Musician Spotlight: Karla Causey

Karla Causey sitting in a field with her guitar (James Vincent Carroll Photography)

Karla Causey, a singer, songwriter, teacher and a mom shares her love and passion for songwriting and music with local residents and across North Carolina. Moving to Statesville at the age of eight, she has found her roots and love for music here in Iredell County. 

“I started singing with my mom and sisters when I was a child in church,” said Causey. The family moved into barbershop choirs, where Causey sang alongside her family. “I took interest in Bluegrass in my early teens.” 

Spending her time at the Cook Shack in Union Grove, Causey would admire musicians from various backgrounds—beginners to long time professionals—play together in jam sessions. “Let me tell you,” Causey said with a big smile on her face, “These jam sessions were epic.”

“Where the Cook Shack is located, when Merlefest happens, a lot of the musicians would come to the Cook Shack and pop in,” said Causey. Pal and Myles Ireland have owned the Cook Shack since 1961 with the jams going on happening well over 20 years. The doors closed in 2015 when the Ireland’s retired but that did not stop music lovers and musicians from creating their own sound. 

“When I was a child, I would go to church in Boone,” said Causey. She states that the church was operated by musicians. She speaks about the time the church invited Doc Watson for service one morning. “I think that changed me. I was about nine at the time,” said Causey. 

After spending countless weekends at the Cook Shack and taking music lessons, she found her sound and love for Bluegrass. “I love the authenticity of it [Bluegrass music]. It feels homey and cozy. I like the stories—something about upbeat music with sad lyrics. It is almost like life.” 

Studying classical voice and classical jazz, along with her participation in church, watching her mother and grandmother sing, and exposure at the Cook Shack, all of these influences found a place within Causey’s music. “It is all in the music melting pot,” said Causey. 

“What music has been for me has always been a lifeline of a creative outlet,” expressed Causey. “It is just a connection. As a child, it was a connection to family. As a teenager, it was community and friendships.”

Causey expressed how music has helped her find herself in her early 30s. “It has been fun because it shows up in my music,” she said. “But, music has always been the constant in my life.”

While Causey is a musician by night, by day she is a teacher and a mother. “It is very busy. Being a mom is the most important role for sure,” she said. “Being a teacher by day, I get to help people see the best versions of themselves. Writing and performing music is a stream of income but it is what makes my soul stay alive. I have to do that or else I feel lost in a way.” Being a single mother, she shares how she is excited to see her children becoming interested in her music and wanting to perform. “They are showing interest in performing with me so that is exciting.”

In addition to her solo singing and songwriting, Causey is a part of a duo project—Magnolia Fire. Josh Myers, bringing in aspects of punk and emo, and Causey, bringing in jazz, finds Bluegrass to be the middleman for the duo. “We met at a jam session and we realized that our voices blend together,” said Causey. 

The duo works together to create the music for the play “Tom Dooley: A Wilkes County Legend,” written and directed by Karen Reynolds. “It was fun working with her and finding the music to match the show,” said Causey. 

One of Causey's ambitions is to write music for the theater world. Causey speaks about how she is working on having more music released in the future, along with music for Magnolia Fire. “I have written a lot of music in the past three years about life and I’ve recorded a big chunk of it,” she said. 

Check out Karla Causey on her website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify. Upcoming shows and dates can be found in the image below and on her socials.