Carrie Brockwell performs May 29, 2026 at the Down the Hatch music festival at Kill Devil Hills, N.C. (Jim Murphy photo)
At just age 19, Carrie Brockwell’s talent, ambition, artistic instinct and connections are evident in her live performances and recordings, including her just-released, full-length debut album, “That’s Real.”
A self-described southern rock and country artist with 1970’s roots, the labels are actually broader than that. Country, yes. Wouldn’t guessed the southern rock label though if I hadn’t witnessed her cutting loose recently during an appearance with Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Damon Johnson. But also add indie pop and classic songwriter nuances to the mix. And there are yacht rock influences as well; she says that is her favorite genre to listen to on satellite radio. She accurately describes her music as having a “multigenerational feel” in a Nashville Voyager interview.
So with all of these touchstones, what can you expect on “That’s Real?”
A few of the many highlights give an indication:
- “Here I Go Again” is a sound choice to open the album. The breezy pop number reflects on three words – you know the ones – that she blurted out of her “stupid mouth” to a friend for whom she wanted something more. But she adds, “I said it, I meant it, I won’t forget it … I just let it out … blame it all on love.” She concedes that no matter how hard she tries, those words can’t be taken back.
- “I’d Love Not To” is a tight, barely 2-minute ditty acknowledging “these things to do” that she’d occasionally rather put off: dirty dishes, connecting with friends, grocery shopping. Brian Fechino’s dulcimer playing drives the melody with an Americana feel.
- The closest I can come to a description of the first few bars of the self-titled “That’s Real” is a keyboard-driven ’70s A.M. sound … maybe something off a lost Doobie Brothers recording. The song very quickly transitions into a spunky Shania Twain-ish number before eventually giving way to dance beat, with a brief acoustic interlude thrown in before the final stretch. If that sounds like a lot … I promise, it works. Brockwell – who reports to often using those two words in the title – said in an interview with WKRN-Nashville the song is “all about letting things go, being true to yourself and the joy and the freedom you find in that.”
- Brockwell reflects on why she stayed committed as a boyfriend began to disengage in “Why’d I Stay,” a mid-tempo, mainstream country number. The song is ultimately an assertion of self-worth, as she warns the guy not to come around when he’s ready to "play."
While Carrie is technically a solo artist, in practice Fechino is the Finneas to her Billie Eilish. For the past five years, Fechino has been a co-architect of her sound, producing, mixing and co-writing with her, while also anchoring her live and studio performances. On “That’s Real,” he primarily handles guitar but showcases his multi-instrumental chops playing bass, keyboards, dulcimer and the Merlin (a four-string hybrid with characteristics of the dulcimer, mandolin and acoustic guitar).
On her inaugural album, Brockwell documents a young artist who is learning who she is, and in doing so offers an engaging glimpse of who she might become.
More about Carrie Brockwell
Carrie Brockwell performs May 30, 2026 at the Down the Hatch music festival at Kill Devil Hills, N.C. (Jim Murphy photo)
- Carrie, a Chesterfield, Va. native, recently completed her sophomore year at the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont University in Nashville.
- She is playing several festivals this year and will perform with the Richmond Symphony in October at a concert honoring Hall of Fame songwriters Victoria Shaw and Gary Burr.
- She headlined the Nashville Walk to End Alzheimer’s, the nation’s largest walk to end this disease, in 2025.
- She was named Country Music Vocalist of the Year at the Josie Music Awards in 2025, received Female Country Album Of The Year there in 2024, and Female E.P. of the Year in 2023. And she is a nominee in the Exceptional Vocalist category in 2026; winners will be announced in a ceremony at the Grand Ole Opry House in September. The JMAs recognize excellence in independent music.
- She made her debut at Nashville’s iconic Blue Bird Café in 2024.
- At age 15, Carrie’s 2022 “American Idol” audition earned a ‘Golden Ticket’ to Hollywood from judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
More about ‘Get Real’
Additional artists appearing on the album, which was recorded at The Holler in Nashville, include Ben Jackson on drums and percussion; Patrick “Hammer” Thornton on bass; Daniel Clarke on keys; Lena Doyle on fiddle; Megan Slankard on background vocals; and Bri Bryant and Jon Bryant of Welshly Arms on background vocals for the title track.
Fechino and Thornton also perform together in Brian Fechino & The Risky Beavers, an instrumental band. You can find the band’s 2025 debut album, “The Adventures of Brian Fechino & the Risky Beavers,” on the streaming services. Another band member, Chardy McEwan (percussion) is in the Pat McGee Band, of which Fechino is a former member.
Video performances
Brian Fechino, Carrie Brockwell and Matt “Chew” Calvarese perform the title track from her album “That’s Real” on a windy day on the beach at the Down the Hatch music festival May 30, 2026 at Kill Devil Hills, N.C. (Jim Murphy video)
Brian Fechino, Carrie Brockwell and Matt “Chew” Calvarese perform “I’d Love Not To” at the Down the Hatch music festival May 30, 2026 at Kill Devil Hills, N.C. The song is a track from her first full-length album, “That’s Real,” released the same day. (Jim Murphy video)
Streaming links
”Get Real” album on Spotify:
”Get Real” on Apple Music (link).
Bonus photo
Carrie Brockwell performs during an Elton John tribute on June 3, 2023 at the Down the Hatch music festival at Kill Devil Hills, N.C. (Jim Murphy photo)
