Carlson attended college at Brown University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors in International Relations, Foreign Policy and Diplomacy with a focus in Nuclear Arms Control.
[citation needed] In 1993, Carlson moved to Santa Monica, California, where she continued to perform in local and regional theater.
Carlson also garnered appearances in films and television shows including: In the Line of Fire, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as a Bajoran Officer and Special Delivery.
David Darling, best known as a member of the Boxing Gandhis and for his work with Meredith Brooks and Brian Setzer, produced the album.
Four singles from the Untucked CD spent a combined 18 months in the Top 30 of the Billboard and R&R Adult Contemporary charts: "Suddenly Beautiful", "Drive", "Count On Me", and "I Know You By Heart".
Other record labels on the Adult Pop Power Players list included Columbia, Epic, Universal, Island Def Jam, Warner Bros, Atlantic, Capitol, Interscope, and Lava.
"Drive", a cover of the Cars' 1984 hit, was a bonus track on the Untucked CD and was recorded immediately following the album sessions.
Dawson's Creek featured "I Know You By Heart" and "Blue Steak Cadillac", and "Dive" appeared on the Bravo reality show Blowout 3.
[citation needed] In 2008, the track "Mother" was included on Stork Tunes: Songs for a Happy Birth Day, a compilation released by the March of Dimes foundation.
Billy Joel, Kenny Loggins, Norah Jones, The Dixie Chicks and Celine Dion also appeared on the disc.
[9] Carlson's audience grew significantly in 2008 when "Feel For Me" was featured in two episodes of the N Network's 3rd season of the teen drama South of Nowhere.
In 2008, Carlson played a show at the Briar Rose Winery in Temecula with special guest host Kate Linder of the daytime drama The Young and the Restless.
In her career, Carlson has performed with Lindsey Buckingham, Howard Jones, Chicago, Kenny Loggins, Rick Springfield, Eddie Money, Julie Roberts, Joan Jett, Tal Bachman, Richard Marx, and Kimberly Locke amongst others.