NJ-born, LA-based Carly McClellan writes pop music for a generation that makes every mistake in public. The five tracks of her debut EP 8th Ave read like the best diary entries you wish you never threw out, like pressing send before thinking on a text to a new crush, but with the wry hindsight that comes with being able to look back and laugh at disastrous dates or the vaping habits of an ex-boyfriend.
There is something universal in the small details and witty observations that make CARR’s tracks stand out. Fan favorite “Van McCann” is a cheeky ode to the lead singer of British indie rockers Catfish & the Bottlemen that McClellan wrote as a joking survey of the real life exasperations of dating fellow twenty-somethings in LA; while not the first person to compare every shitty date to their celebrity crush, CARR does it better than most. Several more singles followed in 2020, solidifying her sweet spot between tender, “been there” moments and the lighthearted sense of humor that makes up her real life personality. New single “Poor Boy” features a stuck-in-your-head chorus over a saccharine sweet guitar line that does little to lessen the blunt lyrics: “I’ll crash and burn on purpose / ‘cause you’re boring / we’ll never talk again.” Darkly relatable, it’s a confident step forward from her blog-era days and a fresh millennial perspective of a world where growing up gets more complicated everyday.
Empowered more today than ever, CARR is here to remind us that the future is bright, and there’s always something to write a song about.
Listen here.