Couldn't Be Happiers

North Carolina folk-rock duo Couldn’t Be Happiers have unveiled Couple(t)s Side A, the first half of their ambitious sophomore album. With roots in storytelling and a knack for blending diverse musical influences, the release solidifies the duo’s reputation as a compelling voice in modern folk music. Following standout performances at the Southeastern Regional Folk Alliance Conference, Confluence Music Industry Conference, and an appearance on NPR’s The Martha Bassett Show, the couple’s latest project is poised to reach audiences far beyond their home state.

At its heart, Couple(t)s is both a tribute to tradition and an exercise in innovation. The EP spans genres while maintaining a cohesive emotional core, with its tracks organized in thematic pairs. Love songs like the tender “Come Back Tomorrow” and “When I Die” open the EP, while protest songs “Plastic Bag Odyssey” and “Tear It Down” carry messages of resilience and defiance. Folk storytelling takes the spotlight with “Devil’s Tramping Ground” and “Pretty Polly,” inspired by Southern folklore.

The title Couple(t)s reflects the dynamic partnership between band members and married couple Jodi Hildebran Lee (drums, vocals, harmonica) and Jordan Crosby Lee (guitar, vocals). It’s a nod to their creative synergy and their admiration for the poetic couplet: “The couplet is simple and powerful–much like folk music,” Jodi explains. “It’s also a metaphor for our relationship. Jordan and I are completely different people, but we work together in concert toward the same goal—creating unique yet relatable folk music.”

Musically, Couple(t)s Side A expands the duo’s sonic palette, incorporating sousaphone, melodica, accordion, and even a musical saw. Tracks like “Come Back Tomorrow” groove with a New Orleans second-line rhythm, while the haunting “Lydia’s Bridge” ventures into industrial textures. Yet, despite the layered arrangements produced with Doug Davis of Flytrap Music Production, each song remains rooted in the duo’s live energy, ensuring the recordings are authentic to their stage performances.

The EP’s creation was a labor of love, often squeezed into stolen moments between work, gigs, and life. Jordan’s insistence on precision and Jodi’s drive to keep the project moving forward served as the foundation for its completion: “The entire process was chaos,” Jordan admits. “Jodi kept us moving, while I focused on getting each song right.”

Couple(t)s Side A delivers a blend of thoughtful lyricism, emotional depth, and instrumental creativity, serving as a compelling introduction to the full Couple(t)s album. With its intricate pairing of love, protest, and folklore themes, this release is an ode to the transformative power of music and partnership.

Whether you’re drawn to its poetic structure, its diverse instrumentation, or its heartfelt storytelling, Couple(t)s Side A is an unforgettable entry in the folk-rock genre—one that showcases Couldn’t Be Happiers as both grounded and innovative artists. Keep an eye out for Couple(t)s Side B in the near future, where the story will continue to unfold with equal precision and passion. - Rotate Magazine

COUPLE(T)S SIDE A, the highly anticipated sophomore album by indie-folk duo Couldn’t Be Happiers, unfurls like a tapestry of musical contradictions, each song a snapshot of the world as it is and the world as it could be. From the opening notes of “Come Back Tomorrow,” the album announces its mission: to create something both timeless and immediately relevant. With a driving second-line rhythm that evokes the spirit of New Orleans brass bands, the song sets the tone for an album that blends folk traditions with expansive, genre-bending sounds. The duo, Jodi Hildebran Lee (drums, vocals, harmonica) and Jordan Crosby Lee (guitar, vocals), deliver their most assertive work yet, using their marriage as the compass for navigating a complex world of climate change, political unrest, and personal introspection.


The duality of Couple(t)s reveals itself quickly in its thematic organization. Side A is a carefully structured collection of six tracks, each split into pairs that capture the core pillars of the album: love, protest, and folklore. The album’s first two tracks, “Come Back Tomorrow” and “When I Die,” offer haunting reflections on love and mortality. These songs weave together an aching beauty, with harmonies that could bring a tear to the eye of even the most hardened listener. The couplet structure, both poetic and personal, underscores how the Lees find balance in their differences. It’s in the contrast between their voices—Jodi’s smoky, soulful delivery against Jordan’s more wistful tone, that the magic truly happens.

Transitioning from romance to rebellion, “Plastic Bag Odyssey (I’ll Never Die)” and “Tear It Down” move into protest territory, where the duo takes on environmental decay and societal collapse. The songs are a call to action, with lyrics that feel urgent without being preachy. “Plastic Bag Odyssey” combines a buoyant rhythm with a biting critique of waste and overconsumption, while “Tear It Down” echoes the sentiments of a generation disillusioned with the world’s disregard for the planet. The instrumentation here is strikingly bold, lush and layered, yet never overindulgent and leaving space for the lyrics to land with impact.


The final two tracks on Side A, “Devil’s Tramping Ground” and “Pretty Polly”, shift into the realm of Southern folklore, where the Lees conjure haunting tales from the American South. “Devil’s Tramping Ground” is a chilling, almost eerie narrative steeped in mystery, while “Pretty Polly” reinterprets a classic folk tune with haunting precision. The duo’s ability to merge storytelling with their folk-rock sound gives these tracks a timeless quality. They don’t just tell stories; they transport listeners into their world, where every ghost, every whisper, feels both real and spectral.


From a production standpoint, Couple(t)s Side A is a triumph of restraint and creativity. Doug Davis, who recorded the album, brings out the best in the duo without overshadowing their raw energy. There’s a tactile quality to the sound where each song feels alive, as if it could come to life in a single live performance. From sousaphone and accordion to the eerie whine of a musical saw, the diverse instrumentation adds depth to the album’s already complex emotional landscape. The Lees’ commitment to staying true to their live sound, even as they experiment with new sonic textures, is evident in every note.

In the end, Couple(t)s Side A feels like a statement of purpose. It’s an album that both pushes and pulls, pulling you into its orbit while never losing sight of its core themes. The couplet metaphor works on multiple levels thus musically, lyrically, and personally and by the end of Side A, it’s clear: Couldn’t Be Happiers have created something deeply meaningful, something both singular and universal. This is folk music for a new era, one where love, protest, and tradition not only survive but thrive. - Hit Harmony Haven

Couldn’t Be Happiers – Couple(t)s Side A
Indie-folk duo Couldn’t Be Happiers have crafted something truly special with Couple(t)s Side A, the first half of their ambitious two-part album project. Jodi Hildebran Lee and Jordan Crosby Lee weave together love, protest, and folklore into six thematically paired tracks, creating a rich listening experience brimming with sincerity and soul.

The EP opens with “Come Back Tomorrow,” a track imbued with a lively New Orleans groove that immediately sets a vibrant tone. The duo’s chemistry shines in the melancholic yet hopeful “When I Die,” where heartfelt lyrics meet their signature harmonies. On the powerful “Plastic Bag Odyssey,” the industrial soundscape supports a call for change, while “Tear It Down” delivers its protest with driving intensity. Closing tracks “Devil’s Tramping Ground” and “Pretty Polly” steep listeners in Southern folklore, showcasing their ability to transform timeless stories into haunting, contemporary narratives.

Each song carries an authenticity that mirrors their dynamic live performances, bolstered by thoughtful instrumentation accordion, melodica, and even a musical saw all while staying true to their roots. Producer Doug Davis ensures the balance of experimentation and the duo’s raw essence remains intact.

“Couple(t)s Side A” is a stunning exploration of love, activism, and storytelling, all stitched together by Couldn’t Be Happiers’ poetic synergy. I highly recommend diving into this EP, it’s an artful, heartfelt collection that demands both a listen and a spot on your playlist. - The Independent Spirits