Q&A: Mistine Unveils Her Emotion-Driven Music through "HOMETEAM"
SHE’S BEEN CAPTIVATING HER AUDIENCES WITH HER UNIQUE BLEND OF ALT-ROCK AND PUNK-POP, and her emotionally charged lyrics that transport listeners back to their high school heartbreak days. Mistine, a rising star in the music world, is making waves with her latest release "HOMETEAM," an anthem that speaks of finding confidence within oneself and their community.
In this exclusive interview, we dive into the creative process behind this powerful song, her evolution as an artist, and how she draws inspiration from her collaborations and experiences on tour. Mistine's music is an emotional journey, and in this conversation, she takes us behind the scenes to understand the heart and soul that goes into her distinctive sound.
LUNA: "HOMETEAM" is described as an alt-rock, punk-pop breakup anthem with a powerful message about finding confidence in oneself and their community. Can you share some insight into the creative process for this one?
MISTINE: This song started when I was sitting in my friend Jamison’s living room, catching him up on my latest heartbreak. We started the song right then, drawing on very real concepts from my personal story. After putting the song down for a few weeks, we came back and completely re-wrote the chorus to be the version that it is now. I then sent it off the my dear friend Andy in the UK who added a lot of the glitchy production to help create the emotional chaos within the production that I was hoping to convey to the listener.
LUNA: The track incorporates glitchy and unconventional breaks, which add a unique dimension to the song. Could you share more about how you’ve seen your music evolve on the sonic end?
MISTINE: My main goal is to always for the music to convey the emotion that is within the songwriting. This song came out of a time where I was feeling very unstable emotionally. We included these glitchy moments because I wanted to show my frustration within the music. I remember telling my production partner how I wanted it to feel crazy because that’s how I felt - I couldn’t think or see straight, I didn’t know exactly what to do next or how to handle myself, I felt anger, I felt disappointment, I felt uncomfortable. I am extremely proud that we found unique ways to incorporate these feelings in the music and I’m excited to continue on this path. I hope to always experiment and attempt to portray new emotions within the instrumentation and writing.
LUNA: "HOMETEAM" seems to delve into themes of growing pains and the discomfort of leaving a toxic relationship. Can you elaborate on the emotions and experiences that influenced the lyrics and overall tone of the song?
MISTINE: “Hometeam” represents a time where I felt betrayed - by myself and another person. I was reflecting on how I couldn’t see toxic traits earlier and why I was blinded to those character flaws. Although the song sonically portrays feelings of anger - the hometeam concept is very representative of my community being my support system. My friends and family got me through this difficult time in life. I trusted myself to self-reflect and realign with a new perspective on who I am. I will always be so grateful to have a strong homeateam within myself and my community.
LUNA: Your music has been described as transporting the listener into their own personal high school heartbreak video. What draws you to these nostalgic and emotional themes, and how do you think they resonate with your audience?
MISTINE: I find a lot of comfort and hope in nostalgia. So many emotions resurface over time in different forms. It feels natural to me to think of different timed and experiences to heal emotions I am going through in the present. I hope that my audience resonate with these feelings and nostalgic moments - I imagine that a lot of listeners are dreamers and hopeful optimists like myself. I feel something very grounding in universal experiences like feeling heartbreak during high school. Our hormones are flying so high during high school years that even the slightest rejection felt like the most heart wrenching breakup. My favorite part about writing is relating my specific emotion to a universal experience like this so that I can feel a grounding connection to my past memories and also my friends and listeners. I’m also very drawn to locations in my memories. I have a very visual memory so most of my emotions are also associated with specific locations.
LUNA: You've had the opportunity to tour with artists like Conan Gray, BiigPiig, and Zeph. How has touring and collaborating with other musicians influenced your musical style and approach to songwriting?
MISTINE: Collaborating with other artists always continues to inspire me. Learning how others operate and function within their own creativity constantly gives me new perspective within my own creativity. I’ve always loved learning how others approach creativity - whether it’s planned or they wait for inspiration to strike. I’ve never met any two people that approach art the same way so there’s always so much to learn. Also working with other artists naturally gets me listening to music I wouldn’t normally gravitate towards. This then opens up my mind to new ideas each time I sit down to create. Performing with other artists also opens me up to the luxury of performing for all different types of fans of different economic backgrounds, ethnicities, and genders. I really enjoy seeing how different people connect to different types of music. This has really shown me how powerful art can be. Music can help to connect people from all different backgrounds, even if you don’t even understand the language they speak. I feel so lucky that I get to connect with so many unique humans through music.
LUNA: Your music combines elements of alt-rock and punk-pop. Can you share some of your musical influences and how they have shaped your sound?
MISTINE: My all time favorite band has always been Aerosmith. I have always been very influenced by the energy of classic rock. My more modern influences are definitely The 1975, Maggie Rogers, Jeremy Zucker, and LANY. I love how intimate a modern pop song can feel, and how artists turn devastating emotional moments into fun songs that I want to dance around my bedroom to.
LUNA: What’s on the radar for any upcoming visuals?
MISTINE: Oooh … new music video / visualizer coming out November 3rd!!
LUNA: What intentions do you have for this fall season?
MISTINE: This fall season I intend to spend a lot of time writing, reading, and with loved ones. I also want to get outside more - walking, hiking, camping, just sitting on the patio and drinking tea. I am also planning on being hustling and making so much music until Thanksgiving and then resting until the new year and letting myself be creative when I want to. I want to give myself time to feel inspired and experience the beauty in the world.
