MILES OF TIME – Carl Carlton & Melanie Wiegmann
Multifaceted genres and room-filling, exciting interpretations – “Miles Of Time” – the new
album by guitarist, producer, and composer Carl Carlton and singer and actress Melanie
Wiegmann – will be available in stores on January 23, 2026.
Following their first joint album “Glory Of Love” in 2023, which entered the German album
charts at number 50, Carl Carlton & Melanie Wiegmann have once again given free rein to
their creativity. Surrounded by a Mediterranean island climate, azure blue sea, and lots of
records, their home on the Mediterranean island of Gozo soon became a source of inspiration
for discovering fascinating musical gems. As with their first work, the challenge for the new
album was to create special interpretations and interesting arrangements. “We love to
preserve lesser-known pieces from different genres and cultures and revive them in a new
guise. It’s a great pleasure to make older songs accessible to a new audience,” says Carl. And
Melanie adds: “We have once again paid close attention to the content of the songs. Topics
that directly affect us and thoughts that we make our own, about loss, change, and the
inexorable passage of time.”
With this approach, the album title “Miles Of Time” is a perfect fit, complementing the
experienced musicality of the two. A cross-generational groove that presents loud, quiet,
thoughtful, and cheerfully colorful perspectives on life. And even the environment in which
this album was created couldn’t be more colorful. All basic tracks were recorded live at
Temple Studios Malta by the quartet of Melanie, Carl, Wayne P. Sheehy (Hothouseflowers,
Ronny Wood Band, Tea Party, etc.) on drums/percussion, and Yoyo Röhm (Bad Seeds, Ben
Becker, Mick Harvey, etc.) on electric bass, double bass, piano, and Mellotron. The tracksthen went out into the studio world, including Keb Mo’s vocals in L.A. and Rami Jaffee’s
Hammond organ in Las Vegas. The last big session, with guest musicians from Carl’s
“Woodstock Family,” took place at Justin Guip’s Milan Hill Studios, where the album was
then completed and mixed. A true happening!
Woodstock – “Love, Peace and Happiness” – is not just a cliché, but a philosophy of life for
the freedom-loving musicians there. Carl has been part of this unique community for over 20
years. He owes this to his deep friendship and collaboration with Levon Helm, the legendary
drummer and singer Levon of the iconic group “The Band.”
“Over the years, I have recorded and produced various projects and relevant albums in
Levon’s Barn in Woodstock. I am overjoyed to have inspired Melanie with this magical,
creative place and its vibrant music community. During our last stay, we immediately and
intuitively felt that our new album would find its musical perfection here!” This vibrant
energy immediately rubbed off on Melanie: “Carl showed me his Woodstock 2022 – his
musical family. Woodstock and its residents immediately captivated me. There is music
everywhere. Every bar has a Hammond organ or a piano. Everyone is constantly playing
concerts somewhere, and you get the feeling that time has stood still in Woodstock in a
wonderful and creative way. These great musicians we worked with on the album are all
about musical collaboration and the happening. Everyone gives their best in every way! It
was simply impressive.”
Carl & Melanie show how timeless music is in its most harmonious form. Despite an age
difference of almost 18 years, the two are equally enthusiastic about a song, as Carl
unpretentiously notes: “A good song is a good song, regardless of its era, and the same goes
for the groove. We definitely agree on that. Melanie has always been immersed in many
different genres of music across generations, which puts the age difference into perspective.”
For Melanie, too, the musical range is no problem: “Music has always been a very important
part of my life, and I started singing before acting. In fact, it was Carl who really immersed
me deeply in the music of the American South, among other things. And then with full force.
We quickly realized how much we both love these musical fields.”
This love of music is also evident on “Miles Of Time,” where the two voices become one,
giving each of the 13 songs a new face. A favorite? No, as Carl so beautifully emphasizes:
“They’re all our babies and we love them all equally.” It would also be difficult to
differentiate between these gems of songs, because track by track, you are immersed in a
different emotional atmosphere.Carl & Melanie demonstrate the timelessness of music in its most harmonious form. Despite
an age difference of almost 18 years, they are both equally enthusiastic about a song, as Carl
unpretentiously notes: “A good song is a good song, regardless of its era, and the same goes
for the groove. We are undoubtedly and definitely in agreement on that. Melanie has always
immersed herself in many different genres of music across generations, which puts the age
difference into perspective.“ For Melanie, too, the musical range is no problem: ”Music has
always been a very important part of my life, and I started singing before I started acting. In
fact, it was through Carl that I really immersed myself in the music of the American South,
among other things. And then with full force. We quickly realized how much we both love
this musical field.“
This musical love is also evident on ”Miles Of Time,“ where the two voices become one,
giving each of the 13 songs a new face. A favorite? No, as Carl so beautifully emphasizes:
”They are all our babies and we love them all equally.” It would also be difficult to
differentiate between these song gems, because track by track you are immersed in a different
emotional atmosphere. With their first single “Just Like You,” by 5-time Grammy winner
Keb’Mo and Carl’s brotherly friend, the blues are unleashed. “Love Potion Number 9” by The
Clovers rocks engagingly, and “Both Sides Now” by the incomparable Joni Mitchell is
wonderfully carried by the harmonious interplay of Carl’s and Melanie’s voices. “Big Boss
Man” showcases not only Carl’s delicate guitar sound but also the lasciviousness of Melanie’s
timbre, while “Daddy’s Little Pumpkin” once again fills the room with rock. The atmosphere
becomes more atmospheric with the song “Sidewalk Conversation,” in which Carl & Melanie
pay tribute to Carl’s son Max Buskohl by performing his melancholic song in two voices.
And with “Alive,” the album also features one of Carl’s own compositions, which he wrote in
memory of his deceased parents and imbued with a life-affirming attitude. “Little Bird”
closes the circle of this all-encompassing album, which looks back on dramatic changes in
life and first love.
As philosopher Wilhelm Busch said, “The sum of our lives is the hours we love,” and that is
exactly the consensus of Melanie & Carl. The love they have for each other and the love they
have for what they create together. Because for both of them, the other one is the love of their
life in every respect.
