Multifaceted singer-songwriter, artist, musician, & producer Party Nails shares the brand new magnetic alt-pop single “First Responder”, which centres around letting go of a toxic person.
Before she was Party Nails, Elana Carroll played open mics near her hometown of Chatham, New York. At home she recorded herself with Garageband, instigating a love of music technology, which continues to this day. Party Nails first debuted in 2015, with her first tour in 2017 (with PVRIS & Lights) ushering in a devoted fanbase, with her live performances continuing to be a core element of her artistry.
Originally written as a country song, Party Nails’ newest single, “First Responder”, dives deep into the emotional rollercoaster of feeling taken advantage of when you drop everything to help someone who never seems to do the same for you.
Party Nails has kindly taken the time to chat with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution regarding the release of “First Responder” & you can check out the full interview below.
Hey Party Nails, thank you for this interview. Can you start by introducing yourself to readers who might be unfamiliar with your music?
Party Nails: Hello! Thank for you having me. I like to say my music sounds like if Cyndi Lauper was from the 2020s. It’s modern, fun, sing-along-able, but also heartfelt and at its core song-based. I engineer, produce and mix, for myself as well as other artists, but Party Nails is first and foremost about song writing.
When did you first discover your passion for music?
Party Nails: I remember sitting in the backseat as a small child and singing along with Christmas music and realizing I had control over my voice and that felt SO FUN to me. I just wanted to play with my voice and all that it could do. That was the first inkling.
Have you always known that you wanted to pursue a career within music?
Party Nails: Pretty much. When I got my first electric guitar at 11, something clicked. I was already writing songs, and being able to be loud made me also want to show them to people. I studied music all through school. It’s a difficult career path, so I’ve considered other paths over the years. But honestly everything is hard, the grass is always greener. I always do music even when I am also doing other things.
How would you currently describe your musical style?
Party Nails: Gritty pop Americana rock.
You just released the new single “First Responder”. How did the idea for this song come together?
Party Nails: Like a lot of Party Nails songs, this started as a country song, just me and my guitar. In country songwriting there are lots of lists and phrases that sort of fold back onto themselves, and humor is used as much as cheesy heartfelt lyrics. I leaned into all of this when I was writing First Responder.
This song centres around moving on from a toxic person. What did it mean to you to include this in a song?
Party Nails: It’s always healing to finally get your feelings about something out and onto the page, or into a song in this case. Like poems, songs don’t necessarily need to be about a specific person in order to resonate about a specific person. So I was inspired by a current event in my life at the time I was writing, but First Responder is ultimately about all of the times I’ve experienced permeable boundaries and felt upset about it.
What message would you have for someone who feels in a similar situation?
Party Nails: Your time and peace are yours, and you can claim them as you wish. Your true friends will respect and admire you for doing so. You don’t need to keep everyone around you happy all the time.
Did you always plan to release “First Responder”?
Party Nails: Yes! This is one of the longest times I’ve sat on a finished song actually. COVID changed my release landscape and I had to be really really patient getting back to a “normal” release schedule.
What does this song personally mean to you?
Party Nails: I’m really proud of this song, the writing, production and mixing. The collaborators I worked with brought some really special energy to the table. Mixing this song was a huge achievement for me. I may have broken my brain a little bit with this one, and I would do it again.
What message would you like listeners to take from this song?
Party Nails: Hard stuff can be funny, it’s going to be okay.
What advice would you have for anyone who was looking to pursue a career within the music industry?
Party Nails: It’s the hardest most rewarding most punishing thing you will ever do. You are an athlete, not a worker, when you are an artist in the music biz. You are running a small business. Touring is expensive and dirty. People will be upset at you for not listening to them, for not helping them, for having standards, for being a human and not a superhero. Your dog will be very sad when you are on tour. You will play empty rooms. You will do it over and over again. If that sounds fun to you, go for it. It sounded fun to me!
Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers?
Party Nails: Keep going and be kind to yourself.
You can check out “First Responder” on Spotify below or on more platforms here.
Party Nails: Instagram / TikTok.
Fierce & Fabulous Revolution 