There’s never been a better time to listen to queer singer/songwriter Caroline Rose.

Rose’s fantastic new album, “year of the slug,” released via Bandcamp as a limited-edition physical LP (as well as digitally), follows three varied and worthwhile records on New West. Described as an “impish indie rebel,” Rose’s songs stick to your ribs. In possession of a wicked sense of humor, Rose is also capable of being dead serious at the drop of a hat. Beginning with opener “Everything In Its Right Place” (which just started receiving airplay on SiriusXMU) and continuing with “Conversation With Shiv (Liquid K Song)” (with its references to the Betty Ford Clinic and robbing Hobby Lobby) to the chugging Western twang of “Goddamn Train” and the catchy pop of “Another Life,” Rose rises to the occasion. Caroline was kind enough to make time for an interview, even as she was battling the flu. 

Caroline Rose performs on March 5 at Sweat Records in Miami.

Caroline, you recently contributed a track, a cover of Judee Sill’s “Down Where the Valleys Are Low,” to the Red Hot Organization’s “TRAИƧA” compilation album. Please say something about your involvement.

I know Massima (Bell) who, I believe, is one of the founders of TRAИƧA (along with Dust Reid). I was supposed to do a track early on with someone and the timing of it didn't quite line up. So, I got added to the project really late. The song that I was a part of was pretty much already done by the time I got involved. My contribution to it was pretty minimal, but I just wanted to be a part of it [laughs]. It's a pretty amazing compilation. I just love Massima, I think she's amazing. We worked together on the short film that I made.

Were the 11 songs on your new album “Year of the Slug” written specifically for this project, or were there some that were intended for previous albums that didn’t make the cut?

I don't know if any were ever intended for another album. Some of them were little clips that never got finished. One of the clips that never got finished was what ended up being “Goddamn Train.” I really liked the riff, and I liked the kind of machine-gun-style vocals. I took the first verse that I had in the little clip, and I had this essay-length page of lyrics that I cut down to fit the song.

I first started listening to you in 2018 and had the pleasure of interviewing you about your “Loner” album from that year. In what ways would you say that you’ve evolved as an artist since that time?

I would like to think I have [laughs]. I think each time I make something I try and explore something new. Either learn a new instrument or learn a new production technique, or try and make an album within a new set of rules. I feel like that's forced me to learn a lot over the course of the last few albums.

I'm glad you mentioned a “new set of rules,” because the mostly stripped-down “Year of the Slug” was recorded in Garageband from a phone. Please tell the readers something about that recording process.

I basically wanted to do the simplest thing possible. I have so much fancy gear [laughs] and I was feeling like I just wanted to get something really quick and be able to do it on the move. Sometimes when I make something more formal, I go into the studio and turn on all the equipment and hook everything up and by the time I do that, the moment has passed. I'd rather just get the idea down and something about that felt amazing [laughs]. I ended up liking the sound of it, too. It sounded sort of lo-fi. A lot of the music I listen to is lo-fi mixed with hi-fi elements.

It reminded me of the Liz Phair “Girly-Sound” recordings.

Totally! Those are so great.

Most of the songs, 10 out of 11, are guitar-driven, but the instrumental “Dirge (It’s Trash Day)” is performed on piano. Was it written on piano, and why do you think that was the best way to record it?

That one and “Kings of East LA” are both on piano. That is because I got a piano [laughs] in my house. It took a long time to get it and I started writing songs on piano when the piano arrived. It wasn't a choice other than I didn't have a piano before that. “Dirge (It’s Trash Day)” is just me noodling on the piano. I think it was a rainy trash day [laughs].

I’m also glad you mentioned the song “Kings of East LA.” In it, you refer to Julien, X, and Caleb. Are these real people and do they know they are name-checked in the song, and if so, how do they feel about that?

One of them, X, knows that he's name-checked in the song. He wanted to hear it and he told me that he teared up listening to it. I was very honored about that. It's true, except that Caleb's technically based on a real person, but I took some creative liberties. He’s mixed with some other facts of real people.

I really love the pop song energy of “Another Life.” It’s the kind of song that would sound good in rotation on SiriusXMU, a station that has a history of regularly playing queer artists including Katy Kirby, Phoebe Bridgers, Angel Olsen, and Lucy Dacus. What would it mean to you to have that song embraced by those listeners?

I would love it. I've been an outwardly queer artist for so long now, I can't fathom that not being part of my musical identity. I would be honored and so happy because a lot of my music is openly queer.

Have you played any Pride Fests?

I have! It's been a while, though. I've actually only DJed a Pride event. I've never performed as an artist, but I'm definitely open to it.

On your current tour, you are performing in intimate independent venues. Why did you choose to approach the tour in this way?

Like other musicians in a similar place as me, I’m really frustrated with the bullshit that's happening in the touring industry. It's not getting any easier to tour. A lot of people just don't know what's happening in these small-to-medium-to-medium-large-sized venues where a lot of the developing bands are coming up. These are all venues and clubs that I started in. A lot of people don't know that they're just getting bought up by Live Nation and AEG or just closing entirely. I think over the course of the last five years I've watched all these little venues that I've played, and loved, just dying out. The whole swath of it. It's hard to watch because you see these corporations getting richer and richer and not really giving a shit about anyone else.

Certainly not about the artists.

Yeah! They're not really contributing to the rest of the ecosystem in the music industry. The same goes for the streaming services, too. They're not contributing to the rest of ecosystem that allows it to function, and that includes the working class of the music industry: the people running the venues, the people promoting the shows that are independent, and the musicians. We are the backbone: along with all the other workers. There's no foundation in the industry if no one is supporting us. We have to look out for each other. There's no other option.

I saw a few memorable shows by performers in intimate settings early in their careers, including Suzanne Vega at Passim in Cambridge, Shawn Colvin at Orphan’s in Chicago, and Jewel at the Urbis Orbis coffeehouse in Chicago. Is there a show you saw in such a venue that stands out to you to this day?

I just saw a show, maybe it was last year, it was a Surfbort show in a warehouse venue and it was a perfect venue for them. It was the first time they played together in years. It was the perfect vibe. That's kind of what I'm talking about. If these types of places that are either DIY spaces or independent in that they're running everything themselves, they don't have the money behind a giant promotion team or a rich lawyer to handle all their liability and stuff, that's what I mean when I'm talking about independent venues. We can't just be relying on corporate-owned clubs and promotion companies doing all the work. Otherwise, it's gonna be a monopoly.

One of the stops on your tour is at Sweat Records in Miami. Your 2023 album, “The Art of Forgetting,” features the song “Miami” as well as the track “Florida Room” featuring the voice of your grandmother. Do you have an affiliation with the Sunshine State?

[Laughs] No. I love Miami. In fact, that was the only reason why it ended up on the touring map. Because I wanted to go there [laughs]. I don't go to a place like that with the band; it's too expensive. This [tour] is an opportunity for me to go to all these places that I wouldn't normally get to go to.

Do you go to Wynwood when you're in Miami?

Totally! I think it's such a cool city. It's such a blend of all these different cultures and different architectural styles, art and food. I really like going there.

Photo credit: Colakovicsrdjan, Wikimedia Commons.