Be it a collision of colours, patterns, personalities, or sounds – there’s a thrilling beauty to things that clash. By breaking the unwritten rules, unusual pairings open up new potentials. They turn the world upside down and give us the power to organise it anew. Suddenly, the possibilities are endless.

Someone who’s no stranger to rule-breaking is carolesdaughter: the 18-year-old singer-songwriter who’s using dark pop music to combine the hardcore with the delicate, redefining what it can mean to be feminine in the process.

Her latest offering “Violent” effortlessly merges soft and sweet vocals with vengeful and bitter lyricism. The resulting track is both gothic yet elegant, harsh yet soothing. “Don’t make me get violent,” she warns her lover in the chorus, before crooning: “I want my ring back, baby, that’s a diamond.”

And the accompanying visuals are just as disconcerting. Transporting us straight into a Victorian-style bedroom stuffed with teddy bears, the singer lies drenched in petals on the bed, her eyes glassy and her studded-neck bloody.

On the inspiration behind the striking track, carolesdaughter explained: “I was in a toxic relationship when I wrote it. I was just fed up, and I released it. It was a real moment. I guess people recognize it.”

We caught up with the young Southern Californian artist below, talking biggest role models, unusual musical influences, and how she’s transforming her struggles into sound.

Check out the interview below…

How have you been during this uncertain time? How has it impacted your music and creativity?
I try not to let the worlds craziness affect me, my circle has gotten really small because of covid but that has given me more time to study music and delve deeper into what I love.

How did growing up in the melting pot of Southern California influence you sonically? And I read you were one of 10 kids – who are your musical heroes?
I grew up listening to the Carpenters, the Ramones, ELO, and a lot of ‘70s bands, but when I got a phone, I started getting into underground soundcloud music, rap, punk rock, and heavy metal. I don’t really idolize anyone, but I think I’m kinda like the goth Taylor Swift, and I also used to love her music.

Why the name carolesdaughter?
I love my mom, and even though we may seem really different on the outside she’s my biggest role model therefore I’m always trying to be carolesdaughter.

Congratulations on our new track – “Violent” – what was it inspired by?
It’s about being pushed to the edge, wanting to hurt someone because they hurt you, and the desperation when you are in an abusive cycle whether it be a relationship, with yourself, addiction, or anything else someone might interpret it as.

And the music video is super dark and visceral – what did you want to evoke with it?
The song’s name is violent, so it seemed fitting especially because the song itself is soft and sweet and my whole style is kind of combining hardcore elements with feminine and using that contrast it just felt like a genuine way to introduce myself in my first video.

You’ve been really open about toxic relationships, rehab and the various raw inspirations behind your music – how does it feel being that open in your music?
Sometimes, really scary. Like everyone knows too much about me. But turning my struggles into a pretty song helps me get it out. And I feel like a lot of people can relate to me, so if it helps one person figure life out a little easier, it’s worth it.

How does it feel releasing new music when most of the world is in lockdown/everything feels so uncertain – what do you hope your music will bring?
After the year we’ve had we deserve some good music and I hope to contribute to that generously.

What’s the most unusual place you pull inspiration from?
When I was in rehab, I only had a few books including the AA and NA basic texts. I used to skim and read through those because I related to almost every word and it helped me write a ton of songs.

What’s next for you? What are you looking forward to in 2021?
Everything is already happening so fast I can’t even imagine what next year will bring, but I hope to stay happy and grounded with my music as my first priority.