Every Wednesday, the ugly hug shares a playlist personally curated by an artist/band that we have been enjoying. This week we have a collection of songs put together by Chicago-based artist Carter Ward.

The beings that live in a Carter Ward song are filled with a deliberate sense of belonging, playing with a type of storytelling that feels immediate, scrappy and incredibly sincere as they take shape in their own little worlds. With his rich instrumental voicings, tinkerings that become fixations in his stories, each CW track ripples in the immediate pond that we all wade through; reactionary to the minor moments, the disorder, the celebrations, the heartbreak, the moments we work towards and the pieces of us that have fallen behind all become a reflection point of immunity and community. Although his last official release was 2023’s Try Again, a collection that lingers in our ears with each melodic infatuation, each conscious sound that breaks the facade, brimming with a type of casualty that is both compassionate and committed, Carter is continuously looking ahead at what is next. 

Listen to Carter’s playlist here!

You can listen to Carter Ward everywhere you find music! Check out his latest album Try Again or catch him playing lead guitar in Chicago’s own Girly Pants.

Written by Shea Roney | Photo Courtesy of Carter Ward