CAROLINE CALAWAY
I think there is a carefreeness from our childhood that we all wish we could access when shit gets tough as an adult.
Accessing that original, unphased-by-life self is hard. Failed leadership, injustice, and life and death pandemics that create distance and loneliness make me more determined to speak from the heart, and to make music that rings true and speaks to a more empathetic future.
As a strong woman, I hope in my small way to help bring hope and resilience to women who are struggling to access a resilience they once had. All proceeds from this project will go entirely to non-profits that help women seeking a brighter future.
My current project sets dark themes to vibrant, lively music to bring a sense of resilience and playfulness to the things that often weigh down our adult lives.
ABOUT MY SONGWRITING
For some reason, my approach has always been to first write music to a general theme, then lyrics to follow. This may be counterintuitive to those who are not songwriters and even to those who are. Expressing my creativity through music has always come easier than through lyrics. Maybe it’s the “safer” approach, because it’s more nuanced and less outwardly emotive, but it’s the right space for me to be more expressive.
For me, putting expressive lyrics into the world to strangers is exceedingly vulnerable. Think about it - it requires a songwriter to intimately express themselves without knowing the context of the listener and how they may uniquely experience those lyrics. My hope for empathetic understanding is likely why I tend to stick to universal themes in my music.
While my lyrics may not be as personal as many songwriters, they come from a very genuine place. A lot of my time is spent thinking about and understanding the human condition - how I and others are the way they are, how our interactions affect each other, and how to grow from our shared experiences.