Carsie Blanton

• Name — Carsie Blanton • Birth Name — Carson Amanda Blanton • Born — 22 July 1985 • Birthplace — Luray, Virginia, US • Origin — Eugene, Oregon, US • Instrument — * Vocals • guitar • Genre — * Rock, folk, jazz • Occupation — Singer-songwriter • Years Active — 2005–present • Website — carsieblanton.com

Carsie Blanton grew up on a former cattle farm in Luray, Virginia. Her education involved unschooling. She began learning piano at age 6 and playing guitar at age 13. At age 15, she started singing back-up vocals for a touring funk band and took up swing dancing. At age 16, Blanton went to live in a group house with other artists and musicians in Eugene, Oregon.

In 2005, Blanton recorded and self-released her first studio album Ain't So Green, produced by Steve Van Dam of Everything. In 2006, Blanton relocated from Eugene to Philadelphia to pursue her music career full-time. She also began working with manager Bill Eib. Beginning in 2010, Blanton performed as a support act for The Wood Brothers on multiple tours in the United States, Germany, and in Netherlands. Oliver Wood produced Blanton's 2012 album Idiot Heart. In 2011, she toured with Anaïs Mitchell's Hadestown, playing one of the Fates. That year Blanton also opened several shows on Paul Simon's So Beautiful or So What tour. In 2012, Blanton relocated to New Orleans, where she lived until moving back to the Philadelphia area in 2020. In 2019, she released Buck Up, which Ken Tucker, reviewing the album for NPR's Fresh Air, called "delightfully surprising." In 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Blanton supported herself and her band by playing monthly online rent parties. In 2021, Blanton released Love & Rage, an album of "anti-fascist anthems" produced by Tyler Chester. Her album Body of Work (also produced by Chester) was released one song per month throughout 2022 and 2023. After the titular single's release in fall 2023, Blanton's album After the Revolution was released in 2024. Blanton's albums have all been released independently. She receives direct support from her fans on Patreon and Kickstarter. She typically performs live with her trio, sometimes called the Handsome Band, which includes Joe Plowman on bass and Patrick Firth on keyboards. Her song "Tango Luigi", released in 2026, drew parallels between Luigi Mangione and Violet Gibson.