Caroline Carter Releases Debut EP "I Did What I Promised" Post-Mini Texas Tour
Caroline Carter is a dynamic and talented singer-songwriter making waves in the music industry with her distinctive sound and captivating performances.
Caroline Carter's passion for music was ignited during her teenage years after attending a Summer Salt concert at Club Dada in Dallas, where she realized she wanted to be on stage. Her musical journey began with choir and musical theatre in high school, where she discovered her love for singing and writing. Participating in a local 10-minute play competition further fueled her creativity, leading her to combine her love for writing and music through songwriting.
Growing up as a queer person in the South, Caroline's music is deeply influenced by her experiences in queer relationships and the complexities of distinguishing platonic from romantic feelings. She draws inspiration from artists like Soccer Mommy and Madison Cunningham, with "Revealer" by Cunningham being a current favorite album. Caroline's music reflects her journey, resonating with love, identity, and self-discovery themes.
Caroline Carter’s debut album cover for “i Did What i promised” photographed by Gracie Hall.
What sparked your passion for music, and can you recall a specific moment when you knew you wanted to pursue it as a career?
I’ve always known that my love for music was deeper than any other past hobbies or passions of mine. My first concert I went to during my teenage years was a Summer Salt show at Club Dada in Dallas. I think after that, I had a moment where I knew that I eventually wanted to be the one on the stage.
How has your musical journey unfolded, from your early experiences to where you are now? Are there any pivotal moments or challenges that stand out?
I grew up doing choir and musical theatre, so that’s where I discovered my love of singing. My favorite part of doing theatre in high school was participating in this local 10-minute play competition. I loved writing theatre, but fell out of love with performing. Then I realized I could combine my love of writing and my love of music by using songwriting as an outlet.
Can you share a bit about your background and how it has influenced your approach to creating music?
I grew up as a queer person in the South, and that heavily influences the subject matter of my music. I write a lot about my romantic relationships, how it feels to grow up and sustain a queer relationship, and I also write a lot about the difficulty in finding clarity in relationships with other queer women. I think often times it can be confusing to determine whether your feelings.
are truly platonic or romantic in a situation with someone of the same gender.
Can you discuss the artists or genres that have had a profound impact on you and continue to inspire your work today?
I’m a long-time Soccer Mommy fan. When I started getting into indie music, she was the first person whose discography had a really big impact on me. Lately I’ve been super into Madison Cunningham. Her lyrics combined with the gritty instrumentation on her latest record just packed a punch. I would have to say that “Revealer” currently stands as my favorite album.
Caroline Carter in Mohawk's green room, Austin, Texas, post-performance on tour with 4411 band. Photo by William Whitworth.
What motivated you to move from Fort Worth to Nashville, and how has living in Nashville impacted your music career?
I spent my freshman year of college at the University of North Texas, and I hated it. I was an english major, so I was getting to write a lot for school, but I knew in the back of my mind that I needed to be somewhere else. Laura Elliott’s first album “People Pleaser” came out in the spring of my freshman year, and after I heard it, I think that was what truly pushed me to make the jump. I love Nashville so much. There’s such a strong and kind community of musicians here that have welcomed me with open arms. It was definitely the right move for me. There’s no way I’d have any music out right now if I wouldn’t have moved here.
Caroline, congratulations on your debut EP, I Did What I Promised. What themes or messages are you exploring in I Did What I Promised?
Thank you so much! My goal for this project was to have a consistent theme of brutal honesty within the lyrics. Some of these songs were really difficult for me to write, just based on the subject matter. But those are always the ones that end up being my favorite- the ones that really make you feel something as you’re writing them. The EP serves as my testimony as a queer person who’s growing up and navigating what love and heartbreak looks like.
Photo by William Whitworth at Mohawks, Austin, Texas.
Can you walk us through the creative process behind I Did What I Promised? How did the songs come together?
It took a long time. My producer and I are both students, so trying to find times that both of us could get into the studio and work on the project was difficult. We made the EP one song at a time, starting with reruns and then finishing with “Whatever Happened To You” and “Trinity” at the same time. We had such a blast making it. I wanted this EP to feel like you’re reading my diary and really getting a sense of who I am. To capture that more, we hid a lot of voice memos and audio from videos of mine in most of the songs.
Were there any particular challenges you faced while creating I Did What I Promised, and how did you overcome them?
It took us a little while to figure out the Trinity outro. I knew I wanted an emotional buildup. I put a lot of pressure on myself and I often second-guess if my performance on the recordings are good enough, if the songs themselves are written well enough, etc. It helps a ton to have made this with my best friend who doubles as the best producer ever, Logan Freevol. He works overtime to make sure I’m comfortable in the studio and 100% satisfied with everything we make, every step of the way. As we were further into making Trinity, he kept asking “So what if we had piano? What if we had Pedal Steel? Can you also hear horns on this song?” I said yes to everything, and I’m so glad I did.
How do you see I Did What I Promised fitting into your overall musical journey and growth as an artist?
Because all of these songs and the situations I wrote about are so personal to me, I just hope that anybody listening will get a good read on my personality. I put so much of myself and my soul into this project, which was very scary and new. I hope that someone can identify that and appreciate the vulnerability. I think that this project is the perfect starting place for me- it’s an introduction and invitation into my life.
What do you hope listeners take away from I Did What I Promised?
I have a special place in my heart for other queer people that grew up/are growing up in Texas. It’s a very love-hate relationship. I have so many mixed feelings about my hometown and the obstacles I faced when I was just trying to be myself. I hope that anyone who also relates to that will take something from I Did What I Promised. Writing it helped me cope with so much, and so I hope that listening to it will help somebody else feel less alone.
Any upcoming tours or performances we should look out for?
I have an incredible band here in Nashville and we play shows pretty frequently! I’d love to tour again, so hopefully that’s in my future soon.
On a more personal note, what's one thing about you that people might be surprised to learn?
I have five siblings, who I love so much! They’re all back home in Texas so I try to visit as much as I can. The line in Trinity that goes, “Whitney’s in college, the neighbors had kids” is for my sister Whitney. I don’t even think I told her that that line existed until the song was mastered and ready to go. Love you Whit.
