A Metamorphosis of Emotions with Caroline Romano
At the tender age of 21, Caroline Romano unveils her highly anticipated EP A Brief Epic. With each track, Caroline masterfully paints a painfully familiar and cathartic tale of past summer romances. Beyond its romantic themes, Romano’s music speaks to anyone who has experienced the ebb and flow of emotions in friendships and fleeting memories—prompting contemplation on whether feelings are symptoms of a dream or a haunting nightmare. The EP opens with "Heartbreak You Can Hear," a soul-stirring reflection on the overwhelming nature of first loves, and culminates with "Then I Woke Up," a vivid depiction of emerging from a dream-like period, a blend of beauty and tragedy. Seamlessly flowing from start to finish, A Brief Epic offers a truly cohesive and unforgettable musical experience.
Editor-in-Chief Madison Case had the pleasure of chatting with Caroline ahead of A Brief Epic’s release about time healing all wounds, trusting your gut, and longing for something more.
Madison Case: It’s so nice to chat with you, Caroline! How have you been? How is summer treating you over in Nashville?
Caroline Romano: “Thank you so much for having me! I’ve been doing well! I’ve been really busy lately, but I love that. Summers are always a bit chaotic in Nashville, but they’re beautiful. It’s been a good one so far.”
MC: Congratulations on releasing your latest EP, ‘A Brief Epic,’ which debuts today! Your storytelling prowess in this project is truly impressive, striking an effortless blend of relatability with the authentic essence of Caroline Romano. How did you navigate the journey of self-discovery and understanding of love, as reflected in the EP’s theme? What inspired you to explore this deeply personal concept in your music?
CR: “That truly means the world, thank you so much. It wasn’t really that I set out to write an EP, but more of me writing songs over the course of a couple of months to try to cope with a relationship I was getting out of. It was truly just writing what I felt in those moments. I will say that listening back to those songs right after I’d written them, and even today, I have been able to learn a lot about myself. I’ve learned that, at least as of last summer, I was lonely and hopeful. I’ve learned that love, at least in certain circumstances, can be like that too. But what I know now is I don’t think I’d call that love at all.”
MC: In the announcement for ‘A Brief Epic,’ you mentioned that you’ve “written too many songs to count” but the six tracks you’ve chosen “seem to be the ones to tell the story, epically, and in brevity.” With numerous songs at your disposal, how did you approach the task of choosing and sorting the tracklist to fit a cohesive narrative?
CR: “What I found interesting about the way this EP came to be is that I wasn’t necessarily trying to write one. I was still just trying to write what I needed to in the moment to figure something out or cope or let go of it. “Then I Woke Up” was the last song I’d written out of the ones I chose, and it was that song that really made me realize that I’d told each part of the story already. I started listening back to the songs I’d written over the past few months, and the ones that are now on the EP were simply the ones that said it best, in my opinion. It was like watching a movie from the end to the beginning.”
MC: In “Heartbreak You Can Hear,” the story begins with subtle hints of pessimism, alluding to the brevity of the relationship that unfolds throughout the EP. With this in mind, do you believe that mindsets and perspectives can significantly influence the course and longevity of relationships?
CR: “I definitely think someone’s outlook from the beginning can influence the course of the relationship, for better or for worse. The mind is a scary powerful thing, in that what you think really will affect what happens. However, I am also a firm believer that sometimes your gut is right in what it’s telling you. For me, something was telling me it was wrong from the start, but my brain really wanted it to be something right.”
MC: In the next stage of the relationship, where overthinking consumes and doubts begin to settle, “Guts” and “Mississippi Air” depict a sense of nostalgia and longing for moments spent together. Can you offer more insight into the inspiration behind these pieces and how they reflect your own journey and emotions during this phase of the relationship?
CR: “Guts” and “Mississippi Air” are both songs where I took what was happening in my real life and put it into a more visual story scenario. My personal insecurity was at an all time high last summer. I was worried about if I was someone this guy would actually want to be with, and I constantly had moments where I felt like I said too much or overshared in some way that might make him like me less. There’s a lot within that insecurity that played into other elements of the relationship, but I thought it might be best to sum it up in one night where I drank too much and said even more. “Mississippi Air” I started writing when I drove back home to Mississippi a couple weeks before we ended things. I knew it was coming, and I was feeling nostalgic for a multitude of reasons, so I wanted to write about the relationship like it was an already long lost story.”
MC: Though I’m partial to “St. George” due to its Maude Latour and The Aces resemblance, what’s your personal favorite song on the EP and why?
CR: “I am so happy to hear that because “St. George” is my favorite song from the EP too! It’s the first song I wrote for the project, and I think that’s why I like it so much. It was so fresh and I was so angry and sad and confused, and I think that all comes through in it. It’s simple, but it says what it needs to. I think if it’s the only song someone listened to off the EP, they’d still get the entire story.”
