Spotlight: Carriers Trusts That Things Will Be Alright
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY GIGI KANG ☆
Photography Credit: Egan Parks
“I REALLY BELIEVE IN MY SONGS. IT’S MY THERAPY—They’re my prayers. It’s my safe space. It’s a friend of mine. I think it’s the most honest place,” says Cincinnati-based Carriers.
At the center of the indie-rock project is Curt Kiser and on May 2, he released his debut album with Brassland titled Every Time I Feel Afraid. The collaboration between the label and Carriers began when The National used his song “Be The One” as their walk-on music on tour in Europe.
“The National used the song in its very raw form,” he explains to me over a call. “I wrote it for my partner, and it was just in my email. Bryan, the drummer, is a good friend of mine. I sent it to him when they were leaving for their first European tour since the pandemic.”
Every Time I Feel Afraid is an incredibly relatable album. It covers topics of dream chasing, doubts, optimism, and pushing through. Overall, it voices the highs and lows a person feels over the course of a life.
One of those lows in Carriers’ own life partially inspired the album. At the same time that “Be The One” caught Brassland’s attention, Kiser and his partner experienced a traumatic car accident and he had his music gear stolen.
“It was a really scary thing that happened and it has made me look at life a little differently,” he reflects. “My life kind of flashed before my eyes.”
But the songs on Every Time I Feel Afraid don’t revolve around the damage of the experience. Yes, they reflect on the lasting impacts, but Carriers makes a point to highlight growth in his life, including the significance of having his partner by his side through songs like “Share Some Wine.”
“I needed them in the moment,” Carriers says of writing the songs.
Originally, the plan was for Carriers to put out an EP with Brassland. Then, his partner encouraged him to share more of his music, which became Every Time I Feel Afraid. With support from his partner, The National’s appreciation of his sound, and Brassland’s belief in his music, Carriers makes sure to acknowledge the importance of community.
“I was in the middle of this really dark time, but there were also some really beautiful things that happened,” he expresses. “People filled up my Venmo to help cover the cost of my vehicle and a bunch of gear. That was insane and just the most beautiful thing. It was both people I didn’t know and a lot of people I’ve known all over the country and all over Cincinnati. I’ve served tables for years and I’ve been in the service industry for a long time, and also in music for a long time. So I had all these people saying, ‘Keep going. Don’t let this stop you.’”
Integral to Carriers’ community is the city of Cincinnati which makes an appearance in the music video for “Motion.” He shares, “I have an affinity with the city. I’ve known people in the city for 20 years. I see those people and they see me. They know me and they’re all rooting for me. If I moved somewhere, Cincinnati would still always be home.”
Despite the setbacks he faced, Carriers crafted a beautiful and honest project out of it all. Songs like “Blurry Eyes” gently motivate through lyrics like, “It’s never gonna change if we don’t try / Try to trust that it’s alright / Have my doubts but still I fight.”
Kiser has been playing music since he was in the seventh grade. In school, he was part of a worship band which allowed him to play with like-minded kids. Together they formed an indie-rock band outside of school called Enlou.
“We’d do the worship practice, then we would just have our own practice,” Carriers looks back. “We would kind of tour during spring break or during the summer and go on the road. We got signed to an indie label out of California when we were 17, and it was huge for us.”
After Enlou, Kiser joined a band called Pomegranates, but when that came to an end, he entered a period of uncertainty. On Every Time I Feel Afraid, the song “Sometimes” touches on this experience. He sings, “Sometimes I get to thinkin’ ‘bout this life / Where I’ve ended up and was it right.”
“It was about 2013 and someone at that time actually told me, ‘It’s time for you to sing your songs,’” Carriers says. “I was always a guitar player in a band. I wasn’t confident with my voice. That song is [about giving] music to God under a tree in Kentucky. I felt like music was so important to me, but I wanted to make sure it wasn’t the most important thing—I just wanted to have a healthy relationship with it. The night that I did that, I went home on my porch and I wrote the first song I’d ever written on my own. I’ve written hundreds of songs since then. What I felt when I sat down on that porch is what I feel today.”
Since then, he has been devoted to creating. Overall, Every Time I Feel Afraid is an accumulation of many years of living and observing.
Kiser is a grounded artist. He’s laid back and honest in both his lyrics and his way of viewing life. During our call, he turns the camera and shows me a spot in his home where he crafted a song. He’s easy to talk to, and his music is similarly easy to listen to because he creates a space through his presence in which it’s easy to relate.
“All of it’s about trusting that things are going to be alright in a very tumultuous, uncertain, state of mind,” Carriers describes. “All of the songs were very intentionally chosen. They tell a story through anxiety ballads, chasing a dream, or just believing this is what I’m good at. I’ve played in front of five to 10 people. I’ve also played in front of hundreds of people. It’s all really special. I was like, ‘Well, I’m going to continue driving a minivan. I’m going to tour whenever I can, and put records out. I think this album kind of tells that story.”
Photography Credit: Egan Parks
