Mary Chapin Carpenter is the only artist that has ever won four consecutive Grammys for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. But she’s hardly “country” these days, a radio format that is more interested in tight jeans and pickup trucks than quality songwriting. The spot she best fits now is what has become known as “Americana,” but as she says, Americana isn’t a new concept. She’s a songwriter. She’s a rebel that broke through country radio two decades ago but refused to conform.
Blake Ells 