The Milk Carton Kids

The Milk Carton Kids are an American indie folk duo from Eagle Rock, California, United States, consisting of singers and guitarists Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan, who began making music together in early 2011. The band has recorded and released six albums: ''Retrospect'', ''Prologue'', ''The Ash & Clay'', ''Monterey'', ''All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn't Do'', and ''The Only Ones''. They are noted for releasing their first two albums free of charge. The band was featured on the Peacock TV show Girls5Eva with the new song ''New York Lonely Boy''.

Biography

Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale formed a musical duo after Ryan attended a solo performance by Pattengale in their shared hometown of Eagle Rock, California. The Milk Carton Kids came together after both artists had largely unsuccessful solo careers and had reached a professional crossroads.

They released ''Retrospect'', a live album recorded at Zoey's Cafe in Ventura, California in March 2011. ''Retrospect'' predates the band name, and was released under Kenneth Pattengale & Joey Ryan. After performing at SXSW in March 2011, The Milk Carton Kids joined Joe Purdy's North American tour as his opening act and backing band.

''Prologue'' (2011)

The duo released ''Prologue'' on July 19, 2011. This was their first studio album and the first release under the band's name. The San Francisco Chronicle referred to ''Prologue'' as "bittersweet and beautiful."

"There By Your Side" was named National Public Radio's Song of the Day. ''Prologue'' made Daytrotter, American Songwriter, and About.com year-end lists.

Following ''Prologue''’s release, the group headlined a North American tour.

''The Ash & Clay'' (2013)

The group's second album ''The Ash & Clay'' was released on ANTI- records on March 26, 2013. Promotion for the album included touring with Austin-based artist Sarah Jarosz and a November taping of Austin City Limits.

''Monterey'' (2015)

On May 19, 2015, the band released its album ''Monterey'' on ANTI- records. The album was well-reviewed, with Rolling Stone calling it a "beautifully realised folk recording" and Paste calling the album "exquisite".

''All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn't Do'' (2018)

''All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn't Do'' was released on June 29, 2018 on Anti- Records. ''Rolling Stone'' praised the album, with writer Luke Levenson noting the bandmates' life changes as significant influences in its sound, commenting "both halves of the troubadour twosome have undergone serious life changes, with Joey Ryan fathering his second child and Kenneth Pattengale overcoming cancer and the breakup of a seven-year relationship."

''The Only Ones'' (2019)

''The Only Ones'' was released on October 18, 2019 and was marketed and distributed by Thirty Tigers. It had a relatively short length for a studio album at just 25 minutes and 33 seconds. This led the band to quip at live performances that they intended to release an EP but added two extra songs.

Appearances and performances

The Milk Carton Kids have performed on National Public Radio's '' Mountain Stage'', Daytrotter, and were guest DJ hosts on Sirius/XM's folk channel The Village. The duo toured on July/August 2012 with Old Crow Medicine Show who were supporting their new albums "Carry Me Back") and The Lumineers. The tour visited such cities as: Louisville, Cincinnati, Nashville, Richmond, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, and Atlanta. In the fall of 2012, they toured America again with L.A.-based Leslie Stevens opening and in November 2012, they began their tour with the Punch Brothers. In December 2012, three unreleased tracks ("Snake Eyes", "The Ash & Clay" and "Jewel of June") were featured in Gus Van Sant's film ''Promised Land'', starring Matt Damon and John Krasinski.

They were also featured in T Bone Burnett & The Coen Brothers' concert film documentary, ''Another Day/Another Time: Celebrating the Music of '' Inside Llewyn Davis'', ''alongside Joan Baez, Jack White, Gillian Welch, Marcus Mumford, Punch Brothers and many other folk luminaries and upstarts.

After the 2013 release of ''The Ash & Clay'' they appeared on a number of TV and Radio performances including Garrison Keillor's '' A Prairie Home Companion'', ''CBS This Morning'', and '' Conan''.

On April 29, 2014 National Public Radio released a full concert DVD, ''Live at Lincoln'' Theatre. On April 11–12, 2014 they collaborated with Joe Henry and Over the Rhine for a two night live performance & recording of all new songs inspired by the Great American Songbook. An album of the collaboration may be forthcoming but no date has been set at this time.

In October 2016, the duo joined the Lampedusa concert tour in the US in support of equal human rights for refugees.

Instruments

Ryan plays a 1951 Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar while Pattengale performs on a 1954 Martin 0-15.

Awards, honors, distinctions

The Milk Carton Kids' 2013 album, ''The Ash & Clay'', received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Folk Album of 2013, and the duo additionally received a nomination for Best Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2013 Americana Music Honors & Awards.

In 2014 they were selected the Americana Music Association Duo/Group of the Year.

The song "City of Our Lady" from the 2015 album ''Monterey'' received a Grammy Award nomination for Best American Roots Performance.

Both ''Prologue'' and ''Retrospect'' were made available for free download at the group's website. By the end of 2011, the two albums had been downloaded for free over 60,000 times. By February 2014 downloads had reached 275,000.

Discography

#''Retrospect'' (2011)
## "Permanent" (5:10)
## "Laredo" (5:57)
## "Broken Headlights" (3:20)
## "Charlie" (4:01)
## "Maybe It's Time" (4:27)
## "Trouble in These Parts" (4:22)
## "Girls, Gather 'Round" (4:54)
## "As It Must Be" (4:38)
## "Memoirs of an Owned Dog" (4:08)
## "Queen Jane" (3:56)
## "Rock & Roll 'Er" (5:04)
## "Lake Skaneateles" (3:54)
## "California" (4:43)
## "Like A Cloak" (5:14)
#''Prologue'' (2011)
## "Michigan" (5:31)
## "Undress the World" (3:17)
## "Milk Carton Kid" (4:05)
## "One Goodbye" (3:13)
## "No Hammer to Hold" (3:13)
## "There By Your Side" (4:05)
## "New York" (3:33)
## "Stealing Romance" (2:50)
## "I Still Want a Little More" (3:12)
#''The Ash & Clay'' (2013)
## "Hope of a Lifetime"
## "Snake Eyes"
## "Honey, Honey"
## "Years Gone By"
## "The Ash & Clay"
## "Promised Land"
## "The Jewel of June"
## "Whisper in Her Ear"
## "On the Mend"
## "Heaven"
## "Hear Them Loud"
## "Memphis"
#''NPR's Live From Lincoln Theatre'' (2014)
#''Monterey'' (2015)
## "Asheville Skies"
## "Getaway"
## "Monterey"
## "Secrets of the Stars"
## "Freedom"
## "High Hopes"
## "Deadly Bells"
## "Shooting Shadows"
## "The City of Our Lady"
## "Sing, Sparrow, Sing"
## "Poison Tree"
#''Wish You Were Here - Single'' (2015)
## "Wish You Were Here"
#''All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn't Do'' (2018)
## "Just Look at Us Now"
## "Nothing Is Real"
## "Younger Years"
## "Mourning in America"
## "You Break My Heart"
## "Blindness"
## "One More for the Road"
## "Big Time"
## "A Sea of Roses"
## "Unwinnable War"
## "I've Been Loving You"
## "All the Things..."
#The Only Ones (2019)
##"I Meant Every Word I Said"
##"I'll be Gone"
##"The Only Ones"
##"My Name is Ana"
##"As the Moon Starts to Rise"
##"About the Size of a Pixel"
##"I Was Alive"

References

External links

Official websiteWaveCat Playlist

{{DEFAULTSORT:Milk Carton Kids
American musical duos
Musical groups from Los Angeles
Musical groups established in 2011
American folk musical groups
2011 establishments in California
Anti- (record label) artists