“Music is church to me. It is sometimes my only prayer. when given the opportunity to play and share live music, it’s a chance to dance, to dive off into the Ether and get out of my own way. When I write songs, they are usually about things I am trying to understand.”

Carolyn Wonderland: The Truth of Texas

Carolyn Wonderland, with her dynamic guitar playing, formidable songwriting, and pure Texas vocals, has more than earned her reputation as a fiercely independent artist. Wonderland plays original, bluesified, cosmic soul music, mixed with heavy doses of Tex-Mex and riff-fueled rock ‘n’ roll. She has been performing professionally since the age of 15 and has led a colorful and adventurous life. On the road her entire career, she’s played with icons from Townes Van Zandt to Levon Helm, from Buddy Guy to Hubert Sumlin, from Bob Dylan to John Mayall, all while writing her own story. On her new Alligator Records album, Truth Is (Release Day: May 16, 2025), Wonderland, with her vividly detailed, instantly memorable songs, reflects on the world with honesty and righteous conviction. Wonderland’s bold and insightful songs tell common-sense truths that, in her words, “need to be told.” They are driven by her sometimes savage and other times gently melodic guitar fingerpicking, along with her full-throated yet still vulnerable vocals. Truth Is is a timeless album for these times. Over the course of the album’s 12 songs—including 10 Wonderland originals and co-writes—Wonderland and her band create lasting musical magic.                   (Carolyn Wonderland / Photo © by Mary Bruton)

Truth Is was produced by legendary guitarist and songwriter Dave Alvin (producer of Wonderland’s Alligator debut, Tempting Fate), who also co-wrote four songs, three of which he plays on. Along with bassist Naj Conklin and drummer Giovanni “Nooch” Carnuccio, Wonderland is joined on Truth Is by guests including Alligator labelmate Marcia Ball and friends Shelley King, Ruthie Foster, Cindy Cashdollar (“the Girl Gang,” says Wonderland), Red Young, Bukka Allen, Kevin Lance, Henri Herbert and Stuart Sullivan. The album was recorded and mixed by Sullivan at Wire Recording in Austin, Texas. With Truth Is, Carolyn Wonderland stakes her claim among the most influential roots music voices today, delivering the blues’ honest truth to all who will listen. Her courageously empowering music packs an emotional wallop, with every track on the album performed with a rare intensity that is welcoming and ultimately uplifting.

Interview by Michael Limnios           Special Thanks: Marc Lipkin (Alligator Records)

How has the music influenced your views of the world? How do you describe your sound and music philosophy?

Music is church to me. It is sometimes my only prayer. when given the opportunity to play and share live music, it’s a chance to dance, to dive off into the Ether and get out of my own way. When I write songs, they are usually about things I am trying to understand. There’s often a “note to self” quality and a desire to find some universal truth that applies to situations in the personal microcosm and in the larger macrocosm of our communities and greater world around us. It’s about discovery! Finding your voice and using it where you feel it might be useful. The world is frightening and beautiful. It is imperative to speak truth to power and champion the underdog and those who have not yet found the opportunity to use their voices.

”Mostly I miss my friends and heroes who are gone. Their singular voices will not be replicated, nor should they be. I have faith that music will survive all that technology throws in its stead. People get excited when they make a machine that goes “boop” at the time, but years later those sounds become dated.“ (Carolyn Wonderland, musical force equipped with soulful vocals and slinging guitar skills / Photo © by Mary Bruton)

What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

Growing up, there was always music in the house. My mom was the first person I saw play guitar. She had a Strat and 2 Martins, a Super Reverb, and I could play on them if I washed my hands and stopped using a pick to do the Pete Townshend “Windmill” move. When I was a teenager, I wasn’t sure if anyone else would like the songs that made me so happy to write. I had “borrowed without permission” my mother’s car and started going into the music places in Houston to jam. I’d go make up songs at Blues jams at Dan Electro’s with Teri Greene, or go find Joe “Guitar” Hughes, Jerry Lightfoot, Little Screamin’ Kenny, Lavelle White, Uncle John Turner, Allison Fisher, or Scott Daniels. I traded songs at Local’s with Townes Van Zandt at 16, and while I feel like I made a fool of myself, I wish I would have told my Mom, so she could have joined me. It was mostly Blues joints, Folk houses, Hippie joints, and Punk bars that would let me in without carding me. So, I would say that Houston and its deep well of musicians shaped me the most. 

