Casey Carlson to be at Winstock

By Ryan Gueningsman

Casey Carlson will be making a guest appearance at Winstock 2009. Carlson made it into the top 36 contestants of the hit television series “American Idol 8” this winter.

The Eden Prairie native and University of Minnesota student was in the first group of 12 contestants to perform out of the top 36.

She didn’t receive enough votes to secure a spot among the finalists, and the judges did not give her a second chance on the wild card show.

Carlson is presently in the process of recording a demo to use to shop for a record deal. At this stage in her life, she is continuing to find herself as an artist and looking to take the next steps in her career.

“A lot of the fans that talked to me and saw me on the show said that they really heard a country twang in my voice, which is definitely true,” Carlson said. “I think that, naturally, that’s just the way my voice sounds, so I think that my music is going to sort of lean in that direction and my voice is going to make it tie all together. It’s not like I’m from Nashville and have all these country roots, it’s just that that is sort of the style I really like. Sort of a Colbie Caillat kind of meets Taylor Swift – not a severe country pop, but more like a folky pop.”

She hopes her sound will be well-received.

Carlson said she will have to take summer classes this year at the University of Minnesota, since she got behind on her class load while being in Los Angeles for “American Idol,” and she said it’s important for her to graduate on time.