Once described as Sarah McLachlan meets Nirvana, Portland-based folk-rock songwriter Ronnie Carrier’s musical world is like a haunted house with friendly ghosts. Each room is a gothic, fantastical observation on life's anxieties and addictions, risks and rewards, loves and loses. Infusing haunting vocals and Lewis-Carroll-like lyrics, Ronnie Carrier’s musical narratives are as catchy as they are clever.
With music drawing influences from pop to choral to blues to country and beyond, she’s released two albums, an EP, and several singles. She’s toured festivals and venues, taught music to kids, hosted monthly music showcases, appeared on television and radio, and is currently producing instrumental music under the name short4veronica.
Ronnie began performing in front of audiences at an early age, singing and playing guitar in several youth church bands, as well as performing in both large and small award winning choral ensembles from elementary school all the way through college. The influences from these early performances have transcended through the years and woven themselves into her original music.
Her crystal-clear choral voice in anthemic songs like “Wrong Turn and the Mad Sun” and “Entitled.” showcase the seemingly effortless energy behind her voice. More tender songs like “Tiny Song” and “The Sound” showcase her sensitive, dynamic range.
Ronnie’s songs follow proverbial narratives with allusions to familiar biblical tales, supernatural stories, folklore, and world literature. Clashes of good and evil, deals with the devil, and taking bites of forbidden fruit can be heard in songs like “Dusk Walk” and “Reap What You Sow.” Literary lyrics in songs “Still” and “Darling Departed” echo words from T.S. Eliot and Shirley Jackson, while “Spider” and “The Stranger” are twisted takes on well-known nursery rhymes.
From 2020 to 2022 , Ronnie co-produced and hosted the radio show, Local Roots Music NW, which is a syndicated FM radio show airing music from around the Pacific Northwest.
Currently, she is working on instrumental focus-music to accompany tasks like reading and studying under the name short4veronica.
With a warm stage presence and a touch of humor, Ronnie’s talent shines through her performances and her music has something for everyone. Last, but not least, Ronnie Carrier is an expert at the mouth trumpet.