There have been a few times when I thought I should scale back trying to play music for a living. Not that I could ever stop playing, it is what I do and how I express myself… But, sometimes it is close to impossible to make ends meet while  relying on income from your passions. There have been times when I felt encouraged to keep going at critical junctures. When Bob Dylan called, I was just bouncing back from living in my van full time in order to afford to keep touring with a band. He was very kind and we talked about music, songwriters, songs and jammed a few times. He had me write response verses to “Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat!” It felt like a joyful writing assignment, so I finished it before soundcheck the next day. While it may or may not have been his intention, he really made me feel like I was gonna be okay in this world. There were other times I thought I might give up, and then Boom! Here comes another beautiful soul to shepherd you back on the trail. I loved when Poodie asked Shelley King & me to sing backup for Willie Nelson, I thought I was going to float off the stage. I still cannot believe that I got to sing and play with Kris Kristofferson at Levon’s (for Hubert Sumlin’s birthday!) and again a few times in Austin, once to raise money for the Nobelity Project. Every time I feel worthless, these memories are the fuel that keeps me going. I was floored at getting to reimagine The Stooges’ material with James Williamson, being in bands with Shelley King, Marcia Ball, Cindy Cashdollar, and Papa Mali, recording with Ray Benson for Michael Nesmith, and all the unexpected moments I stumbled into. Getting to play Levon Helm’s Rambles were the best salves for the soul one could ask for. I have never met such a genuinely joyful man. It still feels very sacred driving up his driveway in Woodstock. We do it every chance we get! When it comes to life changing, I would definitely have to give the title to the 7 years I got to play with John Mayall. I thought I played guitar before I joined the band, I was mistaken! It was such a deep honor to play any guitar bum’s dream gig. He really knew how to bring out the best in everyone. Never played the same set twice, and liked to push your playing just past where you might have comfortably been. He brought the fire, and he wanted yours, too! His preferred touring was along the lines of 50 shows, 60 days, 19 countries at a time. John was in his 80s when I joined. I would watch years fall away as he approached the stage. He seemed otherworldly. It was absolute magic. Everyone in the band loved John and it was apparent from the start that this was a tight family, forged in the crucible of the road. I learned so much about music and dignity from John, and everyone in the band. Hey, if you’re looking for a badass Chicago rhythm section to record with, I highly recommend you hit up Greg Rzab and Jay Davenport!

”Women in music and life are equal parts making progress and getting knocked down. We are also getting together and learning how to claim our power and know our worth. Turns out, if you were concerned about these things, we can “get our steps in” by marching together in protests, and there are a lot of things in today’s world that are protest worthy.” (Photo: Carolyn Wonderland with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers featuring Greg Rzab and Jay Davenport. Wonderland plays original, bluesified, cosmic soul music, mixed with heavy doses of Tex-Mex and riff-fueled rock ‘n’ roll)

Why do you think that Alligator Records legacy continues to generate such a devoted following?

Because they actually care. It is rare and super appreciated! I still have to pinch myself to realize that I’m making music and I’m on Alligator Records! Some of my favorite records, played until the tape broke or the grooves went flat, included lots of Alligator releases from Hound Dog Taylor, Albert Collins, Lonnie Mack to Shemekia Copeland, and Marcia Ball, that label’s got it all! They champion traditional Blues while not treating it as a museum piece. One foot firmly in the city (Chicago) and steeped in tradition, while the other kicks up the next generation of players, like Kingfish and Southern Avenue. I really dig that they are always listening for new music. I’m thrilled they take a chance on eclectic road dogs like me, too!

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

Mostly I miss my friends and heroes who are gone. Their singular voices will not be replicated, nor should they be. I have faith that music will survive all that technology throws in its stead. People get excited when they make a machine that goes “boop” at the time, but years later those sounds become dated. Folks worry about AI, and with good reason. It’s not as if music is an easy path to begin with. I feel that eventually people grow bored with close approximations of soul, and seek out the real thing. It can be achieved with machines, but not without soul (hey - I play through amps and pedals, I’m not arbitrarily drawing an anti machinery line in the sand here!) I believe in music. I hope we keep as many languages (and genres) alive as music inevitably evolves.

