LISTEN: “Peace of Mine" off of the debut release from Cincinnati band Carriers

Curt Kiser (formerly of local Indie Pop greats Pomegranates and Enlou) has been honing his craft with his latest project, Carriers, over the past year-plus both on local stages and on the road, performing with artists like Damien Jurado, Big Thief and Kyle Craft. Last year, the band was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2017 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards and performed a mesmerizing set at the CEA ceremony at Memorial Hall.

The rhythm section at that CEA performance was The National drummer Bryan Devendorf and Afghan Whigs bassist John Curley, and that pair (with Curley producing and engineering) has also been working with Kiser in the studio, including on the debut Carriers release dropping this Friday via Old Flame Records. The release is a two-song cassette (it will also be issued digitally) featuring “Daily Battle” and the earthy yet dreamily ethereal gem (sounding a bit like Tom Petty fronting a smoky, psychedelic Dream Pop band) “Peace Of Mine,” which CityBeat is proud to be premiering today.

Devendorf and Curley, of course, are frequently busy with their other projects (The National and Whigs are both currently in the midst of major tours), but Kiser has a sturdy crew of other Carriers. The current band features Cory Pavlinac (guitar) and Trent Becknell (bass), who are also on the recorded tracks, plus Alex McGrath (drums) and Ashley McGrath (keys). (Another former Pomegranate, Isaac Karns, and pianist/singer/songwriter Aaron Collins are featured on the cassette's songs as well.)

Carriers host a free tape release celebration this Saturday at MOTR Pub. Turtledoves and Karns are also performing at the 10 p.m. show. Carriers will also join Bad Veins and Knotts on May 26 for a free show on Fountain Square. For more on the band, check out their Facebook page here and their official site here. Click here to order the cassette from Old Flame.