"As we get older and learn from our mistakes, or learn from our lessons, or learn from whatever we get stronger if we're smart. And I'm a genius, so there you have it!"

After that statement, the laughter rang out over the phone line between California and Maine as country/rock singer-songwriter Carlene Carter called to chat about her new album, "Stronger," and her tour that will bring her to our fair state this weekend: Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield and Sunday, Nov. 23, at the Unity Centre for the Performing Arts.

Back in 2003, life handed not one but four powerful punches to Carter. Her long-time partner Howie Epstein died in February of that year, her mother, June Carter Cash, passed away in May while stepfather Johnny Cash died that September, and her younger sister, Rosey, passed away in October. It took a while, but with the help of family and friends, she was able to get herself back together and ended up writing an album -- the aforementioned "Stronger" -- to share her struggles and ultimate triumph.

"That whole album is very autobiographical," she explained softly.

Talk turned quickly back to the tour and, in particular, the two shows here in Maine. Now, one was curious to know about her backing band, if she was, indeed, going to have one with her.

"Well, actually, I'm doing a series of like five shows where I go as a three-piece with myself, my guitar player and my keyboard player," Carter said. "It's partly because of the economy, but also, too, it's a neat thing in that it's a little intimate show. I talk a lot more: Where the songs came from, for instance. I've done maybe four or five shows like that and I'm having fun doing 'em. And, no one's been disappointed so I'm going to press on with it until the end of the year, then I'll probably boot the band back up again."

That "band" is made up of four backing musicians -- two of them will be with her in Brownfield and Unity.

"I've got a really great guitar player -- Sean Allen -- who teaches guitar and lap-steel and stuff like that at the Napa College of Music; and then my keyboard player, Mike Emerson -- has been around for ages and I just adore him. I mean they're really great guys on top of being great players, so that's always a plus. And we still do a pretty good kick-ass show even though we don't have the rhythm section. It's still high-energy even though," she chuckled again, "I talk a lot. We manage to cram in a lotta music."

The performer explained that she and her two band mates will be doing most of the material from "Stronger" as well as some songs from her earlier albums.

"We'll also do several Carter Family things," she said. "And I try to get in as much as I can -- I can talk really fast, but I need to talk a lot, without making the songs too fast."

Seeing it's been a while since she's played in Maine, was there anything that she wanted to have passed on to the readers of this "What's Happening" article?

"Well, I guess that I'm the proudest of this album of any that I've every done," she said. "I've said that before in the past, but this has really been a labor of love and a labor of heartache for me at the same time, and a lot of healing has taken place through this record."

The singer-songwriter paused ever so briefly before bringing the 20-minute interview to a conclusion with on last thought about her Yep Roc Records debut disc.

"There's so much of my heart in this record and that's what I think is gonna come across to people and I think that they all relate to it because everybody's loved somebody and everybody's lost somebody at some point in their lives and this album is a whole lot about that stuff," Carter said. "It's also about being feisty and keeping' on going: That's really the spirit of it, being stronger."