In seventh grade, carobae’s teacher asked the class what profession they’d … Read Full Bio ↴In seventh grade, carobae’s teacher asked the class what profession they’d prefer as adults. There were the firemen, presumably, maybe a dancer or two. But it was carobae who had the clearest vision. At five-years-old she was playing the violin by ear (which made learning guitar and piano later a breeze). The 12-year-old knew nothing of entertainment, only that a career outside of the arts was “never an option.” When carobae’s turn to speak arrived, she was unshakably self-assured: “Music producer,” she responded with certainty.

Though carobae, nee Caroline Barker, doesn’t remember the class exercise, it was recounted to her recently by an old schoolmate. He revealed to the now 24-year-old that he also hoped to express musical ambitions, but carobae had got in first. In the years since, coming out ahead has proved a running theme in the artist’s career. The Nashville-based producer, singer and songwriter taught herself production programs while studying voice in college, because she couldn’t afford to pay local guys in the business $400 per demo. Now, the male producers of the past come to her.

“Every time a guy enters the room, they’re always surprised that I know more than they thought I did,” she laughs, adding: “And it’s so nerve-wracking being in a room like that — but if I shied away from producing because I was worried no one would take me seriously, there’s no way I’d be at this place.”

“That place” is one year on from her debut seven-track mixtape, songs from 3am, that made her an immediate indie darling upon release. Though, the months since have dragged on for the multi-hyphenate. She’s gearing up to share her second offering, The Longest Year, which will be followed by a second installment, The Longest Year Pt II. The two-part EP is an ode not only to her own personal growth — documenting the missteps, mayhem and magic of one’s early 20s — but also to the irrevocable cultural shift in the midst of a global pandemic. It’s a timelessly relatable time capsule.

“I was in a really destructive phase,” she recalls. “There were a lot of great things happening, but there were times when I just couldn’t get out of bed. After a point, my writing changed. I used to write something and wake up and absolutely hate it. Now I’m not as calculated. It’s more honest, more vulnerable.”

carobae describes her music as “bedroom pop,” partly because she’ll rarely write anything for her own catalogue in the studio. Sonically, The Longest Year is the artist’s favorite work yet. Over catchy guitar riffs she breathily transcends scales, her lyrics fostering a unique kind of intimacy with the listener. It’s hard to believe she almost never became a singer — determined to be viewed by publishers as a producer.

“It’s just so interesting because I don’t really know any female producers who are just producers — you have to be everything. But producing has given me room to be much more particular about my vocals — I’m so glad I learned to write and produce on my own, because I don’t know if I’d be making the caliber of music I am now.”

carobae now juggles her solo career, while writing and producing for other acts across a range of major labels (Loren Gray and Midnight Kids regularly recruit the her). Then there’s her all-female band, The Tramp Stamps, that delivers y2k pop-punk nostalgia through a fourth-wave feminist lens. The group will frequently schedule writing camps, trading Nashville for a cabin in the woods every other weekend to write and record. Their creative connection now veers on telepathic.

“I’m honestly at a point in my life where any opportunity to be creative is a blessing,” carobae claims of her separate ventures. “It’s fun to do it all. But for my own stuff it’s all on my own time, because I’m always writing for others. So, for my music it really comes down to inspiration and honesty. I write what I’m feeling.”

For that reason, the concept of ‘success’ looks a little different to carobae. It’s writing a Top 40 hit for another artist, while her own song blows up in Korea. It’s producing an award-winning pop track and releasing an album that’s the most authentic extension of herself. Most importantly, it’s surviving as a musician. Paying the bills with paws in many different pies, just to live to create another day. If not for carobae, then for 12-year-old Caroline Baker.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get to a point where I feel like I made it. I just want to do it all and show people what I’m capable of. I’m just not going to sleep, and it’s fine, because I’m where I need to be.”

Leave It There
carobae Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Something about you made me feel good just for a second
And something about me made you feel good just for a second

I'm holding my breath
I don't wanna say it but we don't make sense
Got nothing in common
Won't make a big deal
But it kinda feels like it is

When it isn't

I, I
couldn't stay all night
couldn't stay all night if i
tried
it wouldn't feel right
not like the last time
it wouldn't be fair
I'll just leave it there

it's not like a bandaid
when i rip it off i won't feel better
even though i didn't love you
i loved the way u made me feel back together
Oh

I'm holding my breath
I don't wanna say it but we don't make sense
No we never did
I won't make a big deal

but it kinda feels like it is
when it isn't

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to carobae's song "Leave It There" express a complex mix of emotions and reflections on a short-lived and perhaps ill-fated relationship. The song captures the fleeting nature of the connection between the singer and the subject, who briefly made each other feel good. However, despite this temporary positive feeling, there is an underlying sense that the two don't really make sense together and don't have much in common. The singer acknowledges this lack of compatibility, but at the same time, there is an underlying tension as it feels like a big deal even if it shouldn't be.

The chorus emphasizes the decision to walk away and not prolong the relationship. The singer admits that they couldn't stay all night even if they tried because it wouldn't feel right. There is a realization that the connection they had is not like a simple band-aid that can be ripped off to find immediate relief. Although the singer didn't love the subject deeply, they loved how this person made them feel when they were together. It is a bittersweet acknowledgement of the impact the relationship had, even if it wasn't built on a strong foundation.

Line by Line Meaning

Something about you made me feel good just for a second
There was a fleeting moment when I found happiness in you

And something about me made you feel good just for a second
For a brief moment, I provided you with a sense of joy

I'm holding my breath
I am anxiously waiting

I don't wanna say it but we don't make sense
I hesitate to admit that we are incompatible

Got nothing in common
We lack any shared interests or similarities

Won't make a big deal
I won't create unnecessary drama

But it kinda feels like it is
Yet, it strangely feels like a significant issue

When it isn't
Though in reality, it truly isn't

I, I couldn't stay all night
I couldn't remain with you for the entire night

couldn't stay all night if i tried
Even if I made an effort, I couldn't endure the entire night

it wouldn't feel right
It wouldn't feel appropriate or comfortable