We don't like to be pigeonholed with a label, so it's hard to give us one in a word! Is it folk, rock, Americana (whatever that means) or something else? Suffice it to say that Curt & Tom can be as intimate or as rowdy as the situation warrants. Carter and Connelley is basically a singer songwriter guitar duo that performs acoustic rock to bluegrass with spoken word interludes, even storytelling and jokes. Original compositions highlighting our love of the natural world make up the bulk of the writing. Every song or reading has a story, a purpose, an inspiration. Our love of the earth and family, respect for those who have gone before, and interest in Native American beliefs are evident throughout. Curt and Tom's musical influences span classic rock to John Hartford to John Prine and beyond. We are proud of our title as "Illinois' preeminent folk warriors" and remain solely atop this realm in the Midwest.

Our first release "Home In The Heartland" speaks for itself recorded after returning to the serenity of the Midwest following a stint on the West Coast. The second release "Carter, Connelley & Cronin LIVE - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" highlights our environmental and social activist side. The CD "Songs From The Seventh Direction" takes its title from a Lakota legend revealing the hidden seventh direction that lies within each person. Curt's latest compositions mark the re-discovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker once thought to be extinct. We also have a live recording from the Sheldon Concert Hall in Saint Louis, MO that is due out soon.

These are truly songs from the heart. Without preaching, Carter and Connelley weaves a musical landscape allowing one to feel the beauty and harmony of nature within one's self. We like to call it "environmental music with a message".

Thanks,
Tom