Send us a text

When singer-songwriter Cara Caterson joins Rome Davis on the No ID Podcast, what unfolds is an unexpectedly vulnerable peek behind the curtain of creative careers. Both performers strip away the glamor to reveal what audiences never see—Rome confessing to throwing up at gas stations before comedy sets, Cara admitting to hiding in venue bathrooms to calm her nerves. Their shared experiences create an immediate bond that allows the conversation to venture into rarely discussed territory.

"I was wondering where the hell you went," Rome tells Cara, celebrating her recent single release "Big Joke" after watching her develop from open mic nights to professional recordings. Their discussion traces Cara's musical journey from church singing as a child to finding escape through music during a challenging upbringing, drawing inspiration from artists like Music Soulchild and Erykah Badu.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn as they explore how today's entertainment landscape forces artists to compress their vision into ever-smaller packages. "Everything has to be a Reel or a Short now," Cara laments, noting how the industry's demand for 30-second content fragments makes it nearly impossible to present complete artistic expressions. Both agree that album lengths have shrunk from an hour to barely 30 minutes, reflecting our collective shrinking attention capacity.

As they discuss moving between music scenes—Cara relocating from Virginia Beach to Baltimore—they touch on the delicate balance between competition and community. "There's a lot of betas trying to be alphas," Rome observes about industry climbers who don't understand collaboration's value. Cara offers aspiring musicians practical wisdom earned through experience: read extensively about the industry, prepare thoroughly behind the scenes, and only launch when truly ready.

Ready to discover an artist on the rise? Follow Cara Caterson across social platforms and stream "Big Joke" wherever you get your music. If you enjoyed this conversation about the real challenges creative people face, subscribe to the No ID Podcast for more unfiltered discussions about making art in today's complex landscape.

Support the show