IN CONVERSATION WITH CARRIE OKAY

interview by JANA LETONJA

What began as a songwriting session for someone else quickly became the beginning of something entirely new. Carrie Okay, the alternative pop-rock supergroup formed by singer-songwriters LØLØ, salem ilese and Alna, brings together three distinctive creative voices with a shared instinct for emotionally direct songwriting. Their debut single, High in a Drugstore, introduces that chemistry through a collision of 90s alternative nostalgia and contemporary pop, pairing stripped-back guitars with vulnerable vocals and a cathartic edge. Produced and co-written with Andrew Goldstein, the song ultimately proved too personal, and too good, to give away. Ahead of their debut, we speak with the trio about friendship, creative chemistry, vulnerability and what happens when three individual artists decide to become a band.

photography by WHITNEY OTTE

Carrie Okay began almost accidentally while you were writing High in a Drugstore for somebody else. What happened in that room that made you realize, “We need to keep this”?  
LØLØ: We can’t exactly put our finger on it, but the song just felt really special. We had written tons of different songs together in the past, but something about this one felt different. Even though we were writing it as a pitch for somebody else, we were pulling so much from our own personal experiences that by the end of it, it sounded like us before there was even an us. By the time we finished the song, I think all three of us were looking at each other like, “Holy sh*t, can we really give this away?”

At what point did keeping one song turn into the much bigger conversation of actually forming a band together?

LØLØ: Almost immediately. After listening to High in a Drugstore all the way through, we, almost as a joke, were like, “Well, I guess we should just start a girl band then?”and we all laughed. And then there was this moment where we were like, “But wait, should we actually?” So we did a couple more sessions together and the songs were flowing out super quickly. It just felt so right. Then finally we were like, “Okay, I guess if we’re actually doing this, we probably need a name.” That was when it started feeling very real.

Why Carrie Okay? What’s the story behind the name?

salem: What started as a dad joke ended as our band name. The three of us have built our lives around word play, so it was only right to incorporate it into our name. Also, I can’t resist a subtle pun. We were throwing around a lot of ideas over many months, but Carrie Okay was the one we kept coming back to. Honorable mention to “I Love Steve.” The Sex & The City nod was also just a happy accident.

You each already have established identities as individual artists. What can you express as Carrie Okay that you perhaps can’t access in your solo work?

salem: None of us could write a Carrie Okay song alone, because it truly is a blend of all of us. I find writing for my solo project deeply personal and sometimes even stressful, because I tend to put a lot of importance in telling the most real version of the truth. When I’m writing with my Carries, it’s still the truth, but it’s not just mine. Carrie Salem might say something that salem ilese may not, and vice versa. They’re the same person in different outfits.

High in a Drugstore feels simultaneously vulnerable and cathartic. What was the emotional starting point for the song?

LØLØ: The emotional starting point was definitely heartbreak, but we wanted to really capture that feeling of desperation. Feeling so messed up over somebody, that once you mix in a gummy, your pathetic mind wanders to the places it shouldn’t, even though you know better.

How do you reference nostalgia without simply recreating something that already existed?

Alna: We’re all 90s babies, so I think we’re nostalgic by nature. We wanted the music to feel familiar, but give it a fresh spin using playful lyrics and combining the influences each of us grew up with. That carries through to our styling and visuals too, kind of like a nod to a great memory rather than a replica.

Your voices have very distinct identities individually. How did you approach finding a collective vocal identity without losing what makes each of you recognizable?

Alna: It was really important to us that we didn’t have a front person. We wanted everyone to feel equally represented and we’ve done this by taking a “no ego” approach to the creative process. We rotate who’s in the middle of photos, almost to the point where we have to push each other to stand there. Our writing sessions are also a safe space for any of us to throw out ideas, hop on the mic, and try things. If one of us takes the lead for a verse, another will do harmonies or take the next section, and we trade off based on whose voice fits the melody best. For choruses, Andrew blends us together in a way that almost produces a new voice out of the combination that’s distinct to Carrie Okay. I think that’s a big part of where our sound comes from and what makes the songs feel special. It’s a true collaboration between the four of us.

There has been a noticeable resurgence of guitars, pop-rock and alternative sounds in contemporary pop. Why do you think younger audiences are connecting so strongly with that energy again?

LØLØ: I think our generation is craving authenticity again in a world that can feel so curated and polished. There’s something really human about music that feels a little messy around the edges. Pop-rock has an energy where you can really hear the emotion behind it and I think people really connect with that.

The visual world is immediately important too, with the debut video shot in Los Angeles. How are you thinking about Carrie Okay aesthetically, from fashion to imagery and the band’s overall visual identity?

salem: Though the video was shot in LA, we didn’t want that to be obvious. We purposely avoided highlighting stereotypical Hollywood landmarks, in hopes of staging a scene that could take place in many cities. Our first photoshoot was in Downtown LA, but to me, it looks more like the streets of NYC. We’ve tried to opt for visuals that feel timeless as opposed to trendy, which naturally meant gravitating towards mediums that have already stood the test of time, such as film, camcorders and VHS. We love to have a bit of grain, both sonically and visually. Talking fashion, it’s been fun to incorporate aspects of our personal styles into the closet that makes up Carrie Okay. Through Pinterest boards, thrift store trips, and a group text that takes up a lot of my storage space, I feel like we have a pretty clear idea of what that shared style is.

Beyond High in a Drugstore, what can you reveal about the music you’re creating together? Is there already a larger body of work taking shape?

Alna: Yes, we’re so excited, we have tons more to share. We’re all songwriters in addition to being artists so our sessions have gone super fast, and we’ve loved almost every song we’ve made. We have a collection of several songs that cement our sound as a band, from an angsty electric guitar-driven rock song to a stadium sing-along ballad. Our goal is to release the first EP within the next year and we can’t wait to share the music we’ve had so much fun making together.

This is the very beginning of Carrie Okay. If we revisit this conversation a few years from now, what do you hope this first song will have started?

Alna & salem: I’m personally trying to practice some healthy outcome detachment. What we really hope is that the songs resonate and make people feel seen. As fans ourselves, we know how special it is to hear a song that acts as a musical bandaid. We want all of our Carries to feel A-okay. This project comes from a place of passion, a real love for the process, and not taking ourselves too seriously, so our approach is to show up consistently and authentically and just see where it goes. That being said, we are manifesting playing some shows, putting out lots more music, a “Very Berry Carrie” smoothie collab, and having the title track for an iconic rom-com.