First Listen: Caroline Rose, 'LONER'

A self-proclaimed “failed scholar and modern-day hobo,” 24 year-old Caroline Rose has broken her long string of short circuits with a live-wire national debut, I Will Not Be Afraid (August 19th / Little Hi! Records) that draws on her roots in rockabilly, vintage country, and blues to capture her unique and distinctive vision. Written and arranged by Rose and co-produced with multi-instrumentalist Jer Coons (with Pat Melvin on bass), I Will Not Be Afraid chronicles Caroline’s wandering years; a disillusioned youth constantly demanding freedom and the most from life. Raised in the Northeast (and currently living in her van), Rose is a rare mix of Northern grit and Southern charm whose musical influences trace back to her family’s Southern roots, running deep into the heart of Mississippi. “You can hear my history in the music,” Rose says. “It’s a bit rough around the edges, a bit wild, but American music through and through.”