Percy is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley with an intense, earnest passion for pop music and an encyclopedic knowledge of song lyrics. She writes for a music zine and later attends a creative writing graduate program in New York. Though she believes she lacks the technical skill to be a musician herself, she possesses a keen critical ear that proves invaluable to others. Her fear of exposure and constant desire to belong often cause friction in her personal and professional life.

Joe is an aspiring musician who channels his feelings of grief and anger into songwriting. After losing his mother to melanoma and dealing with his father's alcohol addiction, he relies heavily on his girlfriend's family for stability. He values audience validation and leans on Percy's sharp criticism to elevate his demos, eventually forming an indie rock band named Caroline.

Zoe is a supportive, grounded student who grew up in the Bay Area suburbs alongside Joe. She publishes a music zine called *Ring Finger* and quickly recognizes Percy's talent as an essayist. Working through her own identity as a young lesbian, Zoe serves as a confident, stabilizing anchor for both Joe and Percy.

Raj is a thoughtful food writer attending a graduate creative writing program at Columbia University. Raised in Los Angeles by parents who used classic pop music to assimilate into American culture, he offers a warm, mature presence in Percy's life. He encourages her to put more of her authentic self into her essays.

Percy's mother lives in Indiana and works a blue-collar job, having left behind a short-lived classical music career in New York. She attempted to teach Percy the piano during childhood. She offers pragmatic, grounded advice to her daughter about life choices and the abstract concept of wanting more out of the world.

Luke is a working musician who joins Joe's indie band, Caroline, as its lead guitarist. He eventually seeks to step out of Joe's shadow by fronting his own musical project and reaches out to Percy for production feedback.

Nomi is a student in Percy's creative writing program in New York. She provides companionship during literary events and concerts, acting as a sounding board as Percy manages her transition to city life.

Neil is an older record store employee who masks his insecurities behind performative cynicism. He frequently criticizes the earnest indie music that his younger coworkers enjoy and tries to initiate an awkward romantic dynamic with Percy.

Zoe's father is a conservative Catholic family man living in the Bay Area suburbs. He unknowingly serves as a surrogate father figure for Joe, while his religious background causes Zoe anxiety about revealing her sexuality.

Percy's father is a blue-collar worker in Indiana. Following national tragedies, he adopts increasingly conservative political views, which creates ideological distance between him and his daughter.

Joe's father struggles with an alcohol addiction and fails to provide emotional support for his son following the death of his wife.

Joe's mother died of melanoma when he was young. Her memory serves as a profound influence on Joe, inspiring the name of his indie rock band.

Percy's brother is a highly competent star athlete. His effortless success during their childhood contributed to Percy's feelings of resentment and inadequacy.

Harrison is a popular, conventionally attractive fiction writer in the Columbia University graduate program. He preys on Percy during a concert and aggressively denies his actions afterward.

Dennis is an experienced sound engineer and studio owner. Initially skeptical of his clients' recording process, he quickly comes to respect Percy's assertive production direction.

Megan is one of Percy's college friends who helps plan house parties and warns Percy about the arrival of her old coworkers.

Trent is a Berkeley undergraduate who socializes with Percy and Megan, providing a casual social circle for Percy early in her college career.

Sandy is Percy's high school friend. She corrects Percy's lyrical interpretations, inadvertently sparking Percy's lifelong anxiety about appearing foolish to other music fans.

Jesse is a prominent trendsetter in Miami whom Percy recruits for her marketing agency. He boosts Percy's blog by sharing it on his personal web page.

Hannah is a student documentarian who loves Britpop music. She pulls Percy onto the dance floor, helping her experience the pure joy of outsider musical communities.

Carlos is an old college friend of Zoe's. He shares industry gossip about Joe's band and later supplies ecstasy during a soul-themed dance night.

Alma is a German reader of Percy's blog. She represents Percy's ideal audience, validating her writing by understanding how deeply music infiltrates daily life.

Percy's boss runs the trend marketing agency where Percy works. She maintains a cynical but protective attitude toward her business, adapting to influencer strategies when the financial crisis hits.

Meg is an indie musician who seeks out Percy's songwriting and production expertise, validating Percy's transition into a professional music career.

Zoe's girlfriend is a steady presence in Zoe's life during the later years of the narrative, representing Zoe's secure domestic future in the Bay Area.

Joe's bassist girlfriend plays in The Curlers and dates Joe during his time living in New York, representing his ongoing romantic entanglements within the music industry.