Curt Kiser of Carriers Photo: Egan Parks

Before stepping foot in a recording studio, Curt Kiser — the mastermind behind the Carriers project which originated in Cincinnati — knew that songwriting was his calling.

“When I was 19 years old, I looked to the heavens and asked what I should do with my life,” Kiser said in a press release. “I grabbed the old 1950s Goya guitar which was passed down to me from my great uncle Andy, sat on my porch in Cincy’s Camp Washington neighborhood and proceeded to write one of the first songs I’d ever written on my own. From that point on, I’ve never stopped writing. It’s my therapy.”

On Every Time I Feel Afraid, Carriers’ latest album set to release on May 2, Kiser takes listeners on an Americana drive down the road to destiny; although it seems endless, stopping to appreciate the little things along the way keeps him going. On standout track “Sometimes,” Kiser laments over a guitar twang: “Sometimes I get to thinking ‘bout this life/where I’ve ended up and was it right.”

Fans of Lord Huron and Hozier will likely feel at home in the Carriers’ introspective look at life’s great uncertainties and how he transforms them into hope. The album’s title — Every Time I Feel Afraid — is a mantra used by Kiser when faced with tough times. This sense of optimism is a major theme throughout the album, notably on track “Blurry Eyes,” which was written during the COVID pandemic. Kiser gently explains in the song: “Try to trust that it’s alright/have my doubts, but still, I find/blurry eyes, blurry eyes/is it something for this time?”

Support for Carriers has recently been bolstered after signing to the Brooklyn recording label Brassland, which was co-founded by brothers Bryce and Aaron Dessner of acclaimed Cincinnati band The National. Kiser previously completed session work on The National’s last two albums, and drummer Bryan Devendorf can be heard on Kiser’s last EP, Blue EP. Additionally, Carriers performed during a Monday night football game for the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2024 season to an audience of 60,000 people. The Carriers have also opened for rock groups Big Thief and Band of Horses.

Praise for Carriers extends beyond Cincinnati, with indie-rock musician Sharon Van Etten listing Carriers in her “recommended listening” liner notes on her latest EP.

Believers of fate will find solace in the album and all its internal worries. Kiser’s raw and relatable struggles with life get turned on their head throughout the album, showing that every burden makes the light brighter at the end of the tunnel.

Tracks “Sometimes” and “Blurry Eyes” are available to buy/stream here. Carriers’ album Every Time I Feel Afraid is out May 2 and is available for preorder here. 

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This article appears in Jan 8-21, 2025.

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