“Princess Dress” is a collaboration with Irish trad guitarist Joseph Carmichael and bluegrass musician Katelyn Buckley on fiddle. Band members, Bryan, Patrick and Will brought their intuitive arranging skills to the table on this recording. Many thanks also to Ren Renfree (Sound Catcher Recording) for the mixing and mastering and to Madison Thames for creating the original artwork for this song!
The Deer’s Cry released their debut album, Rise with the Dawn, in January 2020. The soundscapes on this album are enriched by the unique voices of their collaborators: friends in the US, Iceland, England and Ireland. Together, they journey through various hues of light and dark which culminate in their final track, The Deer’s Cry prayer.
The band looks forward to more live performances as soon as it is safe to do so! In the meantime, they will continue sharing recordings, music videos, and live performance footage (from their January CD release concert) on YouTube and social media.

The Deer’s Cry is a Nashville based band named after an old Irish prayer. They play and sing original music inspired by Irish, Bluegrass, Jazz, and other traditional genres. The Deer’s Cry band is Karen Ballew (Vocals, Celtic Harp, Portative Organ), Bryan Brock (Percussion), Patrick Atwater (Double Bass), and Will MacLean (Banjo).
In late March, at the beginning of the quarantine in Nashville, Karen saw a father and his little girl out walking in her neighborhood. The girl was wearing a bright blue princess dress, and it made her smile! That dress began to symbolize hope for Karen and the band and is the inspiration for their new single, “Princess Dress”.
Karen grew up in Abilene, Texas surrounded by country music. Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, and Alison Krauss are great inspirations to her. Fans will hear how they influence The Deer’s Cry on this new single.