love that area, you just reminded me of that ha-ha.”
I think I said to you before but it's not a part of town that we naturally go to as people who live there. It's probably the same for you guys in Nashville and Broadway, or if you live in New York, you're not going to Time Square, because it's touristy and more expensive.
“Yeah, so true.”
But at least the weather is a lot better this time.
“I know, I’m so excited about that.”
It’s a nice change to when you’ve been here before and it was freezing cold in winter, so you can actually experience that the sun isn’t just a myth over here.
“I know, third time's a charm. Maybe I brought the sunshine with me, you're welcome ha-ha.”
So, what's next for the rest of the year? I guess obviously festival season will kick in soon and you’ve got all the stuff with Jelly and Post Malone but where are we in terms of looking beyond “Cherry Valley”?
“I'm working on, well I keep telling people I'm doing it. I haven't even asked my label if I'm allowed to but I don't really care, I'm doing a deluxe and then obviously working on a new album too, which I'm gonna manipulate them into letting me put out.”
I think they may let you, especially if you win.
“Manifest for me.”
The record deserves to be in that mix and you can do it for the girls.
“I feel like it would be a really big deal if I won, like for country music and women in country music. That’s already happening but I don't know if it's still not being listened to, like with all the crazy things that are happening with Ella, Megan and Lainey, it’s kind of just happening and they're making articles saying it's happening, but the change isn't really happening in town, I would say.”
I still think it's nuts that it's your debut album we’re talking about as well. You hear people talk about Nashville being a ten year town and all that jazz so you end up listening to people for years and years before a project finally comes and all of a sudden you see people talking about you as a “new” artist again. I said to you before how Todd (Cassetty) was the first pet to put me on to you over well over five years ago, then we met in Germany where we had banter about how how I said your name. Americans are terrified of two things in words: the letter “U” because you don’t see the point of it and the letter “T” in the middle of words because you are incapable of pronouncing it. We both say Carter like water and we both say water differently ha-ha.
Ha-ha, that’s so true.”
It’s great that you're back and hopefully this goes really well. Obviously, all the dates are sold out and you're getting in front of a different audience and a very different audience to the one that’s going to turn up for Post Malone when that comes round back home. Then fingers crossed, we're going to to try to bring the full band next time you come and see me.
“For sure, that’s why I'm here now, to be able to come back later.”
It was just you and Tofer last time but what’s the setup this time?
“I have my guitar player Stefan and then my keys player Rob. It’s funny because we're texting our full band and being like we’ve split up ha-ha but it's fun. I love doing a strip down show too, we just have our little unit, it’s really fun and then we'll probably never do that unit again, just with how the year is looking, it's gonna be all full band stuff from here on out, so it's a little special moment.”
How long are we playing for tonight?
“Forty-five minutes”
Are you bringing me a mixture of “Cherry Valley” and old stuff?
“Yeah, I keep saying, like, we're depressing you before Tucker comes on and makes you happy again ha-ha.”
You have got big songs in your locker though! “Grudge” is really fun, so is “Betty” and “Bar Star” slaps too.
“Those are my three. I put one at the beginning, in the middle and one at the end.”
That works well, you can hide the rest of it ha-ha.
“Ha-ha exactly.”
Yeah, just as long as people stick with you for these three songs, they can head to the bar during the rest of it.
“Ha-ha yeah, I come good through those ones. I play for a lot of different crowds opening and I like to kind of collect my fans out of those that do like all the sad songs too, because that's me. If I just did all these upbeat songs, covers or whatever, they wouldn't be getting, like, what they're gonna get if they came to a headline show.”
“I know, I’m so excited about that.”
It’s a nice change to when you’ve been here before and it was freezing cold in winter, so you can actually experience that the sun isn’t just a myth over here.
“I know, third time's a charm. Maybe I brought the sunshine with me, you're welcome ha-ha.”
So, what's next for the rest of the year? I guess obviously festival season will kick in soon and you’ve got all the stuff with Jelly and Post Malone but where are we in terms of looking beyond “Cherry Valley”?
“I'm working on, well I keep telling people I'm doing it. I haven't even asked my label if I'm allowed to but I don't really care, I'm doing a deluxe and then obviously working on a new album too, which I'm gonna manipulate them into letting me put out.”
I think they may let you, especially if you win.
“Manifest for me.”
The record deserves to be in that mix and you can do it for the girls.
“I feel like it would be a really big deal if I won, like for country music and women in country music. That’s already happening but I don't know if it's still not being listened to, like with all the crazy things that are happening with Ella, Megan and Lainey, it’s kind of just happening and they're making articles saying it's happening, but the change isn't really happening in town, I would say.”
I still think it's nuts that it's your debut album we’re talking about as well. You hear people talk about Nashville being a ten year town and all that jazz so you end up listening to people for years and years before a project finally comes and all of a sudden you see people talking about you as a “new” artist again. I said to you before how Todd (Cassetty) was the first pet to put me on to you over well over five years ago, then we met in Germany where we had banter about how how I said your name. Americans are terrified of two things in words: the letter “U” because you don’t see the point of it and the letter “T” in the middle of words because you are incapable of pronouncing it. We both say Carter like water and we both say water differently ha-ha.
Ha-ha, that’s so true.”
It’s great that you're back and hopefully this goes really well. Obviously, all the dates are sold out and you're getting in front of a different audience and a very different audience to the one that’s going to turn up for Post Malone when that comes round back home. Then fingers crossed, we're going to to try to bring the full band next time you come and see me.
