We had the good fortune of connecting with Carly Ricks Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carly Ricks, what is the most important factor behind your success?
There are a number of elements that help Foxfeather promote our brand in a successful way. Through hard work, commitment, and belief in ourselves and our art, we are able to create our product, our music. Writing and arranging songs is not easy, but it feels right and it feels good. So, through the writer’s block, scheduling issues and inherent self-doubt, we persevere. We push through to the other side and are able to create songs that we are excited to share. All of that hard work aside, we could never accomplish what we do without the support of our community. Our friends, fans and family act as our rock, and they are the reason we are able to enjoy any level of success. We are so, very grateful for this love and support.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Foxfeather is a sultry alt-americana band founded in Boulder, CO in 2013. Beginning with a lyrical base, and bolstered by strong blues-rock instrumentals, Foxfeather’s unique sound captivates their audience. The band consists of Carly Ricks Smith (lead vocals), Laura Paige Stratton (acoustic/electric guitars, keys, vocals), Blake Smith (lead guitar), Mark Dabrowski (bass) and Jay Elliott (drums). Foxfeather is a local staple in the Colorado Front Range, and also tours nationally. The creation of our music begins with Carly and Laura. As the songwriters and co-founders, the material is generated between the two of them and then taken to the rest of the band for development and arrangement. Working this way allows everyone to feel invested and engaged by the music, and creates a motivating level of accountability. Every musician’s path is unique, but most career musicians have been building their skills, confidence, and passion for a lifetime. When we all started playing in childhood we planted a seed. Through the years we have all continued to cultivate and grow our craft, and the world has, more often than not, responded kindly. Motivation is all around, artistic power is both innate and studied. Music is something that grows with you, and from you, and along side of you, and for you. There is no concrete moment when you know it is the “right path,” it just becomes an insatiable and supportive ally. Everyone in Foxfeather feels the urge to create, produce, perform. That passion shows through in our recordings and in our live shows. There have been a number of obstacles in our musical and career development. We are self-founded and self-managed and, while we enjoy many of the freedoms that this provides, it also comes with setbacks. Our biggest obstacle to date is one that has affected everyone, the Covid-19 pandemic. As independent artists, we rely on playing shows and immersing ourselves in our audience. With venue closures, festival cancellations, and restricted travel, we have struggled to keep our heads above water both financially and emotionally. Thankfully, we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to channel our creativity and spend our newly found “free time” writing and recording new material. We can’t wait to release our upcoming album in 2021 and share our art once again. Keep an eye out for the new full length being release by Octave Records and PS Audio.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We love our food and drinks, so this may be a wee bit restaurant heavy, fyi. Let’s start with the best breakfast around at The Universal. The mimosas there are to die for, and they always have a fun special if you feel the need to stray from their mouthwatering menu. Next we will head on over to Sloan’s Lake to bike off breakfast and enjoy some lovely Colorado sunshine. We will end the afternoon with the best deepdish pizza in Denver, Blue Pan. On another, long day, we will make sure to hit up The Denver Botanical Gardens, and maybe even the Denver Zoo! Afterwards we could head downtown to grab lunch at Zoe Ma Ma by Union Station, followed by pickle shots and Big Buck Hunter at The Retro Room in Lodo. While we are in the area, we will also need to grab a beer at Our Mutual Friend! Live music is a must, so we will see who is playing (it’s Denver, so someone will be!) and hit up one of the many awesome venues in town. With The Mission Ballroom, The Larimer Lounge, The Gothic Theater, The Bluebird, The High Dive, Lost Lake and a plethora more to choose from, you can’t go wrong.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to our beautiful and ever-supportive parents, partners and families. Your encouragement and belief in us has fueled our creative natures and enabled us to empower ourselves through art. Thank you.

Website: www.foxfeathermusic.com

Instagram: @foxfeathermusic

Twitter: @foxfeathermusic

Facebook: www.facebook.com/foxfeathermusic

Youtube: Foxfeather Music – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFlktYhrkoeDt_BqQwWjYXg

Other: www.patreon.com/foxfeathermusic

Image Credits
BackStage Flash Jordan Bass Courtney Nicholson-Paine Fran Dwight

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