Q&A: Alt-Pop Sensation Caroline Romano Chronicles Complexities of Love in “Doesn’t Matter”
MAYBE INEVITABLE HEARTBREAK IS WORTH IT – Alt-pop singer and songwriter Caroline Romano is back with a mesmerizing new single that delves into the complexities of relationships and the tangled emotions that come with them. With "Doesn't Matter," Romano continues to carve out her unique niche in the music scene, blending indie-pop with alt-rock in a way that is both confessional and captivating.
“Doesn’t Matter” opens with dreamy synths that set the stage for Romano's ethereal vocals to take center stage. As the song progresses, a driving percussive groove kicks in, adding a layer of urgency and energy to the mix. Romano's vocals float effortlessly above the instrumentation, delivering lyrics that are both introspective and relatable.
“Doesn’t Matter” is more than just a catchy tune; it's a glimpse into Romano's inner world, where she explores the complexities of love and longing with a raw honesty that is both refreshing and endearing. In her own words, the song is a “choose your own storyline” experience, inviting listeners to interpret its meaning in their own way.
“I wrote it about a relationship that felt like a double-edged sword; a relationship that had me thinking that maybe the inevitable heartbreak would be worth it,” Romano said. “It’s a song about falling, all too carelessly, for someone on a rainy evening with the car radio playing. It’s simple and convoluted and all too accurate, at least from my personal experience.”
At just 22-years-old, Romano has established herself as a versatile artist, effortlessly transitioning between misty-eyed ballads and fiery alt-rock anthems. Memorializing the highs and lows of young adulthood with her unflinchingly honest songwriting, Romano has released her latest EP A Brief Epic in 2023 and with each new single that’s followed, she continues to reveal new layers of her artistry.
LUNA: Thank you for talking to Luna. It's super exciting to talk with you again since your single “Tell Her I Said Hi.” I would love to catch up and see how life has been treating you and what have you been up to since the last time we talked.
CAROLINE: I feel like after “Tell Her I Said Hi,” I was really in writing mode for both myself and for other artists because what I do in Nashville is a lot of writing for other projects and for other people. It was a big season of that and then coming off tour and figuring out what the next move is as far as sound. I was definitely headed in a very punk rock, pop-punk direction. I was evaluating where I wanted to go and continue to tell the story that I wanted to tell with that.
LUNA: Say if someone hasn’t heard of your music yet, which song would you introduce to them that best encapsulates your sound and artistic maturity?
CAROLINE: That is such a hard question. I feel like I'd probably play them “girl in china shop” because I feel like from verse to chorus, you do get a good glimpse of who I am as a writer and how wordy I like to be.
LUNA: You've gained a loyal following in Nashville, but your music feels like it could resonate anywhere. Are there specific artists outside the Nashville scene who have influenced your sound?
CAROLINE: I feel like Holly Humberstone is a huge influence for me, just sonically and her overall vibe. I love UK artists a lot. I love Sam Fender. I am also really inspired by artists like Lorde and 21 Pilots. Those are just some of my childhood or adolescent infatuations that have really just stayed with me.
LUNA: Your latest single “Doesn’t Matter” just released and it follows similar themes of your previous releases “girl in a china shop” and “Used by You.” What is the inspiration behind the single and how did your personal experiences shape its creation?
CAROLINE: “Doesn't Matter” was very different in that I didn't really have any idea like I wasn't feeling a very specific emotion when I sat down to write it. I was just goofing off with my friend. His artist name is John the Dropout and we write together every Monday. He produced “Tell Her I Said Hi” with me. I think we both were in a season of being sick of writing very structured and very Nashville, like first chorus, first verse structure, and for “It Doesn’t Matter,” he brought up for me to start writing and he would write something separately and see if they go together. I started writing out those chorus lines because it was coming to me at the moment. I tried my best not to edit them and let them be what they were. I feel like it did turn into something I was feeling at the time and let it be subconscious. It doesn’t really matter, like this relationship or situationship, it doesn’t matter what I’m saying right now because I’m enjoying it.
LUNA: “Doesn’t Matter” follows your EP A Brief Epic. How has your sound evolved since the last full body of work and what creative choices did you make to convey this artistic growth?
CAROLINE: I think since A Brief Epic, there's definitely been a bit of a more of an edge to my music — sonically at least. I still feel like it's very much the same themes of longing, heartbreak, growing up and very convoluted roundabout ways of saying those things over and over again. I think it feels a little bit more mature than A Brief Epic, but also at the same time, I feel like I know less than I did a year ago at times, so I feel like that reflects it as well. I think it's just documenting me growing up and being 22 versus 21.
LUNA: I know you touched on experimenting in a more pop-punk or punk rock direction. How has that transition been in that direction?
CAROLINE: It was good. What I love about songwriting is that it can fluctuate. I think something that people try to pin on newer up-and-coming artists is to pick a sound and pick a lane to be known by, but that's always been something that’s really hard for me. I've subscribed to the thing that I'm not going to do, and with “girl in a china shop,” I was at a very tumultuous point in my life and that's where I wanted to really dive into this because this is the music that I love and I'm listening to. I’ve really culminated with “Used by You” which is heavier than most of the songs I’ve put out. I’m somewhere in the middle and I think my music has been a good learning lesson of always living between those two realms of pretty heavy stylings, but also more stripped back and confessional.
LUNA: You recently just finished a tour run with Smallpools and Grayscale. How has that experience been for you?
CAROLINE: It was amazing. I had no idea what to expect. I knew I loved performing, but I've only really ever performed in Nashville and a little bit in LA. It was crazy to just have rooms full of people every night that I had never met or performed in front of before. Everyone on tour was so nice and both bands, for being pros and seasoned, were so kind and welcoming and it was literally the best few weeks of my life so far. I'm ready to get back out there again.
LUNA: What is your favorite song to perform live?
CAROLINE: Definitely “girl in a china shop” I really do love performing live. As always, I feel like it resonates and it's very fun and energetic, but there's a new song “Body Bag” that I don't have out yet that I really love performing because it's a jersey club beat mixed with rock.
LUNA: How does performing live influence your songwriting and evolution of your sound?
CAROLINE: I think it's not the first thing I think of at all when I'm writing music, but especially coming off this tour, learning what people gravitate towards live and what they catch on to has been really interesting. Leaving space for those moments where you can interact with the crowd and in the song or giving them interactive parts of music I think is really helpful. I've learned that I write very fast words close together and it leaves me no room to breathe when I'm on stage, so I'm probably going to take that into consideration as well.
LUNA: Your latest batch of songs definitely reflect on themes of heartbreak, healing and growing pains that are faced with these experiences. What is some advice you can give to your listeners that are experiencing a heartbreak right now?
CAROLINE: I'd say my best advice, and I can't say I've at all mastered this, but it's literally just keep waking up, keep going and keep the belief that it is going to be okay. I'm a disastrous person when something goes wrong. I have a this is the end of the world mentality and you can definitely hear that in a lot of my music. When it comes to heartbreak, it's always like this is going to be the last chance, but at the end of the day, it's learning to love yourself. It's so cliche but learning to love yourself and enjoy spending time with yourself is going to help expedite that healing process so much more.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like for you that you would love to share with Luna?
CAROLINE: I'm excited about where I'm at. I feel like I'm at a cool in-between point where a lot of new things can happen. I've just gotten to play in front of a lot of new people who now know my music, which is crazy. I feel like I'm getting to know everyday a little bit better, more of who I am as a person and as an artist and what I want to say. With that I think about getting ready for the next project. I definitely want to put another EP out this year. I'm a big project-based person and so getting that story ready and now overlooking everything I've written in the past year.
