Press — The Carolyn Sills Combo

The Carolyn Sills Combo wins the 2024 Ameripolitan Award for Western Swing Group!

From the Vintage Guitar Magazine's Hit List reviews in the January 2024 issue:"

“Listening to The Carolyn Sills Combo, you might do a double-take: Is this newly fashioned country music, or a long-lost 1950s or '60s band coming out of the ether? The combo is indeed that good. Guitarist Gerard Egan channels Grady Martin or Chet Atkins - or better yet, himself. Charlie Joe Wallace's steel guitar and Dobro are period perfect. And riding atop, Sills' voice sounds effortlessly - and wondrously - like Kitty Wells or Patsy Cline winging over the airwaves from a vintage Grand Ole Opry show.

The combo has been playing its signature blend of country, hillbilly, and rockabilly on an array of discs very much worth checking out. Sills sometimes calls their sound "spaghetti-western swing." and swing it does.

This is truly a combo, too - tight and focused, with clever, layed arrangements. Jimmy Norris; drumming and Sunshine Jackson's vocals tie a song up with a pretty bow. Egan and Wallace's string work support Sills' singing with period-perfect fills. And when they let loose, solos range from sultry to twangy, sweet to red hot.” - Michael Dregni, Vintage Guitar Magazine

We’re still reeling from the big weekend in Austin, TX… a huge thank you to all the fans who voted for us, the DJs who helped get our new album out to the masses, the Ameripolitan Awards for their tireless dedication to roots music and all our fellow nominees and Ameripolitan artists. It’s a real honor to be a part of this supportive community. Visit www.ameripolitan.org to become a part of it!

Praise for the new album, On The Draw:

Track 5, ‘West of West and East of Tokio (for James Hand)’ was named #24 of the top 50 songs of 2023 by Country Music People Magazine in the UK.

The music video for ‘West of West and East of Tokio (for James Hand)’ won ‘best duet’ at the 7th annual California Music Video Awards in San Francisco on Monday, February 12th! Click here to watch the video directed by Andy Zenczak of Gadgetbox Studios.

“Produced collectively by the band themselves, this album is quality through and through. I can see On The Draw adding to their collection of awards and deservedly so. Five Stars.“ Chris Smith, Country Music People Magazine (see November 2023 Issue for the full review)

“Right out of the chute you can tell that this is a finely tuned musical unit. All of the songs are played with passion and skill and a love and respect for the various musical styles that are featured in this package. Making an album of so many songs in different styles sound like a cohesive collection can be a daunting task for any artist but the CSB makes it sound easy. Five Stars.” - Country Music News International (click here to read full review).

Praise for The Carolyn Sills Combo:

• "Sills and her eclectic combo took to the stage like old pros, as their professional, fun and charming manner won the crowd over in a heartbeat. This is by far one of the coolest shows I’ve been to in quite a while." – Paste Magazine

• "The Carolyn Sills Combo is an all-around attention getter with their flawless brand of Americana meets Folk-Country." - No Depression

• "Powerhouse Carolyn Sills is the real deal of throwback country music. She has enough soul, heart, style and swag to convince audiences and listeners that they may have been transported to an era where country swing rules the waves, juke joints were the place to be, and heartache had a kick like a mule... all the lonesome wails, tongue-in-cheek humor, and late night reflection you'd expect from a classic country gem." - Good Times Magazine

• "Classic honky tonk lives on with Sills' band, featuring a lineup of stellar musicians. Gerard Egan can be counted on for hot country and rockabilly guitar, while Charlie Joe Wallace graces proceedings with his steel guitar." - Michael Dregni, Vintage Guitar Magazine

• “As I walked in the door, Gerard Egan was hammering away at a solo with a sound and skill that one usually can only find on the largest country western stages or in the unsuspecting honky-tonk that’s often ignored or avoided by those outside of the know. And after seeing their set, it seems to me that the Carolyn Sills Combo is that way as a whole: they could play any room, any size, and fill it with their sound and the energy they bring to the stage. Lead singer and bassist Sills has an animation to her performance that, if you somehow weren’t having fun the second you heard them play, lets you in on how much fun the band is having together and makes you want to be a part of that.” - Smile Politely Magazine

