CARR’s “Spit” is an Ode to a Dark Love Song
Described as a fucked up love song, CARR’s free spirit and bluntness comes to life in “Spit.” CARR showcases her skillful ability to tell a story without hiding emotions behind a flowery metaphor, with her it’s a real and raw emotional explosion, the characteristic her growing fanbase have come to love her for.
“Spit” is the first single to be released by NJ-born, LA-based artist Carly McClellan (aka CARR) since being signed to Pete Wentz and Spencer Smith’s DCD2 Records.
CARR threatens that she's spitting in your mouth, stepping on your face and cutting off all your fingers and toes in “Spit.” Inspired after a toxic relationship with the mysterious, quiet guy that had a dark energy to him, CARR was attracted to the mysterious version that no one else saw but her. The songstress captures the highs and lows of the toxic situation and navigates the mysterious, quiet guy trope throughout her dark love letter to the relationship.
“It's hard because I feel like those younger, really chaotic relationships are needed sometimes to grow as a person,” CARR says. “I think it's just respecting yourself and finding someone that truly understands you and not someone who you need because you're bored.”
The songstress’ undaunted attitude with unvarnished and vulnerable takes on modern dating and life as a twenty something have resonated with music fans looking for something beyond the current plethora of overly woeful indie pop anthems. “Swear I’m gonna spit in your mouth till they put you in the ground so I’ll always be around you / Cut off all my fingers and toes give it to you like a rose so I’ll always be around you” sings CARR on “Spit” – leaving nothing and everything to the imagination.
Carr’s slasher-inspired music video came as a muse from the movies Saw and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The songstress imagines a wild and energetic video that tells of a story of a toxic relationship that matches the addictive energy of the song.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Thank you for sitting down and Unpublished Magazine. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. Can you give us a quick introduction to what type of music you make?
[CARR]: My name is CARR and I make music within the indie-alternative and pop-rock realms.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What are some artists that influenced your music either lyrically or instrumentally?
[CARR]: I grew up listening to a lot of Avril and All American Rejects type music, so I feel like instrumentally, I go towards that type of music. Lyrically, I feel like I'm my own inspiration because I try to make it a little cheeky and funny. It's more chill vocals over more effed up guitars which is what I love.
[UNPUBLISHED]: “Spit” is your first single to be released since being signed to your new record label DCD2 Records, huge congratulations. How's the experience been so far with your new label and working on the single?
[CARR]: It feels so great. It feels like for the first time that I'm with a group of people that totally just get my vibe and it's just allowing me to make what I want to make, and it really gets the vibe I'm going for which makes things so much easier for me. It's nice that Pete and Spencer are also artists, so they relate a little bit more. I've been anti-label, but they're just a really good group of people.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You previously said that “Spit” is equivalent to one big fucked up love song. What was the inspiration behind the single?
[CARR]: I just wanted a darker love song, and I feel like the people that I always find myself attracted to are guys that are really mysterious, quiet and dark. I feel like I obviously relate to those types of people. I feel like the world needs just one big fucked up love song and that was my inspiration. But it’s hard because I wrote it two years ago, so I honestly forget the session, but I remember that being like the main inspo.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What do you love most about the single? Is there a certain production element or lyric that you’re particularly excited about?
[CARR]: I think I just love the fucked up lyrics. I feel like the vocals are so effed up, especially with the, “Cut off all my fingers and toes, give it to you like a rose.” Just very twisted.
[UNPUBLISHED]: The single touches on the topic of relationships in an extremely vulnerable way. What is some advice someone could have given your younger self that you wanted to hear navigating relationships and the dating world?
[CARR]: That’s a good one, I think just having a little more respect for yourself. I feel like now that I'm getting older, I just respect myself as a human a lot more than I used to, and I think you obviously now I wouldn't deal with a lot of things that I dealt with when I was younger. It's hard because I feel like those younger, really chaotic relationships are needed sometimes to grow as a person. I think it's just respecting yourself and finding someone that truly understands you and not someone who you need because you're bored.
[UNPUBLISHED]: “Spit” has a horror, slasher-inspired feel to it. What was the inspiration behind the music video and how was your experience filming it?
[CARR]: Anytime I listened to the song, I pictured the movie Saw. I went to my friend Alex who is a big horror fan, and I just knew that he was going to nail it. I was picturing some Scott Pilgrim inspiration and he was like say no more. Scott Pilgrim is one of my favorite comics, and for some reason I kept picturing Saw. The location literally looked like something out of Saw, so it was just such a fun day. It was so much fun. I love shooting videos and I was just especially, especially horror visuals. I was thriving.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You're currently on tour with The Wrecks. Do you have any pre-show or post-show rituals that you do to help ensure you play your best show?
[CARR]: We just like to chill and have a drink. There's some artists that like to be alone and like to get into a headspace before but I feel best when I'm surrounded by fun people. We all just kind of chill and like to have a drink, and just hope for the best. I think our main goal is to just have fun.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What are some of your go to artists that you listen to get energized before you play a show?
[CARR]: I've been listening to a y2k playlist and we've just been blasting it.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What's your favorite part of touring?
[CARR]: I think just being able to play shows every night and just meeting so many new people, especially as an opener, because you get to meet so many new fans. The Wrecks fans have been so nice and they have such a good fan base of really supportive and loyal fans to them. They’ve all been super nice to me.
[UNPUBLISHED]: With your tour and brand new single release, how are you feeling in this current era of your career? What does the rest of the year look like for you that you would love to share with Unpublished?
[CARR]: I just love being on tour and being able to play my songs in front of new people every night. I think after this tour, I'm gonna write a bit more. I have another single probably coming out in January or February is the plan. I think we're just gonna roll out a few more other songs and then see what happens and hopefully tour again. It's my first tour and I’ve been loving it.
[UNPUBLISHED]: How did your family and friends react when you told them you were going on tour?
[CARR]: They were so excited for me and it's been so cool because even opening for The Wrecks, there are still the people that I see in the crowd that know every word to every song, which was truly the first time that I've seen this happen. It was a cool experience.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What is your wildest dream as an artist? If you can have one thing happen to you, like a dream collaboration or a milestone you want to achieve in your career, what would that look like for you?
[CARR]: I want to work with Eminem, that’s my dream. That would be the best collab ever. I’m like can someone make it happen please. A CARR Eminem track would be a dream. Even if I can just write with him, I would love it. I love him. I feel our lyrics would be spot on because I feel like he's also a hater and I feel like we would make a really good song.
