Please introduce yourself and share a bit about your background.

My name is Caroline, I'm Aries-Leo-Aries pianist and singer songwriter with a penchant for 80s and 90s music.

Tell us a bit about yourself. (Location, artist name, the works!)

Caroline in the Garden is the timeless pop wonderland created by Atlanta-based singer-songwriter/producer Caroline Milby. Weaving together classic piano, lush, orchestral synth and themes of melodramatic melancholy, it is evocative of languishing in a beautiful garden, quietly shedding tears into your afternoon tea.

What's your musical origin story? (when did you start? What inspired you?)

I was always driven to be on stage so my mom put me in piano and voice lessons as a kid. I got started as a keyboardist and singer in Philadelphia art-rock band Weird Hot, and then relocated to Atlanta and Caroline in the Garden is my first solo project.

What were the driving forces or pivotal moments that inspired you to pursue music?

I hear so much in my head and would rather sing than speak. So there's that. But I'm also obsessed with the individual elements that make a song magical. You can take a song concept that is just chords and a melody, add the perfect springy synth line here, or some unexpected industrial percussion and it will elevate the whole thing.

How would you describe your style of music?

I call it vintage pop. I am highly influenced by 80s New Wave, and 90s Lilith Fair icons.

How is your personality reflected in your work?

I took my name from my preferred location to write. The Garden is also a metaphor for my sacred space—a land of eternal creative spring. It's also a dreamy, cloudy space with a lot of antiques and a vaguely Edwardian feel. I love antiques and I love nature and want to honor that.

Describe your creative process when you write new music.

Every song starts at the piano. I love to layer interesting elements that feel kind of timeless or even anachronistic. I work most often with Luke Mertz as my producer. He is a musician with a couple of his own projects, including Motion Cntrl, and we share a lot of the same musical heroes and influences.

What is the name of your latest releases?

This Peak EP

What was the inspiration for that release?

I grew up listening to pop radio in the 80s and 90s when driving around in the car with my parents, and I am really nostalgic for some of that sound.

What challenges or unexpected moments did you encounter during the writing/recording process?

The song This Peak, which is the most popular song from the EP, initially had entirely different minor chord progression and we recorded it like that. But sometimes, you have to keep working because that chord progression wasn't. I love it how songs can grow and evolve and I'm so much happier with the direction that we decided to go with it.

What strategies do you find most effective for promoting your music?

I try to play live here in Atlanta twice a month and that is probably the most effective for actually meeting and engaging with music fans here. I keep an email list that I'm continually growing, and I send those folks unreleased tracks and first crack at show tickets and stuff and that's been really good too.

How do you engage with your fans online and offline?

I think the above ways have way more legs than trying to play the algorithm. I also write a weekly substack on overcoming creative fear called "Kinda Conquering Creative Fear with Caroline". Despite playing in bands for 10 years, I had a lot of fear around being a solo act so I started writing about it to help others come out of their creative shell.

What upcoming promotional activities or releases are you most excited about?

I have a full length album on deck for late 2025 or 2026.

How can folks contact you?

You can stream my songs on my website or on my Bandcamp page. Or hit me up at Caroline@CarolineintheGarden.com. I might even just send you an unreleased song to enjoy!

Is there anything else of interest that we should have asked about?

Here's a fun fact, I am also an attorney. I went to law school and was in a band and it can be done, simultaneously. I worked as a prosecutor full-time too for a while, but now only practice occasionally.