• “The five-piece Carolyn Sills Combo brings plenty of vitality and good humor to their vintage retro-country/western setup, all topped off by Sills herself, whose crisp, rangey voice is the ideal icing on a sweet, sparkling cake.” - Music Connection Magazine

“The clarity and sincerity of the singing, the confident individual mastery of the instrumentalists, and the tight, nuanced swing of the Combo are true to the original spirit and sound of ‘El Paso’ while reinventing genre clichés to bring to light glittering refractions of a well-worn tale on its 60th anniversary.” - **Derk Richardson, Peghead Nation** click to read full review

Praise for RETURN TO EL PASO (2019)

• “I think it’s Grammy-worthy, it’s so well-done.” - Sylvia Massy, producer (Click here to read her interview with Guitar Girl Magazine)

• “It’s so friggin’ clever one wonders why no other country musician thought of it: Five songs, each retelling the story from Marty Robbins’ classic ‘El Paso,’ but from the point-of-view of others in Rosa’s Cantina.” - Monterey County Weekly

• This 5-song EP packs a punch, with a terrific concept and no wasted musical notes or lyrics. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll shout at your speakers “Feleena, don’t go to the cantina.” - American Songwriter (click to read full review)

• Country Music People gave the album five out of five stars and included “I’m Not Crying; I’ve Just Rubbed Jalapeños in My Eyes” in their “Best Songs of 2019.”

• “Stories of lust, heartbreak, and death are common to human experience, yet twist a yarn that basks in reverence and not imitation is difficult. At this difficult feat, the Carolyn Sills Combo has succeeded on their Return to El Paso.” - Americana Highways (Nov 2019, click to read full review).

***Good Times Santa Cruz Cover Story 2/5/20:***
*“Santa Cruz Songwriting Couple Carolyn Sills and Gerard Egan Tackle One of Country Music’s Most Dramatic Tales of Romance.”*

**Click here** **to read the full article by Wallace Baine.**

“For Return to El Paso, Carolyn Sills has figuratively grabbed the horse by the reins and embraced an ambitious, and potentially risky project with love, respect and genuine verve, and in so doing proved herself quick on the draw.” Check out the full page spread about **Return to El Paso** in **Country Music People Magazine (UK)**

• “Seeing The Carolyn Sills Combo perform their ‘Return to El Paso’ in its entirety is like watching a 20 minute Ken Burns documentary on Marty Robbins’ classic cowboy song. Carolyn’s banter between songs really highlights the perspectives of the different characters from his original.” - Sleepy John, KPIG Radio

• “As the title implies, this pays tribute to the Marty Robbins classic El Paso by way of five new songs that explore the story from the viewpoint of other characters in the 1959 hit and probably the best-known Western song of all time. It's good to catch up with The Handsome Young Stranger and Feleena after so long and the standout is I'm Not Crying I've Just Rubbed Japalpenos In My Eyes. Give yourself a refresher by listening to Robbins first, but even if you don't this works as a

• "Feleena," the initial song off the Return to El Paso album, reveals the mindset of Robbins’ jealous cowboy and foretells the trouble ahead for Feleena at the cantina. Your soaring harmonies with Sunshine Jackson, the interplay between Gerard Egan's guitar and Charlie Joe Wallace's triple neck steel, and the pulsating tension from Jimmy Norris's percussion all recall the epic qualities of the Robbins' original.” - A Shot of Honky Tonk. Nov 2019. (Click here to read the full “10 Questions with The Carolyn Sills Combo” about the songwriting process behind the album)

• Click to read The Blue Grass Station’s 5+5 interview with Carolyn about Return to El Paso

• “As a collective group, the characters that walked the sawdust floor of Rosa’s Cantina get a voice, sixty-years on, through Return to El Paso, the recent E.P. release from The Carolyn Sills Combo. The cantina jukebox hits the heart, the Honky Tonk of Return to El Paso receives a South of the Border stamp when The Carolyn Sills Combo spin Tex Mex sadness into the background of “I’m Not Crying, I’ve Just Rubber Jalapenos in My Eyes.” - The Alternate Root, click to read full review

