The Milk Carton Kids

Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale came together as a musical duo after Ryan attended a solo performance by Pattengale in their hometown of Eagle Rock, California. Both artists had had largely unsuccessful solo careers up to this point and had reached a professional crossroads.{{cite web|url=http://www.metropulse.com/news/2012/aug/22/milk-carton-kids-take-folk-new-highs-and-lows/|title=The Milk Carton Kids Take Folk to New Highs and Lows|last=Everret|first=Matthew|date=2012-08-22|website=Metropulse.com|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128133128/http://www.metropulse.com/news/2012/aug/22/milk-carton-kids-take-folk-new-highs-and-lows/|archive-date=2013-01-28|url-status=dead|accessdate=2013-08-04}}

They released Retrospect, a live album recorded at Zoey's Cafe in Ventura, California, in March 2011. Retrospect predated the band name and was released as Kenneth Pattengale & Joey Ryan. After performing at SXSW in March 2011, the newly-named Milk Carton Kids joined Joe Purdy's North American tour as his opening act and backing band.{{cite web|url=https://www.projectrhythmseed.org/writers/gig-review-joe-purdy-and-the-milk-carton-kids/ |title=Gig Review: Joe Purdy and the Milk Carton Kids|website=Project Rhythm Seed |date=May 12, 2011 |accessdate=March 10, 2019}}

The duo released Prologue on July 19, 2011, their first studio album and the first release under their group name.{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/prologue/id447796907 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714123635/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/prologue/id447796907 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |title=iTunes - Music - Prologue by The Milk Carton Kids |website=iTunes |date=July 19, 2011 |access-date=September 18, 2012}} The San Francisco Chronicle described Prologue as "bittersweet and beautiful."{{cite news| url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/12/PKN31KJ5GH.DTL | work=The San Francisco Chronicle | first=Aidin | last=Vaziri | title=Why Milk Carton Kids are giving albums away | date=2011-08-14}} Following Prologue’s release, the duo headlined a North American tour.{{cite web |date=2011-08-03 |title=The Milk Carton Kids' Prologue Featured at |url=http://performingsongwriter.com/milk-carton-kids-prologue/ |accessdate=2012-01-27 |website=Performingsongwriter.com}} "There By Your Side" from the album was named National Public Radio's Song of the Day.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/08/19/139787197/the-milk-carton-kids-the-sweet-spot|title=The Milk Carton Kids: The Sweet Spot|last=Thompson|first=Stephen|date=2011-08-19|publisher=NPR|accessdate=2012-01-27}} Prologue made Daytrotter,{{cite web|url=https://www.daytrotter.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120202053/https://www.daytrotter.com/|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 January 2012|title=Daytrotter: The source for new music from the best emerging bands|date=20 January 2012|accessdate=29 June 2018}} American Songwriter,{{cite web|url=http://www.americansongwriter.com/2011/11/the-top-50-albums-of-2011-honorable-mentions/ |title=The Top 50 Albums Of 2011: Honorable Mentions |publisher=American Songwriter |date=2011-11-29 |accessdate=2012-01-27}} and About.com{{cite web|url=http://folkmusic.about.com/od/awardsetc1/tp/Best-Folk-Cds-Of-2011.htm |title=Best CDs of 2011 - The Best Folk Americana and Bluegrass CDs of 2011 |website=Folkmusic.about.com |date=2011-12-12 |accessdate=2012-01-27}} year-end lists.

Their second album, The Ash & Clay, was released on ANTI- records on March 26, 2013.{{cite web|title=The Milk Carton Kids website|url=http://www.themilkcartonkids.com/|website=Themilkcartonkids.com|accessdate=2015-05-14}} Promotion for the album included a tour with Austin-based artist Sarah Jarosz, and a November taping of Austin City Limits.

The next album, Monterey, was released on May 19, 2015 on ANTI- records.{{cite web|url=http://themilkcartonkids.com/?page=music|title=The Milk Carton Kids|website=Themilkcartonkids.com|accessdate=29 June 2018}} It was well-reviewed, with Rolling Stone calling it a "beautifully realised folk recording,"{{cite web|url=http://rollingstoneaus.com/reviews/post/the-milk-carton-kids-monterey/1601 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516032548/http://rollingstoneaus.com/reviews/post/the-milk-carton-kids-monterey/1601 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-05-16 |title=Rolling Stone Australia — The Milk Carton Kids - Monterey |date= |accessdate=2020-05-04}} and Paste calling the album, "exquisite."{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/05/the-milk-carton-kids-just-plain-folk.html|title=The Milk Carton Kids: Just Plain Folk|website=Pastemagazine.com|accessdate=29 June 2018}}

