Candi Carpenter

With a strong voice that garnered notice as a preteen, Candi Carpenter's passionate accounts of betrayal, empowerment, and monsters both real and figurative were rooted in the country music tradition before moving into alternative territory. A major-label dalliance produced the lauded "Burn the Bed" in 2016. Their gradual shift in sound coincided with a series of collaborations with Brandi Carlile culminating in 2021's When the Asteroid Comes EP, which still embraced twang, as did the duo outing Here Comes Church of Roswell with Josh Doyle. They next addressed identity, gender roles, and sexual orientation on 2022's "Exorcist" and 2023's "Novels About Vampires," both of which embraced a more dedicated alternative pop/rock sound.