Guitar Girl Magazine Interview Spring 2019
Click image, scroll to page 43

Country Music People Interview Spring 2018
(click image to read)

MORE PRESS FOR THE CAROLYN SILLS COMBO

• "The Carolyn Sills Combo’s flavor of gourmet country peels back the layers of western roots to tuck in genuine storytelling, solid musicianship, tight arrangements and good times. Although Sills prefers to write songs from experience, she writes fantastic fiction. “Even Villains Once Were Babies” tells a tale of the lamenting mothers of outlaws. “I was listening to Marty Robbins and I thought, ‘How would he write a song from a woman’s perspective?’” Sills says. Early country music is perpetually being digested through the combo. Ennio Morricone’s climactic soundtracks spawned a collection of their swing songs. Patsy Cline is Sills’ biggest vocal muse. Merle Travis influenced the way Egan picks his guitar, while Bob Wills’ legendary live performances inspire the band to put on a proper party for their audience.” – Monterey County Weekly

• "The five-piece Carolyn Sills Combo brings plenty of vitality and good humor to their vintage retro-country/western setup, all topped off by Sills herself, whose crisp, rangey voice is the ideal icing on a sweet, sparkling cake. The entire band––singer to guitars to drums––is captured with a generous hand on the warm, wet reverb spigot. “Big Canoe” delivers a dose of silly fun; “Rotary Phone Blues” shows the band at its most amiable, while “Even Villains Once Were Babies” has serious undertones in a cautionary tale of poor child-rearing. All in all, Sills & Co. are a tight pro unit, perfect for bookings, but also should be considered for film/TV opportunities." - Music Connection Magazine

• "Even Villains Once Were Babies,” is an impressive first glimpse into the band, as it helps bring alive their signature sound with a Country flare. Sills’ heart and soul is on display throughout, as her longing voice yearns for the music scene of years’ past... and we’re in love." - Paste Magazine

• "The Carolyn Sills Combo is unlike any roots music group performing today, adding a fresh twist to Americana and and Western music. The award-winning band features the diverse musical talents of Carolyn Sills and her husband, Gerard Egan, Sunshine Jackson, Jim Norris and Charlie Joe Wallace. The band's latest album, Dime Stories Volume 2, is a stellar example of their harmony and musically diverse arrangements. The 13-track CD is a bend of original upbeat rockabilly swing, edgy outlaw country and traditional bluegrass tunes. The CD starts with 'Big Canoe,' a clever swing arrangement, with the group's satin-smooth three-part harmony. Other songs include the lyrically bold 'Even Villains Once Were Babies,' Western-inspired 'Buffalo Bill's Defunct' and the samba-rhythm 'Catalina Island,' featuring an unusual steel guitar-guitar accompaniment. Listeners never know what to expect from this group, but that's what makes them appealing to a broad fan base." - Western Horseman Magazine

• "The Carolyn Sills Combo evokes the spirit of the Old West, of desperadoes, gunslingers, and True Grit heroes and their latest album, Dime Stories, Vol. 2, is fun trail ride through the american psyche. There's a fair amount of western swing, blues, and Wanda Jackson style rockabilly to be found. The backing band knows how to take the listener to the Old West in your mind. I'm adding "Big Canoe," "Buffalo Bill's Defunct," "Tinker To Evers To Chance," and "Let The Teardrops Fall" to rotation." - Calvin Powers, Americana Music Show

• "Modern music is infinitely evolving from the past. Notes get fed to the youngsters, who in turn digest them into something that feels right for their time. The wisdom of elders is carried through generations and adapts in light of new life, new minds and new innovations. Some musicians pay their respects to their predecessors more tastefully than others. Take, for instance, The Carolyn Sills Combo. Sills' songs written and produced with husband/guitarist Gerard Egan are an homage to jukebox Americana—tasty twang reminiscent of Merle Travis and Patsy Cline." - Monterey County NOW

