In Conversation With - Caroline Rose
Caroline Rose has just released her new album ‘Superstar, via New West Records. The release is the follow up to her debut album ‘Loner’. She took a moment to talk to us about the cinematic vibe to her song-writing, and how she isn't afraid to call ‘Superstar’ a concept album.
So, ‘Superstar’ is out now, how does it feel?
I’m glad it’s out. I’ve been sitting on it for almost a year now, so I’m almost in a place to like it again!
It has got a rather interesting theme, would you say it’s a concept album?
I’m not afraid to call it a concept album, though I think most good albums have some sort of thematic thread that ties everything together. To me it sounds like a movie about the ups and downs of a self-absorbed weirdo trying to follow a ridiculous dream.
Can you tell us what it is about? What would you say are the key influences in the album?
I was really influenced by Bruno Mars’ 24 Karat Magic, Max Martin, epic key changes from the 80s, cheesy keyboard sounds, and old pop songs that really don’t have a lot of stuff in them. I tried to really minimize the palette to just what I had lying around in the studio at the time.
How does it differ from your 2018 release - ‘LONER’?
I feel like it’s somewhat of a sequel to LONER, where this loner-loser character realizes they’ve been divinely tapped to become a star and live a life of seedy extravagance.
You have been doing a lot of touring, how did you find time to write this album? How was it recorded?
I tend to write pretty fast when I have the time to do it, so I just used my time off to write. The idea had been cooking for a while, so it all happened quite naturally. Writing is my favorite thing to do. I recorded nearly all of it in my home studio in Texas.
There certainly a cinematic flow to the album, was this intentional? What sort of films do you like?
Yes, cinema-meets-audio is definitely something I’ll probably spend my career pursuing. On this one I’d say it’s like Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant meets Drop Dead Gorgeous, but I love so many different types of films. I just saw Portrait of a Lady on Fire and I was so moved. I’ve seen nearly all of Sciamma’s films, I love her work so much.
Do you have a favourite lyric on the album? If so, which one and why?
My favorite lyric is, “What once was pain is now pleasure of mine.” I think it really sums up the character, and me, pretty well.
Now the album is out there, what next?
I’ve been thinking about the next album for many many months now.