AC II: Desert Sky — Ask Carol's second full length album

These last months, and even years, in between very intensive non-stop touring (9 months in the US,  first EU Tour, UK Tour, Norway and more), Ask Carol have been using every available moment to  work on what will now become their second album. It’s called AC II: Desert Sky.  

It all started with their song "Desert", inspired by the vast, beautiful desert landscapes of the  American South West, and that wonderful, and slightly nostalgic, feeling of dreaming yourself away,  endless opportunities and hopeful freedom. That song, and that vibe, is the backbone of the record,  with an occasional reflective and contemplative tune in there as well.  

Oh, and not to mention, there’s a CowChella surprise in there as well! Some Moody blues, and even  one cover song. In a sense this album marks the end of an era for Ask Carol, and summarizes their  last few years in the 10 songs on the album.  

From the funny, feel-good adaptions of their Backyard jam and CowChella music from their viral  social media videos, to the serious and philosophical "Cold July" and "Writing On The Wall", Ask  Carol takes you on a journey, this time rooted in a folk-rock, alternative indie style — with  trombones, vocal harmonies, electric guitar, looping, and taking on more acoustic elements (like  acoustic guitar, as compared to their strictly electric debut album).  

About the Tracks — A track by track breakdown:  

1. Desert  

After playing at SXSW in Austin in 2023 we did a road trip around the South West of the US,  where we played music out in the wild many different places. A big part of this road trip was  through the vast, magnificent open desert landscapes. It was our first trip after Covid, and these  beautiful open areas gave us great feeling of freedom and possibility. This is what inspired our song  Desert. This is also were the Desert Jam series started.  

2. Wind In My Hair  

This song is also about freedom, about traveling, and going into the unknown. Both in yourself and  the world.  

All these songs were recorded in our studio in the Norwegian mountain side, deep in the woods.  This environment, as a stark contrast to the dry desert of our US road trips, has also influenced the  1 of 3

sound of this album, for sure. There’s a certain melancholy that comes with this cold, dark  mountainside.  

3. Cold July  

Cold July is a low key, stripped down, reflective song, inspired by the state of the world, how it may  feel to deal with it all as a young person, and activists like for example Greta Thunberg, trying to  make a change. It’s our first entirely acoustic song, a welcome break from our otherwise at times  loud and energetic music — both for listeners, but also for us, after two years of intense touring,  including 8 months in the US last year.  

4. Are You Leaving Us Here…  

This one is a short little blend of Cold July and a song from later in the album, Seasons. It’s about  change.  

5. CowChella (Darkest Hour)  

This extra surprise is the original CowChella jam, from the first viral jam we did during Covid. It  was our first ever viral video, and it was a very special day that day. We had set up and started  playing in the backyard, as we had done many times before, but this day there was a funny vibe in  the air. The neighbors cows were usually not on the field next to us, but this day they were. We  didn’t know they were there at first, as they were all they way on the other side, but after we started  jamming on the Darkest Hour riff, suddenly the whole flock came running over. They all stood  around listening intently. It was very funny, and luckily we got it all on tape.  

6. Writing On The Wall  

A song written about things happening in the world. With a historical perspective, it also reflects on  parallels between stories from our grand parents and today. We made this song for the 80 year  celebration of the liberation of Norway from German occupation of World War 2, on May 8th,  1945.  

7. Ohio  

Ohio is our first cover, a great song written by Neil Young. It’s a beautiful song about a serious  matter. This one was also a song we did on our Backyard Jam series during covid. After a lot of  requests, and also because we love the song and love playing it, we decided to record it. It felt like  the perfect match on this album.  

8. Seasons  

Seasons is the second all acoustic song, this one is mixed by ourselves. Like everything else, it was  recorded in our studio  

9. Desert Sky  

Desert Sky is a continuation of Desert, the opening of the album, but with a more loose and open  feel. In a way, we tried to capture the vibe from our Desert Jams, Roadside Jams and Backyard Jams,  that spontaneous magic that happens int he moment when you create music on the spot in awe inspiring surroundings. We even included some actual recordings from some Roadside Jams from  our US tour last year. Extra points to anyone who can hear which one, haha, they’re all on  YouTube.  

10. Moo Moo  

Another CowChella classic, our cow blues, in the vein of John Lee Hooker, La Grange, etc, played  live for the cows during the Covid years.  

It felt like a good way to round off the album. It all represents freedom, in a way, like every jam we  do is a blank slate with total freedom, where we let the music take us where it wants to go. And just  2 of 3

like the road trip through the desert gave us that feeling of freedom and possibilities, with a touch of  nostalgia.  

More info about Ask Carol:  

Ask Carol is an alternative indie-rock duo that has emerged from the remote Norwegian mountain  community of Auma, ready to shake up the music scene. Don't let the small size of this band fool  you - with two guitars, drums, synth, Carol's unique bass and guitar system, and a bit of  multitasking, Ask Carol packs a punch with a sound as big as a full band. The music of this high energy power-duo ranges from fierce and mean to soft and comforting, drawing inspiration from the  likes of the Kills, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the White Stripes, all with a distinct Nordic,  melancholic twist.  

Ask Carol has already made a name for themselves on the international stage, touring in the US,  Germany, the UK, Italy, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, and Scandinavia, and performing  official showcases at SXSW three times, with the last being 2023. They've also had the privilege of  supporting The Brian Jonestown Massacre, amongst others, on tour. In August 2022 (and  September 2023 on Vinyl), they released their highly-anticipated debut album through their own  indie label, ChoVan Records, to widespread acclaim from the press, including a 5/6 rating in  Dagbladet, one of Norway's largest newspapers.  

When the pandemic hit and live shows were put on hold, Ask Carol took the opportunity to regroup  and reinvent themselves. They used the downtime to create self-produced music videos, merch and  live recordings, and emerge from the pandemic with their debut album in hand, ready to take on the  world. Their videos have amassed millions of views on both TikTok and Instagram. Despite being  isolated in their mountain town, with only a few neighbors and a herd of cows as an audience  (inspiring their viral CowChella video-series, playing music for the cows), Ask Carol has used their  solitude to craft a dark, introspective atmosphere that permeates their music and is sure to captivate  listeners. After 8 months of touring in the US in 2024, 2025 will see Ask Carol embark on their first  ever European Tour, as well as the upcoming release of their highly anticipated second album in  November. Don't miss the chance to experience the unique and powerful sound of Ask Carol live in  2025.  

Website - http://askcarolmusic.com

Streaming services - https://ffm.to/askcarol-streaming

Youtube - https://youtube.com/c/AskCarol 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/askcarolmusic

TikTok - http://tiktok.com/@askcarol

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/askcarol

Merch - https://askcarol.store