The Faces Behind Friends of Mine
The Faces Behind Friends of Mine
Meet the faces behind the Friends of Mine show here on Acme Radio: Caroline Bowman, a local DJ better known in town as Cold Lunch Caroline, and Hannah Delynn, a local singer-songwriter. The show was born in 2018 when the pair of best friends began Friends of Mine live once a month at Vinyl Tap, the East Nashville joint record store and neighborhood bar. The girls of Vinyl Tap now make their way across the Korean Vets bridge to continue the show on the air here at Acme Radio Live Wednesdays at 10 pm and again on Thursdays at 2 pm. Last week we sat down with Hannah and Caroline to learn more about the magic behind Friends of Mine and to get to know them a little bit better. Here’s what they had to say.
Hannah Delynn and Caroline Bowman.
Credits: @_bathroomselfies_
For those who may have never tuned in to Friends of Mine, Caroline and Hannah share just what their show is all about, “The main premise of Friends of Mine is to interview artists and bond over a mutual love for music. We hope to reinvent the form of an interview in our own way, with a more casual and authentic approach. We want to learn about that guest that week’s personality, style, music preferences, how they have been feeling, and whatever they feel like sharing at that moment. It is not just a space for them to promote new material, which we encourage as well, but to get to know them in a more real and genuine way. It’s an opportunity to open the door to a new aspect of their life. Friends of Mine is a creative space for music lovers of all kinds: emerging artists, filmmakers, producers, and more”. Tonight on the show they are doing just that with their special guest and local artist, Lydia Luce.
Hannah. Credits: @_bathroomselfies_
Hannah came up with the name Friends of Mine after recognizing the constant conversations that occur in this town. Hannah says, “We were always telling each other ‘Oh, a friend of mine is playing here next weekend’ or ‘the person in that band is a friend of mine’ and it just made sense. It was a perfect fit.”
Hannah brings more of the indie and grunge picks to Friends of Mine, while Caroline specializes in soul music from the 60s. ”I grew up listening to The Beatles thanks to my parents. ‘Arrow Through Me’ by The Wings has always been one of Caroline and I’s favorite songs. I’ve always had a deep love for Mariah Carey, having somewhat of a shrine for her on my bedroom door as a kid,” Hannah shares. “Some of my favorite local artists right now are Jess Nolan, Anthony Da Costa, and the latest Friends of Mine guest, Lydia Luce”.
Caroline frequently DJs around town at Duke’s Bar, The Blue Room, and her home base, Vinyl Tap, while simultaneously graphic designing the posters for the events. We can confirm that she exudes the same comforting, kind energy in person as she does on the air. You can find her hosting Spin Class at Vinyl Tap once a month. Embarking on a DJ career in a male-dominated environment can be intimidating, but she has provided a warm and welcoming space for the female, music lovers here in Nashville.
Caroline attributes Paramore’s debut album, All We Know is Falling, as one of her first loves in music. Naming Haley Williams as a dream guest for Friends of Mine. “There are so many amazing artists we would love to have on the show. Adrienne Lenker from Big Thief, Brittany Howard, Emmylou Harris, even Dolly Parton,” she names off a few.
They shared some of their favorite memories from previous shows. Caroline and Hannah raved about local artist, Erin Rae, “that was such an amazing and memorable episode with her,” Caroline says. “There’s been so many great moments. LG of Thelma and the Sleaze, Andrew Combs, and Julia Jacklin from the live show days at Vinyl Tap,” they agree. Hannah accredited Grant Gustafson of Blank Range as one of her stand-out highlights, “He is one of the most incredible and inventive guitar players and songwriters that I know or have heard and also a dear, dear friend. He had this one performance in particular where he practically didn’t stop playing - it was this stream of consciousness where he knitted the set together. One song flowed into the next flawlessly and expertly… didn’t matter if it changed keys multiple times or he needed a capo… he just did it, fingers still moving. Knowing him, my guess is it was likely a spontaneous idea, which is a further testament to his ability and devotion to his craft. It blew my mind”.
Special guest Lydia Luce.
Special guest Erin Rae.
Friends of Mine will return soon to Vinyl Tap in person on Tuesday nights. As we continue the Acme Radio Live and Vinyl Tap crossover, we also hope to bring you more collaborations with them in the near future. Make sure to follow Caroline and Hannah on Instagram to find out about their latest endeavors and where you can find them playing music around Nashville. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the show, tonight they are discussing solitude in nature with songs that fit the mood. You can listen to all their past episodes here.
Check out the Friends of Mine Radio Hour playlist on Acme Radio Live’s Spotify below.