When it comes to creating art, youth remains an undeniable power that burns with a unique intensity. There’s something visceral about the work of a young artist processing the relentless speed of life coming at them for the first time. It’s that heady mix of heavy feelings and hopeful anticipation, bewilderment, and bliss.
Most of all, however, it’s a depth of passion, pure and uncompromised, for which there is no substitute. And while there are many young songwriters, it’s a rare thing to find a vocalist that can effortlessly communicate this complex kaleidoscope of feelings in one striking melody after another.
Now, put this singer in front of a young band with a clear vision, shooting for the stars. Enter the dazzling dream pop of Polaroid Fade.
We were thrilled to chat with Nicoletta from the band about their debut album, Chaos Into Poetry, which is out now via Shore Points Records.
Polaroid Fade's music captures a powerful mix of nostalgia and youthful exuberance. How does your experience growing up in Vineland, NJ, and the unique challenges of starting a band during the COVID lockdown shape the stories and emotions in Chaos Into Poetry? In spring of 2020 i had just turned 14. When the COVID lockdown hit it was actually a great time because it forced my very busy parents to stay in the house and we had some amazing times being all together.
One of those amazing things was my dad teaching me how to play guitar on our back deck. My dad is a musician and there was always music in the house. He taught me some chords and he and I would play covers and actually write some songs. We would write lyrics together and just laugh and have a blast with it. I would say that had COVID not happened, Polaroid Fade may not exist.
As for growing up in Vineland, NJ…we are 30 minutes from Philadelphia and 30 minutes from the Shore, the latter being my favorite. That ocean city boardwalk and town overall has been my muse for most of the songs in one way or another. It's a magical place. Thats all I can say.
Nicoletta, your voice has been compared to legends like Susanna Hoffs and Deborah Harry while maintaining a modern flair. How do you balance drawing from iconic influences like The Smiths and Radiohead with creating a sound that feels fresh and uniquely your own?
I honestly don't even try to hide it! Haha! My favorite singer is Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays and I just try to imitate her on everything I do. Luckily I'm not that great at imitating and it comes out sounding like me. But seriously, those are great women to be compared to! As for our other influences, I think we wear them proudly on our sleeves. We take bits and pieces of all of those great bands and when we put them together the end product is Polaroid Fade.
The band’s chemistry, particularly between you and Tyler Bronn, is a standout feature of Polaroid Fade. Can you take us behind the scenes of how you collaborate to merge his intricate guitar textures with your emotionally charged vocals to craft songs like 'Any Other Way' and 'Bliss?'
Tyler is like the older brother I never had. We laugh a lot! His guitar parts come from the necessity to fill space in a one guitar, bass and drums band. We don’t do a bunch of overdubs in the studio because we want to be able to replicate the songs live as a four piece. Those parts always keep that in mind. We try to be aware of each others space in the song when crafting melodies as well. It’s worked so far!
You’ve built a passionate fanbase by blending dream pop with alternative rock elements. What do you think it is about Polaroid Fade’s music that resonates with audiences of all ages, and how does that influence the way you approach songwriting and performing?
We just write what comes naturally to us and thats where those influences come in. We don’t really write for anyone but ourselves. I mean, we have our moments when we know fans of the cure, or the sundays and the smiths will recognize what we are doing, but I dont think it steers the songwriting one way or another.
I think theres something familiar about our music that appeals to the older crowd. I try to be honest and tell a story in some of the songs. Other times its a bunch of words that sound good together! Haha! I think the younger crowd likes the fact that we are mostly in our teens making music that sounds a little like the “older” bands that are finding a second life on TikTok. They are just now being discovered by my generation.
Having self-produced your debut LP, Chaos Into Poetry, in a home studio, what was the most rewarding—and most challenging—aspect of taking full creative control over the recording process? How do you think it impacted the album's final sound?
Having the freedom to record at home was amazing. We could track stuff whenever we felt inspired. The bad part about it is you are so close to the project that you cant remove yourself to listen objectively. Our basic attitude was we didn't want perfect takes. We didn't want to tweak the sounds endlessly. We wanted to keep everything fresh sounding. Every time we felt ourselves overthinking something we would stop and move on.
We would make mixes and listen to something for weeks in the car. If something was truly not working, it would reveal itself over time. Most of the time, repeated listening would smooth over whatever “mistake” was bothering us and we would just keep it.
It was maddening at times but recording this ourselves really gave us a skillset that can never be taken away.
What's next for Polaroid Fade?
One fan at a time. We just hope that enough people will connect with our music like we connect with our favorite bands so that we can continue to make music for the next 20 years.