Luminescent singer-songwriter Susanna Carman is back with her second album, Circus Girl, featuring a collection of songs that glisten with love, hope and meaningful simplicity.

There is clarity in everything Susanna does, from her abidingly positive outlook on life to the startling integrity of the songs she writes and sings. She makes no secret of the challenges that have been thrown her way, nor is she flippant about the personal toll of tragedy and loss, which she dealt with so unflinchingly on her first album, Holy. But her music is imbued with a lucidity that is at once arresting, soothing, haunting and transporting.

A native New Yorker with classical training who settled in Australia in the mid 1990s, Susanna began to make her musical mark in 2001 with the release of her debut EP, I Am The One. It earned her a North Coast Music Award for Best Female Vocalist and the inclusion of one of her songs on the 2003 ABC compilation album, Highwire.

Her 2008 album Holy, written during an extended period of bereavement that included the deaths of her husband and father, was praised by fans and reviewers alike for its graceful and optimistic perspective on personal tragedy. Rave Magazine called it “restrained, sharp and completely human… an album that can best be described as a triumph in the face of sadness.”

The acclaim for Holy was followed by invitations to perform at The National Folk Festival, Peats Ridge Festival, Tamworth Country Music Festival, Mullumbimby Music Festival and Byron Bay Writers Festival. She undertook two regional tours in the US and was recently accepted into the 2011 Arts Northern Rivers Brokerage Project – a NSW arts initiative dedicated to the advancement of artists in the Northern Rivers region.

Susanna prides herself on an organic and authentic approach to creativity and music. This is more evident than ever on the new album, Circus Girl. Susanna describes it is as lyrically driven contemporary folk, “for people who are contemplative and who are really listening.” She likes the idea of nostalgia in a digital download age, of a recorded album that is akin to a gallery exhibition, with a collection of songs that reflect who the artist is and the journey he or she is on.

On Circus Girl, the wistful undercurrent in the songs is balanced by a whimsical flow in the lyrics as Susanna explores the issues of her life today with a partner and child. It is her longing for simplicity amidst the frenzy of modern life – even in the paradise of Byron Bay – that has inspired the album’s title track. “How do you maintain healthy relationships that support you, how do you be the best parent you can be and continue to thrive? How do you have a career doing something you love that offers financial rewards? And how do you take care of yourself and not fall off the wire?”

Susanna’s live shows are as up-close as she can make them. She loves playing the house concert circuit or hiring small intimate halls, giving audiences a sense of personal connection and exclusivity. A greatly admired facilitator, Susanna often holds workshops as she tours, and through her organisation Songpathways she holds regular workshops in singing, songwriting and performance in Australia and in the U.S.

www.susannacarman.com

Media contact: Debbie Kruger – Kruger Profiles click here to email

What the press said about Susanna’s first album, Holy:

Former New Yorker Susanna Carman lives between Brisbane and Sydney these days, and her music takes up a similar in-between position straying from lilting folk to gentle country and low bubbling pop. It's a perfect spot for Carman's attractively relaxed voice, which touches on some real pain, lets you feel it without histrionics, and then finds an optimistic route out each time. Holy is both pretty and personal and bears witness with grace and some style. Sydney Morning Herald

Susanna Carman’s music is deeply rooted within the American Folk genre, yet there is something here that is her own. The extraordinary quality of Carman’s voice and the emotional depth of her songs, delivered sincerely and without show, makes for captivating listening. ABC Radio National