Melissa Carper & Theo Lawrence – All Fifty States

Austin-based artists Melissa Carper and Theo Lawrence have joined forces for a new single via Warner Records, called “All Fifty States.”

The song brings together the pair in a classic country duet about love pulling in two directions. Set against the backdrop of a dusty Texas town, he dreams of chasing highways to California in the summer and Virginia in the fall, while she’s rooted at home, tending her garden and finding comfort in the familiar. Their voices weave humor and tenderness through the verses, trading lines about records, smokes, and a Chevy Caprice of Theo’s that really did give out after a Lockhart show. What could be a standoff instead becomes a gentle negotiation, landing on a simple truth: love finds its way, whether close to home or a few states away.

In the last several years, Carper and Lawrence have individually earned their spots as acclaimed recording artists on the Roots Music scene, seamlessly blending old-time Country, Jazz, and Soul on their records. A country woman from Arkansas and a city man from Paris with two very different paths and voices, they were brought together by their love and devotion to traditional American music.

Dubbed “Hillbillie Holiday” by friend and collaborator Chris Scruggs, upright bassist/singer-songwriter Carper has charmed audiences across the globe for years with her unique vocal stylings and clever lyrics. She has recently released a string of critically acclaimed solo albums, an album with her Arkansas-based stomp n’ holler roots outfit, Sad Daddy, and  in early 2024, she teamed up with Kelly Willis and Brennan Leigh as power trio Wonder Women of Country for an EP.

For the past 10 years, Lawrence has been making a name for himself as France’s favorite songbird. A truly one-of-a-kind country singer and genuine keeper of the flame, Lawrence came into his own on his Austin-made 2023 LP release, Cherie, and on his latest all-acoustic album, Pickin’ & Singin’. He pens classic love songs and delivers with a croon straight out of the Charlie Rich and Ray Price golden years. In recent years, he has played a pivotal role in reviving an interest in country music in Europe, and with his recent move to Austin, he is bringing his honed craft back to its American cradle.

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