• "Occasionally a new band making its own style of music with sensitivity to Western themes catches the attention of fans and music critics alike. The Carolyn Sills Combo of California recently released it self-titled debut CD, earning rave reviews and leaving listeners craving more. Inspired by spaghetti Western films and a range of musical artists, from Bob Wills and Patsy Cline to B.B. King, the band flawlessly fuses classic country, rockabilly , folk, blues and Western swing into a timeless Americana sound. The band includes lead vocalist and bass player Carolyn Sills, and her guitarist and husband, Gerard Egan. Sills' sultry, seductive voice and the band's haunting arrangements add richness and depth to the self-written story songs. The overall result is a fresh twist on traditional music that shows maturity and an appreciation for the genres that shaped it." - Western Horseman Magazine

• "Seguing seamlessly between western swing, country, rockabilly, blues, and spaghetti western, the Combo’s debut album is tight, lively, and refreshing. Sills’ vocals sear, while guitarman Gerard Egan accents with inventive and toneful licks and solos. Charlie Joe Wallace adds stylish pedal steel." – Michael Dregni, Vintage Guitar Magazine

• "Bassist Carolyn Sills and her guitarist husband, Gerard Egan - Santa Cruz's Les Paul and Mary Ford - crank out good stories, catchy love songs and creative chord progressions that will take listeners back to rockabilly vibes of the post-World-War-II era." - Good Times Magazine

• "With the Carolyn Sills Combo's debut disc, fans of 'proper country' have some new heroes... her old-style voice is spot-on for country music. Also spot-on is the fantastic backing band led by 'guitar hero' Gerard Egan, who at some stage will hopefully make a solo CD. The new disc sounds very mature for a debut, with all the musicians and singer moulding together like they've been doing this for years. The future promises many great moments for Carolyn Sills and her friends, but for now, if you like old-style country buy this CD." - Paul Riley, Country Music People

• "Carolyn Sills makes the West come alive with her stirring renditions of western swing, country blues, spaghetti westerns and more. Listening to her music is like stepping into an old saloon or smoke-filled jazz club. The bassist and singer performs old-timey originals with titles like "Bad for You" and "Loaded Gun," poetic throwbacks to music that's too rarely heard these days." - Monterey County Weekly

• “Hallmarks of the Carolyn Sills Combo sound are tightness, feistiness and beat driven (in greater part) retro originals. Maybe I’ll coin a category and call it ‘Rude-y Tude-y!’ It’s also fun! There are bits of 50s Rockabilly, Dance Hall Honkytonk, Western Swing and more. There’s tasty steel, some Duane Eddy-style big twang guitar and fuzz guitar as well. There are songs (particularly ‘I’m Waiting Just For You’) that Patsy Cline might have done if she’d had her way (both artistically and with Fate). The chugging CD opener ‘Bad For You’ sets you up, ‘Aces & Eights’ equates images of Wild Bill’s dead man’s hand to love. And ‘Scratched & Weathered’ is a mambo!! Get the drift??! Both O.J. Sikes and Don Edwards recommended this CD to me. Now I’ll return the favor to you.” – Rick Huff, Western Way Magazine

• “The Carolyn Sills Combo’s full-length debut is a roots-ridden grab bag of vintage country blues, twang and obscure, genre-specific movie soundtracks from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. The sultry, noir-esque narrative, “Hey Kid,” quivers with surf guitar reverberation and western swing that sounds like it’s haunted by the spirit of Les Paul and Mary Ford.” - Adam Joseph, The Monterey Weekly

• "After years in New York City, playing bass with country/rockabilly outfits and singing with the likes of Les Paul, Carolyn Sills has relocated to the west coast to bring her one-of-a-kind show to Santa Cruz County. Sultry 1940’s and 50’s pop, lively twang, surf, rock n’ roll ballads all torched and red hot are part of the mix." - San Jose Mercury News

• "Channeling the playful, sultry approach of the pop vocalists of the 1940s and ’50s as easily as she plays twang, surf or spaghetti-western instrumentals, Carolyn Sills is a multifaceted singer/songwriter/bassist with a penchant for pop." - Santa Cruz Weekly

• “To say that [Carolyn] Sills’ singing is sultry is an immense understatement… her vocals resonate with a throaty anguish, torch songs sung straight from the heart… The effect is mesmerizing.” – Michael Dregni, Vintage Guitar Magazine

