Carbon Leaf
MUSIC
SINGLES
“You & Me”
“Time is the Playground”
“Backmask 1983”
Album Credits
Lead Vocals: Barry Privett
Guitar, Multi-instrumentalist: Carter Gravatt
Guitar, Vocals: Terry Clark
Bass: Jon Markel
Drums: Jesse Humphrey
VIDEO
“[Carbon Leaf] became the first unsigned, independent band to perform on the American Music Awards, shared stages with the Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer and Jason Mraz, among many others, and have consistently taken us back to a time when eclecticism and diversity within a band’s sound were considered a positive.”
SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Carbon Leaf is one of those bands that puts its fans above all else. The group has a fervent following, especially in its native Richmond, Virginia…
PHOENIX NEW TIMES
After almost two decades together, Carbon Leaf…has effectively created its own brand of accessible bluegrass. But the Virginia natives can't be pinned to a single genre — the band has an ostensible pop side, one that best translates live through Carbon Leaf's varying stringed instrumentation.
CITYBEAT
Carbon Leaf became an independent phenomenon with five acclaimed self-released albums in 12 years, including its breakout live album, 2004’s 5 Alive!
PRESS
[Carbon Leaf] has grown into a touring juggernaut with thousands of gigs in the rearview mirror, a multi-generational fanbase and original music that’s received national airplay.
…another Richmond band with the proper dose of Celtic folk rock for anyone with a taste of indie in their mouths. This six-album strong quintet has arrangements for any flavor, from those with dancing shoes to those with the walking blues. I can’t possibly say enough about them, and to have seen them live once was a real joy for me. – Alex Young, Founder of Consequence
The new album [Ghost Dragon Attacks Castle] is bursting with energy from top to bottom. From the tongue-twisting “The Donnybrook Affair” to the surprisingly jubilant “She’s Gone (…for good this time),” many of the tracks sound like pub singalongs. – Catherine Lewis
CMT EDGE
The band Carbon Leaf is commemorating the 10th anniversary of their breakout album, Indian Summer, by scaling things back. The Virginia-based ensemble re-recorded the whole project with an acoustic spin, breathing new life into a familiar batch of songs – some of which have never left the set list. – Craig Shelburne
…Carbon Leaf is Richmond. Like the town, the band is full of charm, eclectic beyond belief, poignant and wise, chock full of surprises, always ready to entertain…
DENVER POST
Barry Privett brought his emotive vocals and heartbreaking lyrics back to the Bluebird Theater on Friday night, dressed in his signature Robert Palmer skinny tie and backed by some of the most talented musicians in the business, leading fans down a nostalgic path.
NO COUNTRY FOR NEW NASHVILLE
Their sound is eclectic, a combination of alternative country/bluegrass and celtic folk rock, and the variety of styles and instruments will excite everyone in the crowd.
NEWS & OBSERVER
Most people have worked on a project they would like to redo in some form or another. Carbon Leaf actually did it – revamping their debut album, Indian Summer, for Vanguard Records last year. The indie rockers, who veer from folk to country to bluegrass and Celtic, recorded new tracks and released Indian Summer Revisited for their own label, Constant Ivy Music.
BIOGRAPHY
Carbon Leaf – A Life (Less Ordinary) Committed To Music
Carbon Leaf’s fifteenth studio album, Time is the Playground, is both a call to action and an embrace of the moment. Marrying nostalgic storytelling with folk-infused indie rock, the Richmond, Virginia band weaves acoustic and electric instrumentation into a 12-song meditation on time, love, and growth—equal parts urgent epiphany and contented exhale.
“Everybody says people don’t listen to albums anymore,” says frontman Barry Privett. “The challenge for us was to create something that felt good to experience from beginning to end—like a story.”
Released September 2024, Time is the Playground Gound is Carbon Leaf’s first full-length studio album in a decade, following two EPs and a 27-song live album. Written over a span of 15 years, the album blends revived demos with new material, all completed in a year-and-a-half stretch of focused recording and mixing by guitarist Terry Clark. The lineup—Barry Privett (vocals), Terry Clark (guitar, vocals), Carter Gravatt (multi-instrumentalist), Jon Markel (bass), and Jesse Humphrey (drums)—crafted an album steeped in introspection, memory, and melodic resonance.
“Backmask 1983,” the album’s lead single, channels AC/DC guitar and vintage synths to evoke an analog-era childhood, referencing Farrah Fawcett, Time Life Books, Bigfoot, and the “Satanic Panic.” It’s a sonic scrapbook of wonder and transformation. “I want what we create to resonate with us enough that we want to keep playing it—and where others want to keep hearing it,” says Privett. “Hopefully, listeners can find their own stories in these songs.”
Carbon Leaf's History
Formed as a college cover band in 1992, Carbon Leaf has spent the past 33 years performing over 3,500 passionate live shows, building a devoted fanbase drawn to its infectious musical craftsmanship. The band first broke through with “The Boxer,” winner of the 2002 American Music Awards New Music Award—making Carbon Leaf the first unsigned band to perform on the AMAs. The band followed with triple A radio hits “Life Less Ordinary” and “What About Everything,” further cementing its reputation for radio-ready songwriting with emotional depth. Opening slots for contemporaries Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mraz, and John Mayer introduced Carbon Leaf to wider audience and laid the groundwork for decades to come.
After a successful run with Vanguard Records (from 2004 to 2010) — including multiple charting albums and major tours—the band returned to its indie roots, building its own studio in Richmond and launching Constant Ivy Records. In true DIY fashion, Carbon Leaf re-recorded its three Vanguard albums to reclaim the rights. The band will support Time is the Playground with its signature tireless touring, continuing to serve as a model of self-managed longevity in the ever-shifting music landscape.
SHORT BIO
Carbon Leaf’s fifteenth studio album, Time is the Playground (released September 2024), is a 12-song meditation on time, love, and growth, blending nostalgic storytelling with folk-infused indie rock. Known for its Top 5 triple A radio hits “Life Less Ordinary” and fan-favorite “What About Everything,” the Richmond, VA band first broke out with “The Boxer,” earning a national spotlight as the first unsigned act to perform on the American Music Awards. Along the way, they’ve performed with contemporaries Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mraz, and John Mayer, steadily building a devoted following. Now, more than three decades and 3,500 shows in, Carbon Leaf continues to thrive as a fully independent, self-managed band. Time is the Playground gathers songs written over 15 years into an album that feels both timeless and immediate—backed, as always, by the band’s tireless touring and unmistakable sense of purpose.