Carolyn Wonderland

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Photo courtesy of Razzmatazz

Texas blues singer, guitarist and songwriter Carolyn Wonderland showed a musical inclination from an early age, picking up the guitar at the age of six. A curious anecdote from her childhood is that, while imitating Pete Townshend's famous "windmill" movement, she scratched her mother's vintage Martin guitar, which led to her being banned from using picks. This restriction influenced the development of her distinctive fingerpicking technique.

In the 1990s, Wonderland fronted the band Carolyn Wonderland and the Imperial Monkeys, with whom she released several albums. In 1999, she moved to Austin and adopted a nomadic lifestyle, living out of her van while performing over 300 shows a year. Her music, while rooted in the blues, incorporates elements of country, swing, zydeco, surf, gospel, soul and cumbia. In 2008, she released the album Miss Understood, produced by Ray Benson, which received praise from figures such as Bob Dylan.

In 2018, she joined John Mayall's band as their first female lead guitarist, collaborating on tours and recordings. Their discography includes albums such as Peace Meal (2011), Live Texas Trio (2015), Moon Goes Missing (2017) and Tempting Fate (2021), and her brand-new albumTruth Is (2025) produced by Dave Alvin.

Wonderland is recognized for her powerful voice and guitar skills, drawing comparisons to legends such as Janis Joplin and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

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