News — YouRuinedNewYorkCityForMe

Cari Fletcher, the rising pop singer-songwriter who goes by her last name professionally, is visibly anxious, and she's not hiding it. We're spending this midsummer day in her hometown of Asbury Park, New Jersey, an idyllic place as beloved for its quaint streets, white-sand beaches, and boardwalks as it is for birthing Bruce Springsteen. There, families are supported by schoolteachers, nurses, small business owners. None At Fletcher's recommendation, we're having salads and potato chips in a deli nearby Manasquan called Center Food Market, where she grew up eating. Fletcher is picking at her nails and fussing over her hair, which...