All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn't Do was released on June 29, 2018 on Anti- Records.{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2018/04/17/602982996/on-the-verge-of-an-epic-album-the-milk-carton-kids-share-a-stunning-new-song|title=On The Verge Of An Epic Album, The Milk Carton Kids Share A Stunning New Song|last=Boilen|first=Bob|date=2018-04-17|work=NPR.org|access-date=2018-04-28}} Rolling Stone praised the album, and writer Luke Levenson noted that the bandmates' life changes had been significant influences on its sound, commenting that "both halves of the troubadour twosome have undergone serious life changes, with Joey Ryan fathering his second child, and Kenneth Pattengale overcoming cancer and the breakup of a seven-year relationship."{{Cite magazine|last=Levenson|first=Luke|date=2018-05-10|title=Hear Milk Carton Kids' New Full Band Song 'Big Time'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/hear-milk-carton-kids-new-full-band-song-big-time-629217/|access-date=2020-07-28|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}

Their fifth album, The Only Ones, was released on October 18, 2019, and was marketed and distributed by Thirty Tigers. It was relatively short for a studio album, at 25 minutes 33 seconds. This led the band to quip at live performances that they had intended to release an EP, but added two extra songs.

I Only See the Moon was released on May 19, 2023. Banjo, played by Ryan, was added to several songs. A tour of the US was undertaken to support the album.

The Milk Carton Kids have performed on National Public Radio's Mountain Stage,{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/12/19/143971226/the-milk-carton-kids-on-mountain-stage |title=The Milk Carton Kids On Mountain Stage |publisher=NPR |date= |accessdate=2012-01-27}} Daytrotter, and were guest DJ hosts on Sirius/XM's folk channel The Village.{{cite web|url=http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Loudon/message/8580 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718130320/http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Loudon/message/8580 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 18, 2012 |title=Yahoo! Groups |website=Launch.groups.yahoo.com |date= |accessdate=September 18, 2012}} The duo toured in July/August 2012 with Old Crow Medicine Show and The Lumineers; tour venues included Louisville, Cincinnati, Nashville, Richmond, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, and Atlanta.{{cite web|url=http://www.nettwerk.com/news/congratulations-old-crow-medicine-show-their-career-high-chart-debut|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518084821/http://www.nettwerk.com/news/congratulations-old-crow-medicine-show-their-career-high-chart-debut|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 May 2015|title=Congratulations To Old Crow Medicine Show On Their Career High Chart Debut! - Nettwerk|date=18 May 2015|accessdate=29 June 2018}} In the fall of 2012, they toured America again with L.A.-based Leslie Stevens opening, and in November 2012 they began a tour with the Punch Brothers.Punch Brothers In December 2012, three unreleased tracks, "Snake Eyes", "The Ash & Clay" and "Jewel of June", were featured in Gus Van Sant's film Promised Land.

The duo also featured in T Bone Burnett & The Coen Brothers' concert film documentary, Another Day/Another Time: Celebrating the Music of Inside Llewyn Davis, alongside Joan Baez, Jack White, Gillian Welch, Marcus Mumford, Punch Brothers and other folk luminaries.{{cite web|title= Inside Llewyin Davis Concert|url=http://www.insidellewyndavis.com/concert|website=Insidellewyndavis.com|accessdate=2015-05-14 }}

After the release of The Ash & Clay in 2013, they appeared in TV and radio shows which included Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion,{{cite web|title= The Milk Carton Kids on Prairie Radio |publisher=Prairie Home Public Radio |url=http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/}} CBS This Morning,{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/milk-carton-kids-perform-michigan/ |title=CBS This Morning, The Milk Carton Kids |publisher=CBS News |date= |accessdate=2014-07-22}} and Conan.{{cite web|title=The Milk Carton Kids "Honey Honey" 03/27/13 - CONAN on TBS |publisher=Team Coco, Youtube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFIzO6mR3-U }}

On April 29, 2014 National Public Radio released a full concert DVD of the duo, Live at Lincoln Theatre.{{cite web|title= The Milk Carton Kids, Live From Lincoln Theatre |publisher=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/event/music/305633468/the-milk-carton-kids-live-from-lincoln-theater }} On April 11 &12, 2014, they collaborated with Joe Henry and Over the Rhine for a two-night live performance and recording of new songs inspired by the Great American Songbook.{{cite web|url=http://dukeperformances.duke.edu/calendar/joe-henry-over-rhine-milk-carton-kids |title=Joe Henry + Over the Rhine + The Milk Carton Kids | Duke Performances |website=Dukeperformances.duke.edu |date= |accessdate=2015-05-14}} An album of the collaboration is expected .

In October 2016, the duo joined the Lampedusa concert tour in the US in support of equal human rights for refugees.

Ryan plays a 1951 Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar. Pattengale performs on a 1954 Martin 0-15.

