Looking For The Thread, the first collaborative album from Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis, and Karine Polwart, is out today via Thirty Tigers. Stream or purchase it here.
Conceived in the remote west of Scotland and recorded at the renowned Real World Studios, Looking For The Thread is a unique record that highlights and supports the core characteristics of each artist while forging a powerful collective identity. Already receiving critical acclaim, Folk Alley praises it as “a set of warm, introspective, and stunningly gorgeous songs…Its beauty and warmth touch our souls deeply, and each song is a many-faceted gem of love and hope.” Meanwhile, Music Row describes the project as “enchanting,” and The Arts Desk declares, “It’s only January, but this is an album of the year…a class act, heartfelt and beautifully crafted.”
In celebration of the release, the trio will perform six shows in the U.K. in March, including sold-out dates in Sunderland and Edinburgh. “An Evening with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis, and Karine Polwart” will feature tracks from the new album, as well as songs from across their respective catalogues, accompanied by their transatlantic band. Full details can be found at www.marychapincarpenter.com.
Produced by Bonny Light Horseman’s Josh Kaufman (Bob Weir, The National), the 10-track album features a world-class musical ensemble: Rob Burger (piano, organ, accordion, keys), Chris Vatalaro (drums, percussion), Cameron Ralston (bass), and Kaufman himself (guitar, keys). Additional contributions come from Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh, whose work has been featured in The Gloaming, productions at the Abbey Theatre, and the film Brooklyn.
Looking For The Thread is grounded in decades of mutual respect. Polwart and Fowlis have long admired Carpenter, who, in turn, has been a dedicated fan of the pair. Initially collaborating remotely via Dropbox, the trio convened in January 2023 to perform alongside Robert Vincent at Song Circle, an event at Celtic Connections in Glasgow. From there, they traveled north to a writing retreat at Kinlochmoidart House, where Looking For The Thread began to take shape.
“That first visit to Kinlochmoidart helped us feel that we had some things that might serve us,” says Carpenter. “We’d gather in the beautiful room where the fire was, play and sing together, and then go off to our little corners to work on our own. Then we’d come back together and move to the next step.”
The album, which includes two tracks sung in Scottish Gaelic (led by Fowlis), was completed in just one week at Real World Studios. The songs were recorded live, with everyone playing together in the same room. “The songs hadn’t been pre-produced to within an inch of their lives, and the band hadn’t heard them in advance,” says Polwart. “The musicians were such attentive listeners, none of them overplaying, all of them bringing a beautiful textural quality. There was something really fresh and beautiful about it.”
About Mary Chapin Carpenter:
One of music’s “most reliable and empathetic songwriters” (Pitchfork), Carpenter has sold over 16 million records over the course of her renowned career. With hits like “Passionate Kisses” and “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” she has won five Grammy Awards (with 18 nominations), two CMA Awards, and two ACM Awards, and is one of only 15 female members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Additionally, Carpenter’s album One Night Lonely (Live) was nominated for Best Folk Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Most recently, she unveiled her podcast, Hope is a Muscle, which features conversations with people from all walks of life.
About Karine Polwart:
Karine Polwart is a multi-award-winning Scottish songwriter, folk singer, and storyteller whose music conjures the connected magic and mystery of worlds seen and unseen. Across numerous solo albums, collaborative projects, theatre shows, and imaginative endeavors, Polwart has established herself as one of the most vital voices in Scottish music.
About Julie Fowlis:
Julie Fowlis is an internationally renowned, award-winning singer whose extraordinary voice evokes the power and beauty of the Hebridean islands and Highland landscapes she calls home. Among her many achievements, she is best known for singing the theme songs to Brave, Disney Pixar’s Oscar-, Golden Globe-, and BAFTA-winning animated film.
Looking For The Thread Track List:
Gradh Geal Mo Chridhe
A Heart That Never Closes
Rebecca
Looking For The Thread
Hold Everything
Silver In The Blue
You Know Where You Are
Satellite
Buidheann Mo Chridhe Clann Ualrig
Send Love
Confirmed 2025 Tour Dates:
March 2—Manchester, U.K.—Aviva Studios
March 3—Birmingham, U.K.—Town Hall
March 5—London, U.K.—London Palladium
March 6—Sunderland, U.K.—The Fire Station (SOLD OUT)
March 7—Edinburgh, U.K.—Festival Theatre (SOLD OUT)
March 8—Edinburgh, U.K.—Festival Theatre