• “Swing meets cool jazz & blues with a touch of country twang… Carolyn’s voice soothes your tired soul, leaving you aching for more.” – Michelle Terranova, Go Kat Go Radio

Press for GEORGE BAILEY

• "Even as the holiday tunes come out at a flood-like pace this year, few tunes seem as perfect to hear around the tree as “George Bailey,” the latest from singer and bass master Carolyn Sills. Inspired by the very same character from It’s a Wonderful Life, the song is a pop-gem throwback that’s bound to spread good vibes to your whole family" - Mog Music Network

• "Up second is our new favorite HOLIDAY song, “George Bailey” as sung by Carolyn Sills … an animated masterpiece that will surely be finding its way down the chimneys of music lovers around the world this holiday season (and many more to come in the future)!" - Brian Ball, Women's Radio

• “This (George Bailey) is one of my favorite Christmas singles, not only this year by the way, of the past 10 or 15…” – Paul Richards, WHLI New York

• “This one is so sweet and catchy, it should be an instant classic. Really, it’s that good. And the animation is a whimsical tribute to the old Fleischer cartoons of the Capra era. Give it a listen. And no matter your woes or last minute shopping pressures, you’ll think, yeah, It’s a Wonderful Life. Just amazing what one little song can do to alter your outlook.” – Amy Beth Arkawy, Radio Graffiti

• “Capturing the seemingly forgotten classic Christmas rock sound (the echoing drum and cymbals lead in told me right off this would be special), “George Bailey” could have been recorded in 1959 as easily as 2009. Great lyrics, great music and a great subject all add up to an instant classic now in my top ten Christmas songs of all time.” – Travis, She’ll Grow Back

• “… it pleases me no end, that this song sent over recently, completely and utterly reminds me of the happy up beat moods of that glorious (Phil Spector) album… the lo-fi-but-not production, the jingle bells, the vocals, well, everything really… to add the heart warming charm is a chucklesome animation that proves that it’s not only ireallylovemusic hq that gets a complete scrub down prior to the cracking open of any wine bottle.” – Mark E., ireallylovemusic.co.uk

• “Carolyn Sills’ exuberant “George Bailey” is a successful and tasteful ode to two American archetypes of both film and music. Sills’ track is an obvious homage to the classic Spector Christmas recordings that (for better or for worse) presented to us the template of what a good Christmas themed pop record should be. Additionally, the song uses the same method and ethos of production (“The Wall of Sound”) that gave Spector his signature sound and stack of hits back in the day. It’s been around 50 years since the Ronettes and Crystals sang to us about Christmas lore so a track dedicated to recreating that special feeling shall not be deemed irrelevant nor derivative in my book (or blog).” – IndieDots.Net

• “Carolyn Sills’ “George Bailey” is the best holiday song of the year.” – Todd, South Dakota Dark

• “ It’s interesting to find how many current holiday songs mention It’s A Wonderful Life. Carolyn Sills goes them all one better by devoting an entire song to Frank Capra’s classic flick and its put-upon hero. Set to an inviting arrangement that mixes twangy Country & Western music with a bit of the 1960s girl group sound, “George Bailey” merrily whisks us off to Bedford Falls.” – Terry Flamm, Broken Hearted Toy

• “… And our current fave seasonal delight is the song “George Bailey” by singer/ songwriter, Carolyn Sills and chums. The infectiously catchy tune was inspired by the Frank Capra Christmas classic, It’s a Wonderful Life and its small-town hero, George Bailey (James Stewart)… With its up-tempo chirpy 50s flavour, the song is a treat for those both unfamiliar and well accustomed with the film. And the lyrics themselves are packed with cute and clever references, the chorus especially spot-on… The classic-in-the-making has… gorgeous complementary black and white animation from Rob Ludacer. Enjoy and you just try not to get in the Xmas atmos!” – Boxwish Music Reviews

• “George Bailey – Carolyn Sills slaps the back-beat rhythm on her bass and swings a love song to the character that comes into our homes and hearts each year with ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’, George Bailey. Yes, she speaks up so George can hear with his good ear.” – The Alternate Root