Article Contributed by Sacks and Company
Published on 2026-03-06
Photo courtesy of Mary Chapin Carpenter, Photo credit: Jillian Clark
5x Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and performer Mary Chapin Carpenter today unveils a two-song collaboration with John Darnielle’s acclaimed indie folk band The Mountain Goats via Cadmean Dawn—listen here. The release features two beloved covers: “Put the Message in the Box,” by World Party, and “Migrations,” by Christine Fellows. Both tracks are available now digitally, and a limited-edition 7″ vinyl—pressed in both Tar and Clear variants—is available for pre-order here.
“John Darnielle and I have been friends for many years now, he’s been a dedicated correspondent and ally in all topics connected to song writing, recording, touring and the balancing act that a life involving these pursuits requires,” said Carpenter. “He also very kindly joined me in conversation on my podcast a few years back to talk about hope—what it means to him, what it looks like from where he stands, and the challenges of maintaining it in the times we are living in. To have collaborated on these two favorite songs with John and the Mountain Goats has been a joy and a gift—joining our voices, singing these words from other favorite artists, and feeling the music deeply.”
“I’ve looked up to Mary Chapin Carpenter for half my life. Getting to know her over the past few years has been such a pure pleasure, so when she asked about doing a split single where we pick songs to cover and help each other out on the effort, what could we say but ‘hell yes’? Mary Chapin picked a World Party song I’ve always loved and I picked out a Christine Fellows song I can barely sing without crying. But I did it! Matt arranged it! This was a great joy for us and I hope you dig it!” Darnielle said.
The release was produced and engineered by Matt Douglas at his studio in Raleigh, North Carolina, and mixed and mastered by Chris Boerner. Mary Chapin Carpenter’s vocals were recorded at Bias Studios in Springfield, Virginia, with engineer Bob Dawson. The limited-edition 7″ vinyl is pressed in two colors—Tar and Clear—in an exclusive run of 500 copies each.
The new collaboration follows the release of Carpenter’s 2025 album Personal History, which received critical acclaim from Americana Highways, Music Row, UNCUT, and more. The Arts Desk named the record the best of the year, writing: “In an era when so much is confected and disposable, Mary Chapin Carpenter is a rare treasure.” In support of the album, Carpenter embarked on a special tour alongside fellow Grammy Award-winning artist and songwriter Brandy Clark. The extensive tour included stops at New York’s Town Hall, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, Los Angeles’ Wilshire Ebell Theatre, plus appearances at the legendary Newport Folk Festival and Louisville’s Bourbon & Beyond Festival.
Carpenter is also set to perform this summer as part of American Tunes: Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing, a special concert series alongside Rhiannon Giddens, Mavis Staples, and Hurray for the Riff Raff. The run of outdoor performances begins June 26 in Seattle and continues through August.
Side A: Put the Message in the Box (Karl Wallinger)
Mary Chapin Carpenter – lead vocal · John Darnielle – vocal · Matt Douglas – piano, acoustic guitar · Chris Boerner – bass, electric guitar · Jon Wurster – drums, percussion
Side B: Migrations (Christine Fellows)
John Darnielle – lead vocal · Mary Chapin Carpenter – vocal · Matt Douglas – bass clarinet, alto sax, piano · Chris Boerner – bass · Jon Wurster – drums, percussion
June 26 — Seattle, WA — Venue TBA*
June 27 — Bend, OR — Hayden Homes Amphitheater
July 30 — Bentonville, AR — The Momentary
August 1 — Asheville, NC — Hellbender by The Orange Peel
August 2 — Pelham, TN — The Caverns Outdoor Amphitheater
*Mavis Staples will not perform in Seattle
April 5 — Tokyo, JP — Blue Note Tokyo
April 5 — Tokyo, JP — Blue Note Tokyo
April 6 — Tokyo, JP — Blue Note Tokyo
April 6 — Tokyo, JP — Blue Note Tokyo
April 10 — Auckland, NZ — Powerstation
April 11 — Wellington, NZ — Meow Nui
April 13 — Sydney, AU — Metro Theatre
April 14 — Brisbane, AU — Princess Theatre
April 16 — Adelaide, AU — The Gov
April 17 — Melbourne, AU — Forum
April 19 — Perth, AU — Freo.Social
April 21 — Honolulu, HI — Blue Note Hawaii
April 21 — Honolulu, HI — Blue Note Hawaii
May 3 — Philadelphia, PA — Sing Us Home
May 15 — Silver Spring, MD — The Fillmore
May 16 — Woodstock, NY — Bearsville Theater
May 17 — New Haven, CT — College Street Music Hall
May 19 — Boston, MA — Citizens House of Blues
May 21 — Columbus, OH — Newport Music Hall
May 22 — Kalamazoo, MI — Bell’s Beer Garden
May 23 — Indianapolis, IN — The Vogue
May 24 — St. Louis, MO — Delmar Hall
May 26 — Nashville, TN — Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
May 28 — Lexington, KY — Manchester Music Hall
May 29 — Charlotte, NC — Neighborhood Theatre
May 30 — Athens, GA — 40 Watt Club
May 31 — Charleston, SC — Spoleto Festival USA^
June 25 — Milwaukee, WI — Summerfest
August 8 — Portland, OR — Pioneer Courthouse Square#
August 9 — Seattle, WA — ZooTunes at Woodland Park Zoo#
October 5 — Helsinki, FI — Kuudes Linja*
October 7 — Stockholm, SE — Nalen*
October 8 — Oslo, NO — Vulkan Arena*
October 10 — Copenhagen, DK — Pumpehuset*
October 11 — Berlin, DE — Metropol*
October 12 — Hamburg, DE — Pop Seasons at Christianskirche
October 13 — Ghent, BE — De Centrale*
October 14 — Utrecht, NL — TivoliVredenberg*
October 16 — Manchester, UK — Albert Hall+
October 18 — Dublin, IE — Vicar Street+
October 19 — Glasgow, UK — Barrowland Ballroom+
October 21 — London, UK — Hackney Church+
October 22 — London, UK — Hackney Church+
October 23 — Bristol, UK — Bristol Beacon+
December 11 — New York, NY — Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
# co-headline w/ The Hold Steady
^ with William Tyler & Yasmin Williams
* with Craig Finn
+ with Craig Finn and The Band of Forgiveness
