Caroline Romano Talks about Her Journey, the Nashville Music Community, & New Single "Used By You"

Photographed & Written by: Orchee Sorker / February 28, 2024

Tell us about yourself.

Hi, my name is Caroline Romano. I'm twenty-two, and I'm an artist in Nashville, Tennessee. I started coming to Nashville when I was thirteen to make music. My parents took me up here for an open mic night that I wanted to play, and I just fell in love with it since then. 

What inspired you to pursue a career in alt-rock music, and how has your musical journey evolved since you first started?

I've always been  an angsty person, which sounds lame, but I am someone who is very serious and just has those emotions naturally. I didn't start off writing music like that cause when you're 13, you try to keep it pretty PG and pretty chill. As I've grown up and become more of myself,. I feel like the only authentic thing is that kind of music for me to make. I grew up listening to music in the alternative sphere. It's always what has inspired me. 

How has the Nashville music community impacted your music?

What I love about Nashville is still at its heart, it's all about songwriting. It's all about storytelling. That's huge for me in my songwriting. I love stories. I love the lyrics. They're just my mini journals that I put into three minute pieces. I love how much I've been able to grow as a songwriter and a storyteller. The community here is really incredible, inviting, and welcoming. It's a constant creative environment.

Your new single “Used by You” came out recently. What’s the story behind the song and its process?

“Used by You” is definitely like the scariest song I've put out. I was terrified of being that vulnerable and there's not really like a redeeming aspect to the character arc of “Used by You”. It's about a situationship kind-of-thing where there's this guy who I knew didn't feel the same way I felt about him. He would lead me on enough to keep me in his life and to do things for him. I would because I wanted to be around him so much. I wrote that song with my two friends, Sam Varga and Caleb Oczkowski, thinking that no one would ever hear it because I was like “I just need to get this out”. I didn’t want anyone to hear this, but then I was playing it for some of my friends. They were like “this is really prominent in a lot of people's lives”. I came in with a line, “I'd rather be used by you, than you be someone I lose” into this session. I think we had almost a fully fleshed out demo within like two and a half hours. In situations where I know exactly what I want to say, it tends to go by pretty fast.

You are going on your first tour. How do you feel? What is one thing you are bringing?

I am so excited to go on tour. It's been something I've been wanting to do since I was literally a kid. I can't wait to play the music that I make live. For me, it’s a whole different world. I feel so much like myself on stage. It's when I truly feel out of body. I'm not trapped by my own insecurities and fears. One thing I'm going to bring on tour is definitely a digital camera and a Polaroid camera. I am big into capturing moments like that. I feel like if I wasn't doing music, I would want to do photography in some aspect. I have gotten a ton of pictures of my band from rehearsals and all that stuff. I'm constantly taking pictures.

What is your favorite way to connect with your audience?

My favorite way to connect with people is definitely playing live shows. There's something that can't be replicated in that face to face hearing, performing the music at the same time, and seeing people sing those words back to you and relate to it in real time. I love it. 

If you could say one thing to aspiring artists, what would it be?

Whatever you're doing, whatever you're pursuing, whoever you are…I just think it's so important to believe that you're capable of everything you want to be. That's the only way it's going to happen. My mom always told me, “If you don't believe in yourself, no one else is going to.” If you walk into the room with that kind of confidence, it really opens doors for you. It's hard but practice makes perfect. 

That’s amazing! Thank you so much for giving your time!

Thank you!