Mary Karlzen

media

press:
The Wanderlust Diaries
- Eclectic enough to cover both Tom Waits ("Heart of a Saturday Night") and Paul Westerberg (the touching "Skyway" has never sounded more lovely) without feeling forced, Mary Karlzen keeps both feet firmly in the folk-rock Americana that has always defined her work…. She's a singer/songwriter in the tradition of John Hiatt and early Joni Mitchell, serious and smart with an unerring eye for detail in her lyrics….. It's a textbook example of what Karlzen does best as this album shifts from one highlight to the next on a journey through a scrapbook life, some of which might be based on personal experience. On her fourth release, all for different labels, Karlzen has delivered a gem that, in a perfect world, would generate a major Americana buzz. – allmusic.com

“The Wanderlust Diaries”
As the title indicates, Mary Karlzen's fifth album finds her covering a lot of territory--in terms of theme, memory, and musical expanse. On both the opening "For One Moment" and the closing "Stay Forever," her vocal intimacy backed only by a solo piano makes her sound like a graduate of the Joni Mitchell school of '70s singer-songwriters. Yet the harder-rocking "Oh My" (on which Karlzen even threatens to smash her guitar), the somber cello that colors "Show Me," and the coming-of-age reverie "Sixteen" take her well beyond the folk circuit, while a couple of choice covers show an even wider range of influence. With pedal steel, the Mavericks' rhythm section, and vocal harmony from Garrison Starr, Karlzen takes the Replacements' "Skyway" on a trip south, while her duet with Matthew Ryan on "Heart of Saturday Night" transforms Tom Waits's ballad into a country tune. Karlzen shares liner notes from the road for each cut (though this is a studio album), with "Friends Along the Way" reinforcing the sense that the song cycle reflects the gains, losses, and lessons of the veteran troubadour's life. --Don McLeese

If there has been a blur as to what should be considered a part of the country music genre or singer/songwriter genre, then it's safe to say Milwaukee native Mary Karlzen has done her best to keep that blur right where it is on her fourth album "The Wanderlust Diaries." An odd choice in "For one Moment" was selected as the opening track. It is a slower number with Karlzen's voice carrying the way as the piano is the only instrument to accompany her. It isn't a bad song, but you really get the idea of what the rest of the album holds for you when you skip past this and hit "Straws." Karlzen displays her up-tempo style on this song and this is the trend that continues throughout the album. The majority of "The Wanderlust Diaries" has a tremendous amount of up-tempo beats with a heavy focus on her unique voice that begs to be compared to Kasey Chambers. With the introduction of the steel guitar on "Skyway" combined with the great lyrics that tell stories of life that anyone can relate to, country seems to be the obvious genre to place this, but no matter what you call it, this is a solid album that a lot of people will find something to love about. From the great storytelling, to rockers (see Oh My), to country driven songs (Skyway), there is going to be something you like about this album. Gone Country Magizine

Graduating into the upper class of pop singer/songwriters, Mary Karlzen now has met the threshold of five studio albums under her arm. Proudly and almost defiantly, she waves at Americana, pop, and roots rock influences. Mary Karlzen’s voice is strong and sobering, rarely wavering from note to note. She’s a perfect fit for a smashing AAA radio long stretch (which nowadays is what, four songs?!) and even covers Tom Waits’ “Heart of Saturday Night” giving it a country flair and Paul Westerberg’s “Skyway”, owning that tune with a light Nashville feel.
- J-Sin
Smother.net

A small sampling of reviews for "Yelling at Mary":
"Karlzen never sounds like an imitator; she seems more like the equal of Sheryl Crow and Nanci Griffith. If you listen closely, in fact, you'll find that Karlzen rocks harder and more infectiously than her better known colleagues" - GEOFFREY HIMES - Washington Post

"This refreshing major-label debut is a polished work of folk-tinged rock." - DAVID ELLIS - People Magazine

"A powerful major-label debut from a woman whose voice and songwriting display a beguiling mix of grit and grace, cynicism and childlike wonder" - Billboard Magazine

