Q&A: Kit Major Embraces Imperfection and Finds Her Orbit in “Garbage Planet”
THE WORLD OF KIT MAJOR IS A SONIC WONDERLAND FILLED WITH GUITAR, PLATFORM BOOTS AND A GARAGE ROCK ATTITUDE – Kit Major is a name that pulses with the grit and glam of rock's fiercest acts. Following the breakout success of her single "Let Me In Your Band" earlier this year, Kit is back with an exciting new announcement: her newest EP, Love.Sick.Major., is set for release on October 25. The EP's lead single, "Garbage Planet," was released alongside an accompanying video, delivering a powerful statement on her unique artistic vision.
“Garbage Planet” is a sonically saturated journey into an intensely personal cosmos, yet it’s anything but gloomy. "Garbage Planet is a real place and I visit it often," Kit explains. Think of it as the Spin Art equivalent of music – a mad blend of hyper-sensitivity and hyper-activity. Here, Brit-pop guitar riffs are supercharged with post-punk energy to spin a trashy tale of despair and defiance, all while maintaining a sense of infectious fun.
Kit's universe is as much about self-acceptance as it is about pushing musical boundaries. "Garbage Planet isn’t supposed to be ‘woe is me,’ and it’s not meant to be self-deprecating," she says. "It’s about owning the parts of yourself that aren’t perfect and learning to be okay with it. It’s just the way my planet orbits around yours."
With “Garbage Planet,” Kit Major channels the spirit of CBGB’s legendary scene, fusing post-punk energy, psychedelic guitar riffs, and cheeky self-references. Her music calls to mind the rebellious edge of iconic acts like Blondie and the New York Dolls, but it comes with a fresh twist. Her interpretation of punk is distinctly her own, where riff-focused grooves meet indelible melodies to create a sound that is as irresistible as it is unpredictable.
The upcoming EP, Love.Sick.Major., captures this fun fusion of influences, blending catchy Brit-pop guitar riffs with raw punk attitude. It's a celebration of the imperfect and the outlandish, a testament to finding beauty in the chaos and a sonic adventure that's as audacious as Kit herself. As we await the release of Love.Sick.Major., one thing is certain: Kit Major's musical world is a wonderland worth getting lost in.
LUNA: Thank you for talking to Luna. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. For any readers who aren’t familiar with you yet, what inspires your artistic style and sound?
KIT: I would say it has its own little umbrella of post-punk, grunge and alternative rock.
LUNA: What kind of atmosphere or emotional space do you aim to create for your listeners?
KIT: It lives in this world between like a grungy old garage in the 90s, this kind of time capsule that just doesn't quite exist, but then it also lives in this dive bar world. It's got a very specific place it lives in that in that grunginess.
LUNA: You just released your latest single “Garbage Planet” which is a sneak peek into your upcoming Love.Sick.Major. EP. Can you walk us through the inspiration and the process behind bringing the single to life?
KIT: That song I really love, and it took a little bit of time to get. The melody came first. I get a lot of melodies when I'm driving, and that was just something that came subconsciously, and the lyrics really followed it side-by-side. I don't play any instruments, so when I come up with songs, it's usually the melody of it or the idea of it. I was trying to figure out forever how the chorus was going to come, and so I had to put that song on the back burner because I couldn't figure it out. Then I started taking drum lessons at Guitar Center because I really, really love drums, and that helped map it out. I was able to put together how I see the rhythm come in of certain moments in the verses and the chorus, and so that helped bring it to life. I've been working with Alex Flagstad for the last couple of years, and he's been a part of a lot of the Kit Major world for a while, so bringing the song to him, he knew exactly how to bring it to life.
LUNA: “Garbage Planet” touches on owning the parts of yourself that aren’t perfect and bringing love to those aspects of yourself. What are some ways you have done this for yourself?