”It was mostly Blues joints, Folk houses, Hippie joints, and Punk bars that would let me in without carding me. So, I would say that Houston and its deep well of musicians shaped me the most.” (Carolyn Wonderland, hits the stage with an unmatched presence, a true legend in her time / Photo © by Mary Bruton)

What does to be a female artist in a Man’s World as James Brown says? What is the status of women in music?

While I cannot speak for every woman in music, I can say that the women I know are kicking ass and looking out for one another. Yes, the misogyny is still there. So is the racism and homophobia. We just don’t let it stop us. I have felt incredibly inspired by the women I volunteer with in Austin, TX at HomeAustin.org We are a local charity ran by women that has been operating for over a decade, working to keep Austin’s aging and elder musicians housed. I learned from living in my van for 2 years that it is prohibitively expensive to be poor, and exponentially worse when you are homeless. In order to keep our elder musicians - who often live with little or no safety net - out of the system, we work to lift each other up. I dislike that our services are needed in our current society, but am determined to do my part to help. Sometimes it feels like relief when you scream into the void, but I find it ultimately more satisfying to turn my cuss words into action. Women in music and life are equal parts making progress and getting knocked down. We are also getting together and learning how to claim our power and know our worth. Turns out, if you were concerned about these things, we can “get our steps in” by marching together in protests, and there are a lot of things in today’s world that are protest worthy. To paraphrase my own lyrics,“Step aside or lend a hand, we are not going back again.”

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

I spoke extensively about John Mayall already, but here’s another way he helped make me a less chicken person. He taught me to not let fear stand in my way. If the worst that can happen is rejection, you’re already there if you reject the attempt. With the confidence he helped instill in me, I used my shaky voice to ask for what I thought was impossible, and got it. Let me explain… While I was in John’s band, I also kept my band as active on the road as I could between his tours. One such tour found us back in Woodstock, where I was talking with one of my favorite people in the world, Cindy Cashdollar. She asked what I planned on doing for my next record. I had no label, a batch of songs, and a lot of half baked ideas. She asked who I wanted to produce my next record, and I blurted out, “in a perfect world, I’d ask Dave Alvin.” I was all bluster. No way would one of my favorite songwriters and guitar bashers take a call from me, much less say yes. I was just a big talker until Cindy took her phone out of her purse, called him, and handed me the phone. Pretty sure I almost blushed myself to death that day. Thanks to Cindy, I have made a lifelong friend and badass producer in Dave. That first record we made together is “Tempting Fate” which ended up being my first Alligator release! He was gracious enough to come back as our “Mad Rearranger” for our new Alligator release, “Truth Is.” I am overcome with gratitude by this turn of events. 

“I’m not arbitrarily drawing an anti machinery line in the sand here!) I believe in music. I hope we keep as many languages (and genres) alive as music inevitably evolves.”

(Carolyn Wonderland / Photo © by Mary Bruton)

What's the balance in music between technique and soul? What is the role of music in today’s society? What would you say characterizes Texas blues scene in comparison to other local US scenes and circuits?

Doug Sahm once sang, “You just can’t live in Texas if you don’t have a lot of soul” and I think there is some truth in that. I moved to Austin when Doug suggested it was the “land of free guitar lessons.” He was not wrong! There’s a bit of swagger, maybe something in the water that ties the Zydeco to the Blues and the Norteños to the Polkas, the same thread in the musical tapestry that means even our folkies, jazzers, Gulf Coast psychedelic, and punks sound like Texans. You don’t have to wear the boots to walk that groove, you just have to listen and feel it. There’s a bit of a rebellious streak in Texas Blues. There are coded messages in the lyrics that created new phrases and poetry in the face of oppression that we still use today. You can hear it in Juke Boy Bonner’s songs about Houston and you can feel it in Mance Lipscomb’s Country Blues just as well as Lightnin’ Hopkins Big City Blues. You can stretch it out like Gatemouth Brown and encompass all genres at your whim. There is an arc from Blind Willie Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson that I feel flows true with musicians like Ruthie Foster, Sue Foley, Gary Clark, Jr., and Jackie Venson. I guess the unifying factor I find is the realness and honesty in both the writing and performances. When folks were up in arms about Beyoncé’s recent awards and accolades in Country music, I just had to smile and tell them, “it sounds like Texas to me, and I love Texas music!”

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