Carsie Blanton, born in Luray, Virginia, is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for pairing sharp, hook-driven pop-folk with sly wit and unapologetic political conviction. NPR has described her work as “open-hearted protest music,” and critic Robert Christgau has called it “impeccably catchy.” Musically, she draws on influences ranging from Nina Simone and Woody Guthrie to Joni Mitchell and John Prine, blending folk, jazz, soul, and punk-rock spirit.

Blanton grew up on a former cattle farm and was largely unschooled, picking up piano at six and guitar and songwriting at thirteen. She left home at sixteen for Eugene, Oregon, later relocating to Philadelphia and eventually New Orleans, where she’s been based for much of her career. Along the way, she has shared stages with Amos Lee, Joan Armatrading, Nellie McKay, and Madeleine Peyroux, and toured with the Wood Brothers. She has released eight studio albums and several EPs — including Ain’t So Green, Buoy, Idiot Heart, So Ferocious, Buck Up, and Love and Rage — all distributed on a “pay what you please” model, and has amassed a following of viral fan favorites like “Little Flame,” “Rich People,” and “Ugly Nasty Commie Bitch.”

In the spirit of her folk roots, Blanton is an ardent and vocal activist on numerous causes domestically and internationally. This year she tied with I’m With Her for the International Folk Music Awards’ Artist of the Year and was nominated for Folk Alliance International’s 2026 Artist of the Year Award. 2026 also brings two new releases: The Red Album Vol. II and Everything Is Great, alongside heavy touring.