The Long Island-born, Grammy-nominated artist Caroline Rose’s latest album is a decidedly homespun affair. Released at the top of 2025, year of the slug was tracked on an iPhone copy of GarageBand and has been purposely kept off of major streaming services. It takes a pan-genre approach but never loses Rose’s signature vivid, narrative lyrical sensibility and sharp ear for melody. Following releases on larger labels—New West, Mom + Pop—the move is a bit of a swerve, but it doesn’t not make sense; the intimate quality of the recording pairs well with an equally thoughtful presentation. I recently sent some questions over to Rose. We talked about everything from fast food to Long Island radio to some of her favorite authors. Read the interview, and listen to year of the slug, below.

What is your favorite thing about using GarageBand to record music? What does it allow you to do more “professional” programs or devices do not?

Caroline Rose: Well my dream recording scenario would be a mobile outdoor studio with max two buttons, so you can see why I love GarageBand on my phone so much. It's so so basic and has a lot of limitations, which I actually think can be a really creative tool. I tend to not overthink anything because it's so fast to just immediately track something into my phone, which I basically have on me all the time anyway. Even the fact that it's pretty shit as an editing software makes it really creative. It forces me to use full or nearly full takes, which then makes it feel a bit more natural and real because it's not being chopped to bits. I use the more complex softwares too, for more sound editing or audio manipulation, but to just track songs I prefer the easiest method possible.

Why did you choose to keep year of the slug off of most streaming services?

I wanted it to feel slightly more special than just putting it immediately online for free. I didn't really put this out to grow my career or anything, it was really just for fans and to experiment with what would happen if I put out a homemade record with virtually no overhead or marketing behind it.

How did “conversation with shiv (liquid k song)” incubate? When did you get the inspiration to write those lyrics and that song?

I reconnected with an old friend and it got me thinking about all the crazy times we had back when I lived in New York. "Shiv" became a kind of frankenstein of this particular friend and my best friend from high school, who passed away years ago. We were all pretty lost then and it's interesting to look back on it after so many years.

How do you approach narrative in your music? Are there any authors that inspire how you write your lyrics?

That's such a great question because I feel like my lyrics have always been heavily inspired by books and movies. If you read any Southern Gothics, like Flannery O'Connor or Carson McCullers, and throw in a bit of A Clockwork Orange I feel like you can probably see the blueprint of my storytelling. Sprinkle in Wim Wenders, David Lynch and Almodovar and that's basically my entire aesthetic.

Is there a genre you have never written a song in but you would want to? What is a style you are never going to touch?

Hmmmm I would love to write pop, like big over-the-top pop. I've always been such a huge fan, and I sort of playfully tried it out when I made Superstar, but that was still pretty indie, or what I'd consider indie pop. There's a part of me that I think has been a bit afraid to really try going for it and I kind of want to just make more stuff without thinking so much. As for what I won't touch, I don't really know. I doubt I'll ever make flamenco.

What is your current favorite piece of gear?

My old Apple earbuds with the built-in microphone.

Growing up on Long Island, do you have any memories of listening to the radio in the car?

Yeah for sure!! I'm from the east end where there were basically two good stations. One was extremely pop—WBLI. That was what I listened to as a kid growing up on Top 40. When I got a bit older I started listening to EHM, which is the progressive station and played stuff from singer-songwriter to middle-of-the-road alternative bands. The best station though, by far, you could only listen to when you started driving toward the city, and that of course is WFUV. They played all the cutting edge stuff and to this day I get excited when it comes on in the car.

And, finally: If you could only eat one item from Taco Bell for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Ha! My girlfriend basically subsists off Taco Bell and it was really important to her to help me "find my Taco Bell order," so I tried a bunch of stuff before I landed on my desert island TB meal … Mexican pizza with bean filling. I love it so much.

Photo Credit: Seannie Bryan