CARR

Photo Credit: Kevin Nguyen

CARR makes authentic and personable music guaranteed to please. After working part-time at a Los Angeles recording studio, the artist discovered her interest in making music. With the help of friend and fellow musician Jimmy Kelley, she finalized her first songs. Following a huge change in her life, the artist decided to put her feelings to paper, resulting in 2019’s 8th Avenue EP. The debut project received much acclaim from the indie pop community, leading to the release of four new singles in 2020. “Van McCann (Boys)” is her most popular song to date, earning over 300k Spotify plays since its release. CARR’s music is indie pop all the way sprinkled with rock and alternative elements, making her music distinctively hers. It is a sound that has proved well for the artist, as she currently boasts nearly 40k monthly listeners and a growing fanbase. We recently asked her about this musical style, her source of inspiration, and more! 

Tell me a little bit about yourself! How did you get started making music?

As crazy as it is, I never had any goals of ever becoming a singer or musician. I really enjoy acting and everything that goes into writing and creating films so I actually went to college for tv/film back home in NJ and when I graduated and moved out to LA,  it was to pursue that. I was working nights part time at a recording studio as a side gig so that i could audition and stuff, but I ended up really loving it. So then I got an internship at a smaller studio where I would sit in on sessions and learn about the process of making songs. I've always been a decent writer and connected with lyrics so at first I thought I only wanted to write for other people. Then once I started organizing my thoughts and writing my own songs, they were way too personal and I didnt want to give them to anyone else. I brought my ideas to my friend, Jimmy Keeley, who worked at the studio with me. We had a few sessions together and it all  clicked and we worked really well together so we started recording stuff in his bedroom... and now we're still doing the same exact thing.

What made 2019 the year to start releasing your songs?

I was in a relationship that ended in 2018 and I was really sad about it. I was also stuck on someone that lived in another country.. So I was massively missing two really important people and I was feeling so many emotions that I had never felt before. That all caused me to start writing my own stuff, and when I was confident with what we were making I just decided to put it out.

What can a listener always expect from a CARR track?

I think a listener can always expect something real and personal. I'm not that open of a person in general but my music is really real to what i'm going through. I think a feeling of nostalgia too is what a lot of people expect.

If there was one artist that you would want to cover "Van McCann (Boys)", who would it be?

I can't really think of anyone I'd want to cover it, but I guess someone with a good sense of humor, that would do something funny with it. Van McCann singing about loving himself in third person would be pretty epic though.

I think "Shampoo" is just a shining example of a great indie-pop song. Explain the inspiration for the track. 

Thank you! It's funny because there's a legit story behind it. Pretty much my boyfriend at the time came on vacation with my family and at the vacation house my mom had this shampoo there that we both loved. Once we got back to LA, we both bought it for our own apartments. So when we broke up, the smell of that shampoo was a massive emotional trigger for me and I had to throw it away. It was a really sad day, I lost my favorite shampoo.

If there was one superpower that you could have, what would it be, and why?

Teleportation for sure. Just being anywhere you wanted to be in the world in a matter of seconds would be the best thing ever.

Do you ever encounter writer’s block? if so, what are some of the ways you get through it?

I definitely experience writer's block sometimes. It's mainly during these weird phases that I go through where I feel really emotionless. I usually either just let it pass or get through it by looking through old texts, pictures, letters etc of people that are important to me. Usually that makes me sad, happy, mad and I feel something that will usually trigger a song idea. That's probably not the healthiest way though haha kinda sad.

How has the pandemic affected your ability to song write and make music? 

Well a lot of my music comes from my experiences with people so not being able to connect with people much has definitely taken a toll on my writing. It's been hard but I've been digging into the past which is pretty much what I do anyway.

What is one thing that you've learned about yourself in your short time in the industry?

I've learned that i'm really perfectionistic and stubborn sometimes and that it's okay to ask for help and welcome other ideas. I've always been a do it myself kind of person and I always want things to be perfect but I've realized recently that there's no such thing. I still need to be a bit easier on myself, I think we all do. There's so much we accomplish that we don't credit ourselves for and instead we focus that energy on what we haven't accomplished yet. It's fucked up. I think a lot of that is probably our generation and social media but we really need to take a step back and give ourselves credit for what we accomplish, even the little things. I'm still learning how to do that but i'm getting there.

What's next for CARR?

:). Ive been working on some new stuff . I'll hopefully have one more song come out this year...but the main goal is to make a really cool first album and then of course eventually tour that album. I've always got ideas going through my head so hopefully it all comes to life soon