“For sure, that’s why I'm here now, to be able to come back later.”
It was just you and Tofer last time but what’s the setup this time?
“I have my guitar player Stefan and then my keys player Rob. It’s funny because we're texting our full band and being like we’ve split up ha-ha but it's fun. I love doing a strip down show too, we just have our little unit, it’s really fun and then we'll probably never do that unit again, just with how the year is looking, it's gonna be all full band stuff from here on out, so it's a little special moment.”
How long are we playing for tonight?
“Forty-five minutes”
Are you bringing me a mixture of “Cherry Valley” and old stuff?
“Yeah, I keep saying, like, we're depressing you before Tucker comes on and makes you happy again ha-ha.”
You have got big songs in your locker though! “Grudge” is really fun, so is “Betty” and “Bar Star” slaps too.
“Those are my three. I put one at the beginning, in the middle and one at the end.”
That works well, you can hide the rest of it ha-ha.
“Ha-ha exactly.”
Yeah, just as long as people stick with you for these three songs, they can head to the bar during the rest of it.
“Ha-ha yeah, I come good through those ones. I play for a lot of different crowds opening and I like to kind of collect my fans out of those that do like all the sad songs too, because that's me. If I just did all these upbeat songs, covers or whatever, they wouldn't be getting, like, what they're gonna get if they came to a headline show.”
For me, I adore all of what you do but I’ve only seen you acoustic, although I've seen clips online and all that so it would be cool to see that transformation to full band sets in a stadium where you’ll walk out and be like I’m gonna sing you some sad songs but try to make you feel happy before Jelly does his thing.
“Ha-ha yeah he’ll preach and then Post, well God knows.”
You'll absolutely love that tour. If you've not actually seen it yet it’s wild, just how it works with the whole stage setup and things. Austin walks up and down his gangway where he probably gets through a full deck of cigarettes during the show he has his guy that brings drinks out to him, it’s all bangers and then somehow magically appears on another stage at the back right at the end. Anyway thank you for hanging.
“Thank you, babe.”
It's been so good to see you and I really do hope you win.
“Thank you, I was expecting not to be nominated for anything, but this one, that's kind of like the biggest award besides Entertainer. I mean, my whole family's going, it's crazy because I've watched that since I was four years old. I didn't know how people would take it, I guess because there were so many different things. I think that's honestly why I'm at where I am because if everyone on my team left me, I'd still be able to do it.”
Yeah, you'd just be even more chaotic.
“For sure and I have such a great team that supports all that. You do have to think about am I doing this for fame or for art, and I'm always doing it for myself and art?”
It’s like with Carly’s new song out today, which you both wrote with Tofer and her putting that out isn’t like doing it for you, that really is for the art.
“Totally, I was so excited about that and on her birthday too which is so cute.”
Again, thank you for giving me an excuse for a trip up north where the beer is much cheaper, you’re like my first of three tours up here this year as I’m heading up for Megan Moroney later in the year after Krista and Kendra (Tigirlily Gold) are up here in a couple of weeks opening for Carly so even though you’re on The Brunette World Tour, I only tend to come up here to watch blondes ha-ha.
“Ha-ha I love it, but blondes do have more fun though, right?”
Carter Faith’s new collaboration “That’s When You Know” with Kygo is out now and available HERE and you can listen to her ACM Album of the Year nominated debut record “Cherry Valley” HERE. Carter has three more sold out shows this week with Tucker Wetmore at The 02 Forum in Kentish Town, London but you can keep up to date with all that she is up to socially and whilst she is over here by following her on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK FACEBOOK & X.
“Ha-ha yeah he’ll preach and then Post, well God knows.”
You'll absolutely love that tour. If you've not actually seen it yet it’s wild, just how it works with the whole stage setup and things. Austin walks up and down his gangway where he probably gets through a full deck of cigarettes during the show he has his guy that brings drinks out to him, it’s all bangers and then somehow magically appears on another stage at the back right at the end. Anyway thank you for hanging.
“Thank you, babe.”
It's been so good to see you and I really do hope you win.
“Thank you, I was expecting not to be nominated for anything, but this one, that's kind of like the biggest award besides Entertainer. I mean, my whole family's going, it's crazy because I've watched that since I was four years old. I didn't know how people would take it, I guess because there were so many different things. I think that's honestly why I'm at where I am because if everyone on my team left me, I'd still be able to do it.”
Yeah, you'd just be even more chaotic.
“For sure and I have such a great team that supports all that. You do have to think about am I doing this for fame or for art, and I'm always doing it for myself and art?”
It’s like with Carly’s new song out today, which you both wrote with Tofer and her putting that out isn’t like doing it for you, that really is for the art.
“Totally, I was so excited about that and on her birthday too which is so cute.”
Again, thank you for giving me an excuse for a trip up north where the beer is much cheaper, you’re like my first of three tours up here this year as I’m heading up for Megan Moroney later in the year after Krista and Kendra (Tigirlily Gold) are up here in a couple of weeks opening for Carly so even though you’re on The Brunette World Tour, I only tend to come up here to watch blondes ha-ha.
“Ha-ha I love it, but blondes do have more fun though, right?”
Carter Faith’s new collaboration “That’s When You Know” with Kygo is out now and available HERE and you can listen to her ACM Album of the Year nominated debut record “Cherry Valley” HERE. Carter has three more sold out shows this week with Tucker Wetmore at The 02 Forum in Kentish Town, London but you can keep up to date with all that she is up to socially and whilst she is over here by following her on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK FACEBOOK & X.
