Photographer: Justin Key
In one of your most recent singles, “Panic Attack” you share a really vulnerable side of yourself, and I wanted to say how admirable that is and also ask what gives you the strength to share this with your audience and the world?
I really appreciate that, as it was definitely scary to put that part of myself out into the world. People know I’m anxious, and I write a lot about depression, but sharing that particular experience was more frightening than I thought it would be. However, the acceptance to the song has been wonderful, and I’m so thankful for the support I’ve seen from those who have listened. I think I wouldn’t be doing my job as the kind of artist I want to be if I didn’t share those parts of myself in my music. Some of my favorite artists, and the songs that have impacted me most in life, have shared incredibly personal experiences in their music. It’s those experiences that I didn’t know if anyone else had, or if anyone else felt that way, that have been so meaningful. I figured if “Panic Attack” could bring some comfort to even one person, then sharing that story would be more than worth it.
With your debut single “Masterpiece” releasing when you were only 15, I was curious as to how do you look back and reflect on that experience now at 20?
It’s crazy to think that that was five years ago. I’m honestly pretty emotional just thinking about it. I’m still proud of “Masterpiece”, and I’m even more proud of fifteen-year-old Caroline having the guts to put out that song freshman year of high school. It was just a taste of what was to come, but it was a good one. We’ve come a long way, but we’ve still got a long way to go. Hopefully by twenty-five, I’ll be able to answer that question with even more exciting things to tell.
If your debut album was represented by a singular color, what color and why?
I don’t know the exact name of this blue, but it would be the dark blue that’s in the sky when it’s cold and wintery. It’s the kind of blue that stains the clouds right before a rainstorm, when the wind is blowing awfully fast, and you feel afraid but also excited for some reason. It’s sad but beautiful. I think that’s the album.
The “Oddities and Prodigies” music video is a beautiful and theatrical piece that’s so immersive it truly adds another dimension to your work. What was your favorite part of that experience working on the video?
Thank you so much! I think my favorite part of working on the video was also the hardest part. I had to run on this tiny, handleless treadmill for quite some time while we shot. It was way harder than I thought it would be to run while simultaneously looking at the camera and performing. It was definitely a humbling experience haha, but I really enjoyed the challenge.
Interview with
Caroline Romano
Meet Caroline Romano, the 20 year old, self-proclaimed “loudest sort of introvert” has already written and performed into the hearts and ears of an anxious generation, racking up millions of streams across her single releases. Caroline’s debut album showcases her witty, introspective and hopeful take on modernity, romanticism and the highs and lows of being young in today’s world. From misty-eyed ballads to fiery pop-punk anthems, Oddities and Prodigies is sure to cement Caroline as one of the next great Gen Z pop acts
How do you attack the creative process of songwriting? Is it something that is always organic or do you go into a song with an idea you want to convey?
Songwriting is always different every time, and that’s what I love about it. It’s often organic, especially when I’m writing alone. I’ll just start writing words and see what happens. Usually the words write their own melody, and you build it out from there. There are definitely times where I go into a write with an idea, and we build the entire song around that concept or track vibe.
Who are some artists you find inspiring right now?
Noah Kahan, Julia Wolf, YUNGBLUD, Jon Billion, Conan Gray, Gang of Youths, and Olivia Rodrigo are all artists I’m really inspired by at the moment.
What advice would you give your past self who wrote “Lonely Interlude” and to anyone experiencing that feeling of loneliness?
I would tell myself, and anyone else experiencing that sort of loneliness, to hang on. I would tell myself to take that time for what it is and to use it to slow down. Use the loneliness to look at the world, and yourself in a different light. However, just wait, because this feeling is not forever. You will find people who love you and who you love back. Your nights will be filled with dancing and laughter you didn’t think you’d ever find. It’s just an interlude.
Like your single name, you have mentioned your unafraid to be a “Jagged Star” in a world that demands perfection from its youth. So I was wondering, as a generation of young artists, how can we help demolish and defy that concept?
It’s hard, but we have to stop caring about what the world thinks of us. The internet will never be satisfied, and young people are fickle. Write what you want to write, and say what you want to say. It’s cliche, but it’s so true. The hardest part is being yourself, then the rest is easy.
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