It was 95 degrees in the shade on July 20th, but a group of concertgoers standing on the Bootleg’s steamy asphalt likely had the chills. They’d arrived early to a Margo Price show to see Cara Louise play a supporting set on the venue’s imposing stage. Cara Wegener’s band was sharp. Wegenery herself was stylish and gracious; Jenny Lewis vibes. And the group revealed a new energy and confidence that felt electric.

So on that evening the crowd witnessed either the natural progression of a maturing artist, or a creative shift that saw Cara Louise boldly shed part of its identity as a country act, a distinction for which Wegener was warmly recognized around town. (That distinction was also a yoke with which she was never fully comfortable.) Either way, Wegener and the guys began to shine especially bright that evening, albeit under Price’s lights.

Cara Louise’s Fragile Heart EP will be released on 10/25. Photo by Kristen Mcgeehan.

In 2015, Cara Louise released a live album composed of songs they played at the now-defunct Demo, which housed a small stage just steps from the sizable one the band was fated to occupy four years later. Cara was crooning back then, which is to say she wrote and sang well-composed twangy tunes that were full of promise if not a fully realized vision.

Photo by Lindsey Reust

So it was fun and remains fun to be a fan, having watched the group sharpen their skills and asthetic in recent years. That demo from The Demo has disappeared from Bandcamp, and in its stead a sole track has been posted. But it’s a fitting one: a captivating cover of the Joni Mitchell classic, “Both Sides Now.”

Cara Louise in 2019 is poised and deliberate, and still piloted by Wegener’s capable songwriting and singular voice. While the band’s sound and style are now more Stevie Nicks than Patsy Cline, they’re fully Cara Louise. Wegener’s artistic journey is captured well by two videos the band is releasing ahead of its October 25 EP release show. The first, for “Turn Tears Into Rain,” premiered here last month. And we’re pleased to premiere the second video, for “Fragile Heart,” below. Enjoy:

Further reading/watching/listening:

• 2019 Lo-Fi Saint Louis video
• Alive Mag’s CL feature
• St. Louis Mag’s CL feature
• That Joni cover I have on repeat…