No doubt at this point everyone is sick of acknowledging the pandemic, however, in certain cases it’s unavoidable. For instance, up-and-coming dream pop band Polaroid Fade might not exist if it was not for this sudden life shift. It was just the catalyst needed for then-14-year-old Nicoletta Giuliani to pick up a guitar. With the help of her dad, and the influence of artists like The Smiths and Radiohead, Giuliani began learning – and finding comfort in – her favorite songs. Fast forward to today, and Polaroid Fade has recently released their brilliant debut album, Chaos Into Poetry, which showcases a band with a bright future ahead. I caught up with Nicoletta to discuss all of this below.
[TJ Foster]: Congratulations on Chaos Into Poetry! How does it feel to have your first LP out in the world?
[Nicoletta Giuliani]: It’s the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me! It’s amazing!
[TF]: What was it like recording these songs at home?
[NG]: When we first started recording, it was terrifying, but as I started to learn how to sing in the studio, it became more comfortable and fun! We set up a studio in a spare room in our house. My dad and I would sit for hours writing and recording.
[TF]: What is the most meaningful song on this record for you and why?
[NG]: Honestly, that’s such a hard decision. I’m going to say “scared”. It was the first completed Polaroid Fade song ever. Is it the best song on the album? That’s debatable. But it’ll definitely always hold the first memories of those moments my dad and I shared together.
[TF]: I read you picked up a guitar for the first time at 14 – it seems harder than ever to get kids to pick up instruments these days. What inspired you to do so?
[NG]: Being locked in the house from COVID was definitely the biggest motivator. I had nothing to do, so why not? My dad and I would sit on our back deck, and he would teach me songs by The Sundays. I would sing and practice all of the songs he taught me whenever I was bored. Then we started writing songs that would eventually become Chaos Into Poetry.
[TF]: Influential nostalgic music from the past seems to be infiltrating mainstream culture again, with bands like Nirvana, Radiohead, and The Smiths becoming almost brands in themselves. What is it about these bands that you think has made them stand the test of time, and what has inspired you about them?
[NG]: I think the reason those bands are becoming popular again is because things have become so processed that my generation is looking for something real to get into. There’s a desire for things to be analog again, hence the resurgence of vinyl, cassettes, and CDs. It’s easy to look back at that time period and feel the warmth the nostalgia brings. Those bands existed at a time where you could make good art on a massive scale, whereas now everything is very commercialized. Nobody wants to take a chance on something that may be outside of the box a bit. It’s all become so monetized. When Radiohead was making Ok Computer, they would’ve never imagined it would have been as big as it is now. They were only concerned about making art that was truthful to them. That’s the only path I see for Polaroid Fade. We refuse to put out anything that isn’t a true and honest statement of what our art is.
[TF]: You guys clearly have a bright future ahead of you. What are your hopes for the band at this early point in your career?
[NG]: Our end goal is to have people love this music as much as we love the bands that we hold dear to our hearts. We hope to be able to be in the playlists and record collections of people who really love our music, and if that means 100 fans in each city or 1000 fans in each city, we’ll take it! We just want to connect to people through our music. Our hope is that in 30 years, the people that love our music now will follow us through our career and anticipate any new releases we have throughout that time. For now, however, we are going to just enjoy every step of the way, no matter how close to our dream it takes us.
Chaos Into Poetry is out now on all major streaming platforms. Pick your poison right here.