KIT: That's a great question. I think having patience and understanding that you're only human, and that if you're trying your best, that's really all you can do. It's a hard reminder, because I think we live in such a fast paced world that it feels like there's a huge pressure, or it's easy to get lost and not seeing the big picture, and so I think having a moment where you can slow down, even if it's just for yourself, and taking the time to to see what you need.
LUNA: “Garbage Planet” has an accompanying music video. What is the inspiration behind the video and how was your experience filming it?
KIT: It was really fun. We shot it in my house and I've always seen “Garbage Planet” being very colorful, but I never wanted it to be literal. I never wanted it to be like you're on a throne of garbage, more on the nose of an otherworldly, alien vibe. It took a little bit to find that happy medium of what does this colorful world look like, or where does this colorful world belong? I was working with my friends to come up with what “Garbage Planet” is and what it was. We've rearranged the living room. We created a smaller space to bring to life this idea of this Kit Major band and living on “Garbage Planet,” and that was also one of the main things for the video, is having an opportunity to really showcase what live shows feel like and performances that I do, and so having it be more of a scope, like a slice of life being on this intergalactic band.
LUNA: Love.Sick.Major. is your first big project since your Vampire Saturday EP in 2022. Have you experimented more or taken any risks – either lyrically, sonically or emotionally – with Love.Sick.Major. since your previous releases?
KIT: This one’s very different. Every song on it has its own risk and it has its own sound. It lives in a very Brit-pop, post-punk world. Each song has its own environment that it lives in. Like the first song “Fade Away,” it opens it up and it's this very whimsical, almost like Austin Powers 2000s type of whirly guitar and very psychedelic, and then it goes immediately into “I Wish U Didn't Hate Me So Much,” which was one of the first singles that led into this world that's very angsty and drum-driven. It’s like a love letter for all the rock music I love and listen to, because I write what I'm inspired by. I'm very easily excitable, and it's part of why certain songs change around a lot. I really, really love music, and I want to just keep creating what I hear.
LUNA: I would love to touch more on the creative process behind Love.Sick.Major. Can you walk us through a typical writing and recording session for the EP?
KIT: I spent a lot of time doing musical research, so I spent a lot of time in the car, listening or deep diving into albums that maybe I wasn't as familiar with, or bands that I liked, but I didn't know their other discography. I was listening to The Clash’s first album as opposed to London Calling and going more into the different parts of The Cramps that I really like. That was a lot of the creative world that was around it. I would really think about what world I’m currently wanting the song to be placed in and what I’m interested in and the kind of vibe I’m going for. I would bring it to my producer, and then from there, I always call it a seventh grade sleepover where I look at the wall, sing it in front of everyone and then dissect it and see what can come from it. After that, they'll usually be bringing in the song, having it be shown, and then working on it with a producer, and really bringing in instruments and bringing that to life.
LUNA: What are you most excited for your listeners to take away or experience from the EP?
KIT: I think the idea of having that creative freedom is okay. I think what is interesting about this particular EP is that even though it lives in its own little post-punk or grunge world, there’s so much creativity and flow. I think having that creative freedom, that you can keep your imagination while you are creating music, and that everything can be different. I'm excited to have the reactions of listeners geeking out about. One of my favorite things is when people can really tell what worlds or where you're inspired by or geeking out about the inspiration. I love bonding over music with people. I am looking forward to having people identify where my fan girl shows.
LUNA: What is the best environment for someone to listen to Love.Sick.Major. In?
KIT: Definitely in the car. Most of the songs were written in a car.
LUNA: If someone were to have just found Kit Major and they wanted to listen to one song that encapsulates your voice and vision, what song would it be?
KIT: “Let Me In Your Band.” Even though that one isn’t on the EP, that one is a big definition of who I am. It captures what our live shows are like.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like for you that you would love to share with Luna?
KIT: My first tour is in the works, which I’m really excited about. I’ve never done anything like it and that’s looking more towards the end of the year. Even more songs have been written in the process of this, so more music will be coming out next year.
CONNECT WITH KIT MAJOR