MC: What valuable insights have you gained from this brief epic? For listeners who may be processing the grief that comes with the end of relationships, do you have any words of wisdom to offer? And finally, what pivotal moments need to occur to experience a transformative “Then I Woke Up” moment, as depicted in the EP’s concluding track?
CR: “I’ve learned that there really is some truth to time heals all wounds. I can’t say they heal completely, but it somehow, someday, does get better. I think it takes allowing yourself to grieve, and that means going through that metamorphosis of emotions. There are days you will wake up and wonder how you could possibly have the strength to take another breath. But then you do, and you take another, and you just keep doing that. You just keep living.”
MC: What valuable insights have you gained from this brief epic? For listeners who may be processing the grief that comes with the end of relationships, do you have any words of wisdom to offer? And finally, what pivotal moments need to occur to experience a transformative “Then I Woke Up” moment, as depicted in the EP’s concluding track?
CR: “I’ve learned that there really is some truth to time heals all wounds. I can’t say they heal completely, but it somehow, someday, does get better. I think it takes allowing yourself to grieve, and that means going through that metamorphosis of emotions. There are days you will wake up and wonder how you could possibly have the strength to take another breath. But then you do, and you take another, and you just keep doing that. You just keep living.”
MC: As you reflect on ‘A Brief Epic’ and its comparison to your 2022 debut album ‘Oddities & Prodigies,’ are there any distinct emotions that arise when transitioning from one album era to the next? How do the feelings surrounding each of these albums differ, and what new sentiments do you experience with each release?
CR: “I feel like these first two projects – both ‘Oddities & Prodigies’ and ‘A Brief Epic’ – have shared that common theme of longing for something more. That’s an emotion I’ve felt intensely for the majority of my young adult life, and I think that thread definitely continues from album to EP. While ‘Oddities & Prodigies’ is more centered on the longing that comes with chasing dreams and starting out, ‘A Brief Epic’ focuses that feeling in a relational way. They’re both reaching for something you know you want, but just don’t have yet. I’d say ‘A Brief Epic’ definitely feels a bit more mature as a whole, which is cool to see because it’s just documenting my growing up.”
MC: You’ve also been killing it with live shows this year! With so many incredible moments, can you share what has been the most unforgettable experience from your touring thus far?
CR: “Ah thank you! Playing live is literally one of my favorite things in the entire world. It’s a feeling I truly can’t articulate. I’d say a really unforgettable moment was hearing some people in the crowd sing along to the words of a song that wasn’t even out yet. I’d only shared bits and pieces of it online, but people knew the words already. That was really amazing to see.”
MC: Fan interactions are often cherished by artists as the highlight of their job. Have there been any particularly memorable or favorite fan interactions that stand out in your mind?
CR: “I recently played a show in Nashville, and I was talking to a fan that had driven several hours from out of state just to come to the show. They said that they first saw me play live when I was fifteen and had been a fan ever since. That was such an amazing thing to see. I got emotional realizing that there are people who have been listening to my music for so long and who care so much to drive hours to see me play for a bit. I was just so grateful.”
MC: With such an impressive musical journey at such a young age (I mean, come on… a 16-track debut album at age 20?), what are your aspirations for the future, both artistically and personally?
Z: “It’s often hard for me to separate my artistic life from my professional life because they’re so intertwined. I just want to grow, in all aspects of life. I want to be a better writer, a better performer, a better friend. I’d love to go on tour soon. That’s been a goal of mine since I was a little kid. I want to put out another album soon, I’m already working on it. I just want to take this as far and wide as I can possibly go.”
MC: On that same note, what’s next for Caroline Romano? Do you have any upcoming projects or tours that you can tease?
CR: “There will definitely be a lot more music coming soon. I’m working on the next full length project now, but I do already have songs lined up to come out after the EP. I’m really excited for what’s to come.”
MC: Thank you so much for your time and for sharing ‘A Brief Epic’ with us—I have a feeling we’re witnessing a star in the making. :-) Where can our Periphery readers find and support you?
CR: “Thank you so much for having me! You are so kind. You can find me anywhere you can stream music, or on Instagram, Tiktok, YouTube, etc. @carolineromanomusic :)”
Periphery Magazine thanks Caroline Romano for her contribution and wishes her luck with future releases! You can find her on social media and streaming platforms here:
Instagram: @carolineromanomusic
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinermusic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1MgbE6bu4MzbVLfAesPRol?si=JK0oAZIqSlaxtpOuqUSOcw
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@carolineromanomusic
If you are interested in being featured in Periphery Magazine’s interview series surrounding interesting people in creative roles, please contact Madison Case at: theperipheryzine@gmail.com.