Alumna Caroline Hale, class of 2024, said she always knew she wanted to be a musician. At just 14 years old, Hale was discovered and mentored by Martin Strayer, an audio engineer who worked with Ariana Grande, The Chicks and Soundgarden. From there, Hale said she became obsessed with her passion for music.
At UT, Hale jumped straight into her career goals, performing as an opening act for local Austin shows. After graduating just last May, Hale performed at the Ballroom at Spider House on Thursday night, celebrating the release of her live EP, Live at Stable Hall, on Sept. 6. Hale played all of the songs recorded at Stable Hall in San Antonio, her hometown. The setlist follows the tracklist of her debut album, BFF, released in December 2023, which she said she recorded during her sophomore year at UT.
“I remember texting my parents, ‘I want to record an album,’” Hale said. “‘I’m sitting on so many songs that I love … and I want to find the right person to help bring these songs to life.’”
When performing the album at Stable Hall, Hale said the band sounded so good she decided to record a live EP on the spot.
“I asked the sound engineer, ‘(Could we) get some high-quality recordings of this show?’” Hale said. “I got the mixes back, and they sounded great. You (could) tell that it was (an) important show, and the fans were loving it. So I was like, ‘Why not? Let’s put it out.’”
Hale’s producer and member of Austin rock group Band of Heathens, Gordy Quist, said Austin has changed a lot during his 20 years of residence and breaking into the music scene presents more challenges now, but working with Hale proves refreshing.
“It’s been great to see Caroline get something going, seeing tons of people showing up, and everybody singing along to all the songs at her shows,” Quist said. “Hopefully (this is) the beginning of a long career for her.”
Austin band Montclair, whose members are close friends of Hale and Quist, opened for Hale’s Thursday night show. Casen Hutton, lead singer of Montclair, said that on the bill, Montclair and Caroline Hale fit together perfectly.
“She’s a badass. When she walks up onto the stage, she owns it,” Hutton said. “Her bandmates have been around the Austin scene for a long time… It’s fun to watch Caroline get up there and own it. She commands that band, and she doesn’t miss a step. She fits right in.”
Hale said she spent this week in the studio working on a Christmas EP, projected to release in late November or early December, and new original material set for release in spring 2025.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I knew that I wanted to do this,” Hale said. “There was no doubt in my mind that I could… So (I thought), ‘Let’s hit the ground running and see where it takes us,’ and we’re still doing it.”
