There are times when a song encourages you to let it hold your heart in its hands.

And for Cara Jean Wahlers, music is just that way — it requires unyielding respect and a delicate touch in order to harness its beauty. Wahlers' songs delicately teeter between tragedy and grace, often telling stories as if they're fragile confessions.

She talks about her approach to songwriting as if it's a very natural language, "Sometimes stories write themselves. Sometimes ...  read more

There are times when a song encourages you to let it hold your heart in its hands.

And for Cara Jean Wahlers, music is just that way — it requires unyielding respect and a delicate touch in order to harness its beauty. Wahlers' songs delicately teeter between tragedy and grace, often telling stories as if they're fragile confessions.

She talks about her approach to songwriting as if it's a very natural language, "Sometimes stories write themselves. Sometimes they hide in corners, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal themselves. Sometimes I just need to take their hands and help all the words remember each other."

A fourth generation musician, Wahlers, originally from Akron, Ohio, grew up in central Indiana where she studied piano and double bass from a young age. She continued her classical studies until her early twenties and then found her voice as a songwriter. Many of her musical experiences were taken directly from her parents' record collection and her time spent playing classically; Her fondness for groups like Simon and Garfunkel gave her a sturdy understanding of storytelling which she later has cited as part of an ecclectic collection of influences along with Steve Poltz, Joni Mitchell, Phil Collins, Vic Chesnutt. She's taken those cues to develop her own unique style of writing, a revealing balancing act of personal experience and inevitable human truth.

In 2006, Cara started to seriously work towards putting together a collection of her original material. In 2007, she went to see cellist Grover Parido perform with Blueprint Music. Inspired by Grover's sensitivity, Wahlers felt strongly that his style would beautifully complement her songs. Cara approached Parido regarding a musical collaboration and he agreed to work with her, eventually resulting in a musical alchemy that deepened her investment in the music.

Wahlers and Parido began recording their project in earnest during Spring of 2008 and plan to release their debut album "Goodnight Charlotte" on July 31, 2010.

"Goodnight Charlotte" is a collection of twelve songs written between 2005 and 2009 that features Cara Jean Wahlers on vocals and guitar, with Grover Parido performing cello, piano and bass. "The album feels very much like a walk to me;" says Wahlers, "It winds around a bit and explores different terrains. It was important to Grover and I to create different 'rooms' for our listener to walk through.

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