Caitlin Cary (born October 28, 1968) is an alternative country musician and visual artist from Seville, Ohio.

Early life

Caitlin Cary is the youngest of seven siblings (all older brothers). Her entire family was involved in music to some degree, with her parents' love for singing and her father's interest in building instruments. She had begun to play the violin at age five, but put it aside as a teenager. In addition to the violin, she also played her father's harpsichords, where she wrote some of her own songs. Cary went to college at the College of Wooster in Ohio. She began working on a degree in English. During her college time, she picked up playing the violin again, and she formed a small 'jokey' band called Garden Weasels. After graduating from the College of Wooster, she enrolled in the graduate program in creative at North Carolina State.

Career

Whiskeytown

In 1993, musician Ryan Adams contacted Cary and asked her if she would play violin in a band that he was starting. Cary agreed, and they formed Whiskeytown.

Solo career

In 2000, Cary released her first solo EP Waltzie, produced by Chris Stamey. Cary's debut album While You Weren't Looking was released in 2002 and featured Whiskeytown's Mike Daly (guitar), who co-wrote and played on most of the songs. Personnel also included Mike Santoro (bass), Skillet Gilmore (drums), and Jen Gunderman (keyboards). Thad Cockrell, Tonya Lamm (Hazeldine), and Lynn Blakey provided harmonies. 2003's I'm Staying Out featured guest appearances from Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mitch Easter, Don Dixon, Greg Humphreys, Audley Freed, and Jane Scarpantoni.

Other projects

In 2005, Cary released an album of duets, Begonias, with Thad Cockrell with songs composed by the duo. In 2013, Cary co-founded the North Carolina Music Love Army with Jon Lindsay. The collective of North Carolina–based musicians created the We Are Not For Sale: Songs of Protest LP to oppose the regressive actions of the North Carolina General Assembly. The album was released worldwide via Redeye on November 26, 2013. In 2010, Caitlin performed with Matt Douglas (lead singer and songster for The Proclivities) in Raleigh's annual Love Hangover show, in which male/female duos sing love song covers. They then formed the group Small Ponds, who released an EP on Last Chance Records in September 2010.

Visual arts

Cary is an accomplished visual artist, creating fabric collages she calls "Needle Print." Examples of her work are prominently featured on her website.

Personal life

Cary is married to drummer/artist Skillet Gilmore, and they live in South Raleigh, North Carolina.

Discography

Solo

With Whiskeytown

With Tres Chicas

With Thad Cockrell

With The Small Ponds

With NC Music Love Army

As guest artist

As primary artist

As composer