Caroline Polachek is an American singer, songwriter, and producer from New York City who fronted the indie pop duo Chairlift before going solo. Pang (2019) and Desire, I Want to Turn Into You (2023) are art pop at its most vocally acrobatic — the latter topped plenty of year-end lists. Browse Caroline Polachek vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Caroline Polachek was born in New York City on June 20, 1985 and raised between New York and Tokyo. She co-founded the indie pop duo Chairlift in 2005 with Aaron Pfenning; Chairlift released three albums (Does You Inspire You, Something, Moth) before disbanding in 2017. Polachek also released material as Ramona Lisa (Arcadia, 2014) and CEP (Drawing the Target Around the Arrow, 2017) before launching her solo career under her own name with Pang (2019). Her work Desire, I Want to Turn Into You (2023) received broad critical acclaim and appeared on multiple year-end best-of lists.
Caroline Polachek's sound combines art pop, electronic music, alternative pop, and hyperpop with theatrical vocal performances showcasing her extensive technical range, including significant use of yodeling, melisma, and processed vocal techniques. Her arrangements and lyrical themes draw on a wide range of pop, classical, and electronic music reference points.
Perpetual Novice pressings of Pang and Desire, I Want to Turn Into You have been issued in multiple color variants and limited editions, including deluxe pressings of Desire.
Listeners new to Caroline Polachek typically start with Desire, I Want to Turn Into You (2023) or Pang (2019).
