Photo Credits: Maggie London
We always start by asking artists to introduce themselves in their own words, or in the words of someone talking about them in a bar – so, time to introduce yourself!
My name is Caroline Romano, and I’m an alt-pop artist and songwriter currently based in Nashville! I write what I would deem songs that are vulnerable and at times messy. I love words, so I think a sort of “stream of consciousness” writing style can be heard a lot in my music. I often describe myself as “the loudest sort of introvert,” and I make music for people who feel the same way about themselves.
it took me falling feels like a comingofage story told through bruises and breakthroughs. When did you realize this EP was less about heartbreak and more about the clarity that comes after?
So much of this project is about falling in love for what feels like the very first time, after years of “almosts” that led to heartbreak. I think it was in writing those love songs, and being able to write about love in such a new way, that I realized this project was me finally being able to look back on what led me here. In the past, I had never been able to write in the way I wrote this project. In writing songs like “There It Is” and “Unsteady,” I realized I was on the other side of the story in the best way.
The vulnerability feels strong across these songs. What did you have to let yourself feel, or refeel, to write this project honestly?
I’ve never been one to shy away from letting myself feel things. I tend to be a very emotional person, and I’ve always tried to let that shine through in my music. I think the scariest thing when writing this EP was to actually let myself feel good. I was writing about good, exciting things, but in the past, I had been hesitant to believe that great things could stay great. I had to give myself permission to feel all the love and excitement that this project required and believe that good things can exist.
For the three new songs –“Not Used to You,” “There It Is,” and “it took me falling” – what emotional territory were you exploring that you hadn’t touched before?
I think all three of the new songs show a softer side to me and my music that I had yet to explore before now. They each have that level of bittersweetness that I think exists throughout my sound, but there’s a level of peace in those tracks that I don’t think my previous songs had.
The title track feels like the thesis statement of the whole EP. When did you know that was the name?
The title track was the very last song I wrote for the project. Prior to writing it, I was really grappling with what the EP would be called. On the way to a session one day, I was listening to the tracks I’d already decided would make the project, and the words “it took me falling” came into my head. I brought the idea to my friend and producer John Dyke the next week, and we wrote the entire thing in less than an hour. Writing that song truly felt like finding the missing piece to the puzzle. There was no doubt in my mind that that it took me falling would be the name of the project.
You’ve been writing about heartbreak and uncertainty since your teens. How has your relationship to those themes evolved as you’ve grown into your twenties?
As I’ve gotten older, I think I’ve allowed myself to learn from and accept those themes more. This project was a big step for me in finding the beauty in the things I never used to understand. I can’t say I fully understand them now in my twenties either, but I can see why they have been necessary at various points in my life.
Mississippi to Nashville is a big emotional and artistic leap. How has Nashville shaped the artist you’re becoming?
Nashville is truly one of my favorite cities in the world, and I believe it always will be. Nashville has grown up with me and helped me figure out who I am as both a person and an artist. I find a lot of myself in a city like Nashville, in that it’s ever growing and changing, but at its core, it knows who it is and what it’s about, which is storytelling and music. It’s home to me.
What did your writing process look like for this project – were these songs slow burns or lightning strikes?
The writing process for each song on the project was a bit different. For songs like, “There It Is” and “it took me falling,” I came into the session with the title and an idea of the story I wanted to tell already in mind. Those songs, and songs like “Cruel and Unusual Punishment,” seemed to just flow seamlessly and definitely felt like “lightning strike” moments. “Not Used to You” was the very first song I wrote for the EP, and because of that, I think it was more of a challenge because I didn’t quite know where the story was going yet. I had the opportunity to work on this EP with amazing friends and collaborators in both Nashville and LA, and I had the time of my life creating it.
You’ve toured with Grayscale and Smallpools – what did you learn from being on the road that you’re carrying into this new era?
Watching Smallpools and Grayscale each night taught me a lot about how to make a show flow and feel interesting throughout the entire set. I learned so much from those guys and what they bring to the stage each night. Even from my own set on that tour, I learned a lot about the importance of songs that are fun to play live. It’s amazing how certain songs can exist in the live space so well, and I kept that in mind when writing the project for this current era. Mostly though, I just learned how important it is to have fun and truly love the music you create. My goal is to get up on stage each night with the same excitement to play these songs as the very first time I sang them.
What do you hope listeners carry with them after hearing it took me falling?
I hope people carry with them the realization that it’s okay to let yourself fall and go through things you feel like you may never understand. You must be vulnerable to feel the things we all so desperately want to feel in this life, and that comes with heartbreaks and bruises along the way. I believe it’s all worth it in the end though, and that we end up where we’re supposed to be if we allow ourselves to.
IT TOOK ME FALLING OUT NOW.
Words by
Marie Müller, 2026.