When Caroline Marquard first visited Nashville, she knew it was her next move. The Swiss-American singer and songwriter was born in Zurich, Switzerland, attended high school in New York, then dabbled at Berklee College of Music before deciding to make the big move to Music City.
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In such short time, Marquard has moved fast. She’s already pulled in more than a million views on YouTube—with original songs as well as covers—and even managed to hit the German market. Her voice can be heard over beauty company Flaconi’s commercial campaign with soulful track “Look in the Mirror.”
Despite her European jaunts, Marquard’s life and music is all country. Her debut single, “Not A Rolling Stone,” co-written with Chris Seefried (The Kooks, Fitz & the Tantrums), is a more upbeat track on perseverance and everything that comes with life on (and off) the road. The 24-year-old does tap into an older soul in her latest single, “Keep My Eyes on You,” a mid-tempo, sweet reminiscence of simpler times, weathering through life’s ups and downs, and a love that makes everything feel like home.
Written in 2016 on her first trip to Nashville, “Keep My Eyes on You,” was also the first time she co-wrote with Jordan Lehning (Shania Twain, Kacey Musgraves, Jessie James Decker) and Jase Blankfort (Ed Sheeran, Alejandro Escovedo). The duo, who ended up writing five songs in three days with her, also produced Marquard’s upcoming debut EP, out in 2020.
The original demo for the song was simply Marquard’s vocals over piano. After re-recording it with a full band, they reverted back to using the demo piano in the fully recorded song at Nashville’s Sound Emporium.
“Keep My Eyes on You” also has a deeper significance for Marquard, who tells American Songwriter that during this first visit to Nashville, she also instantly realized it’s where she needed to live for her music.
“This song is important to me as it was pivotal in helping me realize the kind of artist I want to be, the sound I want to have and message I want to send out to the world,” says Marquard. “In the writing session I was thinking of ballerinas and how they dance. They are known to pick a spot on the wall to keep them steady when spinning and twirling. The muse of the song is the person you always look to through life’s good and bad. The one who keeps you grounded and is the calm of your storms.”
