With the release of her debut album, Oddities & Prodigies, last year, alt-pop artist Caroline Romano established herself as a voice of her generation. Tracks like “Panic Attack” and “Ireland in 2009” showcased her knack for transforming personal experiences and situations into relatable anthems, touching the hearts, minds, and ears of other young adults who are finding their way. Her honest lyrics and magnetic vocals make it easy to connect with her music and are two elements of her artistry that keep fans coming back for more. After going through her first true heartbreak a few months into the album’s release, Caroline used her songwriting to find clarity. The result is her new EP, A Brief Epic, which catalogs the experience from beginning to end. We caught up with Caroline to find out more about the project, including its relation to her debut album, its inception, and how it influences her understanding of love in the modern world.
Hi Caroline! The last time we talked was a couple years ago, before you had even released your debut album! Has anything changed for you personally or emotionally or mentally since it came out?
I think I’ve definitely learned a lot about myself and just life in general in the past couple of years. I’m 21 now, and I feel like that time between 19 and 21 is an immense part of maturing and figuring out who you are as a person. I’d like to think I’m more patient than I once was. I’m hopefully less fearful than I was back then too. I’ve become more comfortable with taking risks and putting myself out there. I’ve worked a lot on accepting things as they come. I used to really struggle with trying to force the things I wanted in life. I’m at a place now where I know everything has its time and place and it will come when it’s supposed to. It’s been a lot of trying to be comfortable being at peace with things where they are.
Oddities & Prodigies is such a beautiful rollercoaster, as it touches on so many emotions and feelings that everyone holds inside but are not necessarily embraced or articulated. Are there any tracks on A Brief Epic that are continuations of stories you’ve told on Oddities & Prodigies?
Thank you so much! Oddities & Prodigies, while it’s more of a coming-of-age/starting out story, has a lot of elements of longing and pining for something, whether it’s a person or a dream, which is definitely a major theme in A Brief Epic. This EP is really my first telling of a love story, or rather, a lack of love story. However, there are those moments of anxiety and self-doubt that play into these songs that have carried over from Oddities. It’s always a goal in every song I write for there to be a thread connecting each body of work. I’m writing about my life as it comes to me, and there are some feelings I don’t ever think I’ll shake. I’m excited to see how these same emotions will look different as I get older and continue to write.
Was the creative process for A Brief Epic different from the creative process for Oddities & Prodigies?
The process of writing A Brief Epic definitely looked a lot different than the way Oddities & Prodigies came together. I wrote Oddities over the course of a long time. While many of those songs were written in the same year, some I wrote when I was still in high school. It was more putting songs together that I didn’t realize told one story. A Brief Epic was written in a very short period of time. I experienced my first real heartbreak last summer, and the only way I knew to cope with it was by writing. I wrote all six songs in a pretty short span of time. I didn’t set out to make an EP; I was just trying to get through what I was feeling. But by fall, I looked up and realized I’d told the start to finish story of how it all went down.
I love how “Heartbreak You Can Hear” opens the EP and “Then I Woke Up” closes the EP. They are solid bookends to the songs in between, and I was wondering how you think the EP would change if “Then I Woke Up” was first and “Heartbreak You Can Hear” was last?
From an outside listener’s perspective, I think putting “Then I Woke Up” first would be a really interesting way to open the project. It would probably leave me wondering what happened and what and how things got to where they were off the bat. It would give a chance to slowly unravel the story from ending to beginning, which is really cool.
One of my favorite tracks from the EP is “Guts,” as I act the same way when I am in uncomfortable or in new situations. There’s a line that goes, “When I get nervous, I tend to overshare,” so have you found any tips or tricks to prevent the word-vomit? Asking for a friend…
Haha, I’m glad to know I’m not alone in this! What’s helped me a lot has actually just been that thought – that I’m not alone in being socially anxious. Everyone’s insecure and trying to impress someone or find the right thing to say in a crowded room. That in itself has made me a lot less nervous in social settings. We’re all just trying to do our best all the time, and it’s been really helpful realizing that.
“Mississippi Air” is another one of my favorites. You’ve really captured the innocence and certain comforts of going back home. How long has it been since you last went home? Could you see yourself moving back?
I really appreciate that. “Mississippi Air” definitely holds a special place in my heart simply because of its connection to home. I actually went back to Mississippi a couple of weekends ago to visit family and just chill. It’s always a great reset, and every time I come home I feel like it puts life back into the right perspective for me. I don’t think I ever see myself moving back to Mississippi, but I absolutely would love to visit home more. It’s a goal of mine for the rest of the year to spend more time back there.
“This House” and “St. George” both explore the idea of wanting more from someone, so are these two connected in any way?
Absolutely. The entire EP was all written about the same person. It’s a linear story of a relationship I was in, from the very first night to the last. “This House” and “St. George” are definitely the climax moments of that story, in that they both capture the point at which it fell apart.
In the press release, you mentioned that “love stories” and “classic love” isn’t something you connect with, and that comes across on A Brief Epic. It seems like chivalry and fairy tale romances are not really found in today’s relationships. Do you think today’s generation feels the same way as you, where the idea of a “classic love story” is one that is more imperfect?
I do think people my age, at least from my limited experience, feel like that “love story” element is missing in modern relationships. Love like we’ve seen in movies and heard about in our favorite songs is something I believe so many of us want so desperately. I’m sure that every generation has come with its own challenges in finding love for particular reasons. I definitely wouldn’t say it’s easy to come across today, but I do think it’s there. I think it will always be there.
Do you think love is overrated or underrated?
Underrated. I think love, the real thing, is something no one could ever get enough of.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
I’m already working on what’s next! I’m continuing to write the next part of the story, and I’m having an incredible time with it. I’m hoping to play a lot more shows in the rest of the year as well. I’d love to go on tour soon; that’s something I’m really hoping to make happen. I know it will when it’s supposed to.
Thank you again for your time! Is there anything else you wish to add or share?
Thank you!! I’d just like to say thank you for listening to the EP, it truly means the world. It’s what I know about love so far, in a long story told briefly. I’m so glad it’s finally out. Thank you again for having me!
You can listen to A Brief Epic on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
Keep up with Caroline Romano: Instagram // Twitter // Facebook // TikTok // YouTube // Website
