Caroline Quinn, a pop/alternative musician based in East Falls, was looking for a job at the Hideaway Music record store in Chestnut Hill. Through Brian Reisman, owner of Hideaway, she found a gig instead.
“I reached out via email asking if they were looking to hire anyone for jobs,” Quinn said. “Brian was like, ‘I’m not hiring, but I see you’re a musician. Would you want to perform?’ And I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that would be way cooler.’ It was kind of a happy accident.”
Thanks to this fortuitous email exchange, Quinn will perform at Hideaway Music on June 6 during Chestnut Hill’s First Friday event. Based on her 2025 so far — a year in which Quinn had a song go viral on social media and was contacted by managers and record labels — this performance might be a chance for locals to see the artist up close and personal before she hits the big time.
A blend of styles
Quinn, a Delco native, said she had music in her life from the moment she was born. Her mother even claims Quinn would sing herself to sleep as a baby in her crib. As a young adult, she fell in love with musical theater, even getting a bachelor’s degree in musical theater in 2021 from Montclair State University in New Jersey.
Once she graduated, Quinn tried her hand at songwriting and quickly found a comfortable niche. While writing her songs, Quinn finds inspiration from a variety of genres, including other singer-songwriters, musicals, and movie soundtracks.
“There is a lot of unique overlap from genres that you might not expect,” Quinn explained of her influences. “Musicians and singer-songwriters like Phoebe Bridgers inspire me to write about my feelings and emotions and make me feel more comfortable with that. My background in musical theater helps with the storytelling in my songs and with a narrative that I might try to have. And then movie soundtracks can make me feel like, ‘Okay, now let’s add a little drama.’”
Quinn combines these influences to form her own unique sound — a blend of pop, alternative, and indie. Struggling to easily define her style, Quinn joked some songs of hers can best be described as “sad.” A lot of the most prominent themes in her music are centered around mental health and interpersonal relationships with friends and family. For example, Quinn’s 2025 single “Obituaries” reflects on what happens after we die and how the people we care about might react.
Going viral
Quinn started 2025 with 80 monthly listeners on Spotify. This all changed in February, when she posted a video to TikTok that currently has 4.1 million views. The video describes the humble beginnings of musicians such as Chappell Roan and Lady Gaga, who both worked service jobs before becoming famous. As for Quinn? She works as a barista at Germantown Espresso Bar while making music on the side.
In the background of the TikTok video, Quinn’s song “ALIEN ON MY MIND” is playing. First released in summer 2024, this song benefitted from the viral moment and now has over 86,000 streams. Quinn’s monthly listeners have also leaped up to more than 9,300.
“It was cool seeing the power of the internet and social media, and the way things are super nonlinear,” Quinn said. When she released “ALIEN ON MY MIND,” she said “I know this is a good song, but maybe it won’t have its moment now. Maybe its moment is years down the road. So it’s cool to see it have a moment this year. It’s made me feel really happy, grateful, and connected to the people that feel something from my music.”
In addition to hearing from possible managers and labels, Quinn said she now has the beginnings of a fanbase — and it’s not just people in Philadelphia.
“There were people that were from Tennessee or Seattle and they’re like, ‘Come on tour,’” Quinn said. “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I wish I could.’ That’s just really validating and inspirational in itself. … I want to keep doing this.”
Looking forward
Even with a viral video under her belt, Quinn said her proudest moment was when she released her first single, “Cry,” in April 2024 and it played on WXPN. Quinn was housesitting while it played, so she was alone, but her parents and partner were all listening.
“I was so excited. I was FaceTiming them and we were all just crying,” Quinn said. “Look at all this hard work and we’re having a really special moment — all of us together, but also not together.”
Quinn’s current goal is to open for bigger artists on tour to learn more about how the music industry works. As for now, Quinn has been releasing singles from a five-song EP that will come out at the end of June. She hopes the future brings more success as she continues to write songs and perform at local venues — even if she finds out about gigs while looking for a job.
Caroline Quinn will perform at Hideaway Music, 8232 Germantown Ave., on June 6 at 7 p.m. Learn more at carolinequinn.xyz.
Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.