"What really pulls Karlzen out from the parade of hopeful newcomers is her lyrics" - MIRIAM LONGINO - Atlanta Journal Constitution

mary karlzen - bio
For a long time, none of Mary Karlzen’s neighbors in Milwaukee’s North Shore suspected a thing. The nice, quiet wife and mother of two seemed to be just like them. Sure, she owned one of those “guitar” things, but it seemed like a harmless enough diversion. What they didn’t know was that this seemingly desperate housewife has been a nationally known recording artist for several years. She had been signed to Atlantic Records in 1994, and released the critically acclaimed album, “Yelling at Mary.” Her music videos have been on regular rotation on VH1, CMT and The Nashville Network. Also, they had no idea that she had played shows with artists like Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Nanci Griffith and many others.

And now, she still crept out at night, threw that guitar into the back of the car and played in smoky nightclubs. She just couldn’t help herself, even though some of her music experiences had been frustrating. Before she knew it, Karlzen was slipping away from Milwaukee to Nashville, to record with producer Jansen Press and the finest musicians Music City had to offer. Those musicians include Garry Tallent (The E- Street Band), John Deaderick (The Dixie Chicks), Ken Coomer (Wilco), Matthew Ryan and Garrison Starr. And now Karlzen returns with her long-awaited fifth album, “The Wanderlust Diaries.”

It’s only appropriate that Karlzen should have recorded her new album in Nashville, as the first music she remembers hearing came out of that town. As a young girl, she recalls her father spinning country legends Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and George Jones. She later soaked up the ‘70s singer-songwriter influences of James Taylor, Jackson Browne and Joni Mitchell from her older brothers’ records. Then at thirteen, Karlzen was sneaking down to the basement to play the neglected acoustic guitar that one of her brothers had picked up at a garage sale. She learned a few chords, and immediately began writing songs of her own. “Songwriting is the most fulfilling part of my life,” she says. “When I’m writing something I like … God, it’s a feeling I can’t really describe.”

Karlzen’s career began in 1992 when an indie label owner offered to record her first album, “Mary Karlzen.” It was released regionally and established her as a unique new talent. Soon after, Atlantic Records signed her just as a wave of new female acts like Sheryl Crow and Jewel were exploding on the music scene. “Yelling at Mary” received outstanding reviews from The Washington Post, People Magazine, Musician Magazine, The Chicago Sun-Times, Billboard and dozens of other publications. She toured the US and Canada for over a year to promote the album and received airplay on the top AAA radio stations, but all her hard work wasn’t enough. Without the full support of Atlantic, she left in 1996. “In one way it was a great experience. I met some truly great people,” says Karlzen. “But in another way, it was heart-breaking. I had no idea of the complexities and politics of a huge corporation. I felt like I was put through the wringer,” she recalls. “It’s given me a great appreciation for an artist- friendly label like Dualtone. I feel like I’m home.”

Determined never to allow anyone else control over her musical destiny again, Karlzen returned to indie status for 2000’s Dim the Watershed. Soon after, she began recording The Wanderlust Diaries with no record company on the horizon. Dualtone, however, decided to take an interest. After hearing ‘The Diaries’ they embraced her artistic vision and welcomed her into their musical family. “I felt like they really got this music and me too,” she says.

What the label heard and understood was the full flowering of a songwriting talent whose evolution has never stopped. Desperate housewife? Maybe not. The Wanderlust Diaries documents the development in Karlzen’s priorities and concerns. “I think my writing is more mature now,” she says. “When you have kids, it changes your life and puts things in a perspective that you didn’t have before. Things that may have been so important in the past are now meaningless. I think that comes through in the songs.”

With ‘The Diaries’ out there for everyone to hear, there’s no more hiding in the suburbs. “That’s why I’m so excited about Dualtone. They’ll be my megaphone,” she says. “You can write a song, but if no one hears it”… Mary trails off in thought. She can’t deny who she really is: a born songwriter who needs to share her heart and soul with an audience.