Caroline Romano Closes Final Chapter of Heartbreak in “Tell Her I Said Hi”
Nashville-based alt-pop sensation Caroline Romano is once again making waves in the music scene with her latest single, “Tell Her I Said Hi.” This track marks a new era to her alt-rock roots, showcasing a fusion of Romano's distinctive voice and a dynamic musical backdrop featuring glittering guitars and her signature confessional storytelling.
Romano has already established herself as a versatile artist, effortlessly transitioning between misty-eyed ballads and fiery pop-punk anthems that resonate with the hearts of her generation. Following the success of her recent EP A Brief Epic released in June, “Tell Her I Said Hi” serves as a testament to Romano's continuous artistic evolution and provides a roadmap through her stories of resilience and overcoming the inevitable growing pains of life.
“Tell Her I Said Hi” is a cathartic release of anger packaged into a wholly addictive alt-rock anthem. Equal parts tender and tenacious, Romano bravely navigates the messy emotions that arise after a transformative heartbreak.
“‘Tell Her I Said Hi’ is me closing the final chapter on a particular heartbreak I’ve been writing about for a while,” Romano says. “I wrote this song after finding out he had already moved on with someone else just days after we broke up. I was thinking about it nonstop, playing out different scenarios in my head about what I'd say to him if I ever saw him again, and 'tell her I said hi' is the line that came to mind. There’s a finality to that sentence that's both heartbreaking and cathartic. The song itself is jealous, angry, pretty and exhausting, all at once, much like the ending of our relationship.”
The single takes listeners on a journey through Romano's growth as an artist, offering a glimpse into the complexity of her experiences. Romano's powerhouse vocals shine brightly amidst the whirlwind of musical elements, creating a captivating sonic landscape.
“Tell Her I Said Hi” not only showcases Romano's musical prowess but also serves as a preview of the promising career that lies ahead for this young talent. With each release, she continues to captivate audiences with her introspective lyrics, powerful vocals and a musical style that defies easy categorization. As Romano guides listeners through her musical journey, it becomes clear that she is an artist with a compelling narrative and an exciting future in the music industry.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Welcome back and thank you for talking to Unpublished again. It's super exciting to have you back since the last time we talked about your single “Guts.” 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, especially with your EP release A Brief Epic.
[CAROLINE]: I feel like I've been up to a lot. I feel like I've been writing every day and trying to further grow that sound and that story since “Guts” in the beginning of this year. I put out an EP in June this year called A Brief Epic, which “Guts” was featured on, and it was a brief story about the only relationship I’ve ever really been in and the impact, but also the brevity of that. I put out two singles afterwards; I put out a “girl in a china shop,” which is a song I'm really proud of, and then I put out “Tell Her I Said Hi” like two weeks ago. Now I'm working on the next thing, so it never stops.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Your latest single “Tell Her I Said Hi” just released and it’s really confessional and takes on a more alt-rock energy. What is the inspiration behind the single and how did your personal experiences shape its creation?
[CAROLINE]: I actually wrote “Tell Her I Said Hi” in February of this year. I had had that line “tell her I said hi” with me for a long time because it's just something I think I knew I wanted to say as soon as I got out of that relationship and he got with somebody else. That's all I knew. If I ever saw him again, like that's all I would say to him, and I was angry like for the first time in my life. I felt I've never been an angry person. I've always been pretty docile and I try to be chill about things, but I didn't recognize myself in that period of time because I was angry and I wanted that song to reflect that.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What messages, emotions or story do you hope listeners can take away from “Tell Her I Said Hi?”
[CAROLINE]: I hope that they take away that universal feeling of we've all been there, and that feeling of something that was once yours is not yours anymore, and try to cope with that while simultaneously expressing your feelings in your own way. That's all I can hope for is that more cathartic outlet for people.
[UNPUBLISHED]: “Tell Her I Said Hi” and “girl in a china shop” are your first releases since A Brief Epic. How does your past influence your artistry and the themes you explore in your music and storytelling?
[CAROLINE]: I write about my life as it happens to me and sometimes emotions could be in waves and sometimes they're delayed. Throughout my life, I've gone through waves of being more sad and waves with being more angry and upbeat and happy. I've tried to write that down as fast as possible and put it out into the world as soon as it happens to me. I think that every song I release, you can divide my life into periods of how those sounds are based off of where I was emotionally.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Did you take any creative risks or experiment more either lyrically or sonically with your newest releases such as “Tell Her I Said Hi” and “girl in a china shop” since A Brief Epic and if so, how would you describe that growth?
[CAROLINE]: I did from a vulnerability standpoint, for sure. “Girl in a china shop,” was basically me saying everything I’ve ever done wrong, which was scary. In “Tell Her I Said Hi,” I named the girl who he ended up with and I was trying to be as authentic as I could and that always comes with risks. There’s always those thoughts of, “am I being too much right now?” and “am I doing too much?” In “Tell Her I Said Hi,” there’s like a million run-on melodic sentences as I’m trying to abandon structure more and more.
[UNPUBLISHED]: How has that transition been? Do you find it more difficult or does it flow more into your creative process?
[CAROLINE]: It's natural at the end of the day, and it's something I feel like I've tried to train myself out of getting in rooms and that melody is not necessarily the catchiest but it is interesting. I'm trying to let that be my style of things.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What can listeners expect from you in this new era of music?
[CAROLINE]: Definitely, I'm heading into a direction of a lot more experimental sounds, which I'm excited about. Still incorporating some of the more heavy rock soundscaping, but I'm trying to divide that middle ground between that pop and rock experimental stuff. Lyrically, they're just going to follow along with me in my life as a 22 year old this year.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What do you need in your space when you feel creative inspiration hitting you?
[CAROLINE]: I find that it really doesn't necessarily matter. When I'm feeling creative, the most important thing for me is to just write it down. Sometimes if I'm driving and I have to say something right now, I'll pull over on the side of the road and write it down. I always feel really, really inspired late at night in my room, with not a lot of people around, and it varies so I don't know if there's a common denominator.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What kind of atmosphere or emotional space do you aim to create for your listeners?
[CAROLINE]: I hope when people listen to my music, they feel very understood, but also there's this energetic spirit that they hope they get out of themselves. Whether it's like releasing tension or releasing anger and finding that glimmer of like, okay, maybe I'm going to be okay at the end of this thing, or something that just makes them want to feel so very much of whatever I'm trying to convey that feeling of.
[UNPUBLISHED]: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the upcoming year look like for you that you would love to share with Unpublished?
[CAROLINE]: I feel good. I feel excited. I have a lot of music written that I definitely know I want to put out in 2024, but I'm also still writing and figuring that out, so it's more like we'll see where this goes but in an exciting way.
