Q&A: Kristiane Cultivates An Anthemic Love With “State Lines”
“I FOUND MYSELF DREAMING OF A LIFE OUTSIDE OF WHAT I’VE KNOWN” — Kristiane tells me over Zoom, sipping her almond macadamia latte. It’s the middle of the day, and I have the pleasure of interviewing Kristiane for the second time since her last EP, I Miss Myself, Sometimes. This time we’re talking about her latest single “State Lines,” and I can’t help but feel that I’m about to watch someone take off.
A celebration of uncertainty drives the single, showing the growth of Kristiane not only as an artist but a person as well. “State Lines” follows a metaphorical road trip as Kristiane explores a time and place in her life when she wants change but realizes with change comes sacrifice. It’s a coming-of-age single about battling with finding yourself, seeing how far others will go for you, and seeing how far you’ll go for yourself. Brimming with raw vulnerability and lyricism that burns, “State Lines” shows just what Kristiane can do.
Read below to learn more about Kristiane’s songwriting process, her inspirations, and what she’s looking forward to in the near future.
LUNA: First off, I’ve been watching “Cry Baby” on repeat — it’s literally saving my mental health. This single is a masterpiece, and I know it’s going to pop off.
KRISTIANE: Thank you, that’s so sweet. :)
LUNA: It’s true! Before we talk about “State Lines,” you recently released a song called “Cry Baby’ — what’s the story behind it?
KRISTIANE: It started from a text message. I knew I wanted a song that showed evolution from my last EP, I Miss Myself, Sometimes. My incredible executive producer, Cooper, sent me this instrumental one day out of the blue and the inspiration hit. I was actually in the car with my boyfriend when I first heard it, and I had him pull off to the side of the road immediately. Ten minutes later, I had written some lyrics on my phone and recorded some vocals on Photo Booth. It was amazing how organically it came together in the studio the next day.
LUNA: Is that how you’d normally write a song?
KRISTIANE: Definitely not. Usually, it’s me and my guitar. My apartment is filled with so many song journals — I can’t stop writing. If you’re an Uber driver in Los Angeles, you’ve probably seen me drunkenly writing song lyrics on my iPhone.
LUNA: I know Sabrina Finkelstein directed “Cry Baby” — what was that collaboration like?
KRISTIANE: Sabrina is my twin flame. She’s my manager, but we’re also best friends. She’s 24 and I’m 23, so we grew up around the same influences. I really wanted “Cry Baby” to be a celebration of love. I wanted to see my friends and all the different types of relationships in my life represented. When we were creating the aesthetic of the video, Sabrina and I made a giant Pinterest board and got a lot of inspiration from ’90s editorial magazines. I’m really proud of the work we did on that video.
LUNA: What do you think about the ’90s, what inspires you about it?
KRISTIANE: Honestly, the ’90s has a certain vulnerability in an anthemic sense that I really love; putting your heart on the line in a way that everyone can join in. Amy Winehouse had this quote about liking music in the 1950s because female musicians “put their hearts on the line for you to take,” and she’s a huge inspiration to me.
LUNA: Let’s talk “State Lines.” What does this single mean to you?
KRISTIANE: I think “State Lines” is very much a celebration of my twenties, and the song has this subtle confidence that I love so much. “State Lines” represents a time in my life where I want change and I’m looking for change, but I know there’s a lot of beauty I’d be living behind in my life if I were to make that change. It’s a celebration of finding your next step, which is hard when you’re growing up and everything seems like a sacrifice.
LUNA: It feels like “State Lines” is a continuation of I Miss Myself, Sometimes in terms of continuing the exploration of self confidence through journey.
KRISTIANE: Absolutely. I Miss Myself, Sometimes explores, “How can this person love me?” while “State Lines” asks, “How far are you willing to go to be with me?” It’s scary to put yourself out there, but I’ve been working on finding peace in uncertainty. With finding peace, I’ve begun to see change as more of a good thing and something to be happy about rather than to dread.
LUNA: To wrap this up, what’s bringing you joy recently?
KRISTIANE: Reading. I’ve been waking up earlier and making time for myself. I’m working on intentional choices to make myself happier. Spending less time on my phone, writing my own book, and writing songs.
LUNA: What are you looking forward to?
KRISTIANE: Excited for releasing new music! I’m also really excited to be playing live shows, but I’m nervous since I’m kinda a shy girl at heart. I have a show on May 25 at The Moroccan Lounge you should come to.
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weekly tunes playlist has been updated! new tracks from @furtradeband, @pecqband, @garryfool & more! check it out! https://t.co/ToFU0R6YGo -
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RT @oliviaborch: new @LunaCollective out todayyy shot by @alltookev ✨ @P1H_official editorial design by me ! https://t.co/cvSCKsWB5D
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RT @rlyblonde: @AnnieDirusso for @LunaCollective shot by me #35mm #portra800 https://t.co/0UUJSCBGcH