The group has been nominated four times for a Grammy Award. Their albums The Ash & Clay (2013) and I Only See the Moon (2023) both received nominations for Best Folk Album, the song City of Our Lady from their 2015 album Monterey received a nomination for Best American Roots Performance, and their 2018 album All the Things That I Did and All the Things that I Didn't Do was nominated for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/milk-carton-kids/18223|title=All GRAMMY Awards and Nominations for The Milk Carton Kids|accessdate=2024-02-06}}

The duo also received a nomination for Best Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2013 Americana Music Honors & Awards.{{cite web|url=http://americanamusic.org/americana-honors-awards-2013-nominees-announced|title=Americana Honors Awards 2013 Nominees Announced|publisher=Americana Music Association|accessdate=2014-03-27|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141221050708/http://americanamusic.org/americana-honors-awards-2013-nominees-announced|archivedate=2014-12-21}}

In 2014 they were nominated the Americana Music Association Duo/Group of the Year.{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/09/18/jason-isbell-wins-artist-album-and-song-of-the-year-from-american-music-association/|title=Jason Isbell Wins Artist, Album and Song of the Year from Americana Music Association|date=18 September 2014|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|accessdate=2014-10-01 |last1=Fusilli |first1=Jim }}

Both Prologue and Retrospect were made available for free download at the group's website.{{cite web|url=http://www.speakersincode.com/2012/01/pajammy-jam-of-day-milk-carton-kids.html|title=Pajammy Jam of the Day | The Milk Carton Kids - Michigan|last=Guymon|first=Katie|date=January 25, 2012|publisher=Speakers in Code|accessdate=September 18, 2012}} By the end of 2011, the two albums had been downloaded for free over 60,000 times. By February 2014 downloads had reached 275,000.{{cite web|url=http://tunes.broadwayworld.com/article/The-Milk-Carton-Kids-Perform-Live-on-NPRs-Mountain-Stage-20120104|title=The Milk Carton Kids Perform Live on NPR's Mountain Stage|date=|website=Tunes.broadwayworld.com|accessdate=2012-01-27}}

1. Retrospect (2011){{cite web|last=Van Vechten |first=Carl |url=http://themilkcartonkids.com/?page=music|title=The Milk Carton Kids|publisher=LOC |date=2011-04-25 |accessdate= 2012-04-04}}
2. "Permanent" (5:10)
3. "Laredo" (5:57)
4. "Broken Headlights" (3:20)
5. "Charlie" (4:01)
6. "Maybe It's Time" (4:27)
7. "Trouble in These Parts" (4:22)
8. "Girls, Gather 'Round" (4:54)
9. "As It Must Be" (4:38)
10. "Memoirs of an Owned Dog" (4:08)
11. "Queen Jane" (3:56)
12. "Rock & Roll 'Er" (5:04)
13. "Lake Skaneateles" (3:54)
14. "California" (4:43)
15. "Like A Cloak" (5:14)
16. Prologue (2011) thumbnail
17. "Michigan" (5:31)
18. "Undress the World" (3:17)
19. "Milk Carton Kid" (4:05)
20. "One Goodbye" (3:13)
21. "No Hammer to Hold" (3:13)
22. "There By Your Side" (4:05)
23. "New York" (3:33)
24. "Stealing Romance" (2:50)
25. "I Still Want a Little More" (3:12)
26. The Ash & Clay (2013)
27. "Hope of a Lifetime"
28. "Snake Eyes"
29. "Honey, Honey"
30. "Years Gone By"
31. "The Ash & Clay"
32. "Promised Land"
33. "The Jewel of June"
34. "Whisper in Her Ear"
35. "On the Mend"
36. "Heaven"
37. "Hear Them Loud"
38. "Memphis"
39. NPR's Live From Lincoln Theatre (2014)
40. Monterey (2015){{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/monterey/id975608849%3E|title=Monterey|publisher=Apple Inc.|accessdate= 2015-07-02}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
41. "Asheville Skies"
42. "Getaway"
43. "Monterey"
44. "Secrets of the Stars"
45. "Freedom"
46. "High Hopes"
47. "Deadly Bells"
48. "Shooting Shadows"
49. "The City of Our Lady"
50. "Sing, Sparrow, Sing"
51. "Poison Tree"
52. Wish You Were Here - Single (2015)
53. "Wish You Were Here"
54. All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn't Do (2018)
55. "Just Look at Us Now"
56. "Nothing Is Real"
57. "Younger Years"
58. "Mourning in America"
59. "You Break My Heart"
60. "Blindness"
61. "One More for the Road"
62. "Big Time"
63. "A Sea of Roses"
64. "Unwinnable War"
65. "I've Been Loving You"
66. "All the Things..."
67. The Only Ones (2019)
68. "I Meant Every Word I Said"
69. "I'll be Gone"
70. "The Only Ones"
71. "My Name is Ana"
72. "As the Moon Starts to Rise"
73. "About the Size of a Pixel"
74. "I Was Alive"
75. I Only See the Moon (2023)
76. "All of the Time in the World to Kill"
77. "Star Shine"
78. "When You're Gone"
79. "Wheels and Levers"
80. "I Only See the Moon"
81. "Running on Sweet Smile"
82. "One True Love"
83. "Body & Soul"
84. "North Country Ride"
85. "Will You Remember Me?"

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|The Milk Carton Kids}}

• [http://themilkcartonkids.com/ Official website]
• [http://milkcartonkids.wave.cat/ WaveCat Playlist]

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Category:Musical duos from California

Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles

Category:Musical groups established in 2011

Category:American folk musical groups

Category:2011 establishments in California

Category:Anti- (record label) artists