Q&A: Navigating Love’s Ups and Downs with Pretty Friendly’s New Single "Chutes & Ladders"
FEW ARTISTS MANAGE TO WEAVE RAW EMOTION AND SONIC EXPERIMENTATION artists manage to weave raw emotion and sonic experimentation as seamlessly as Pretty Friendly, the artist project of Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Sunny Malhotra. Drawing inspiration from feel-good acts like Aries and Quinn XCII, Pretty Friendly has crafted a sound that is both quirky and deeply honest, infusing electronic elements with the warmth of acoustics and the sincerity of heartfelt lyrics.
After capturing attention with his debut single "Tetris," Pretty Friendly returns with "Chutes & Ladders," a poignant and introspective follow-up that explores the complexities of love, loss, and the cyclical nature of relationships. Written during a turbulent period in his life, "Chutes & Ladders" serves as both a therapeutic outlet and a testament to the artist's evolving creative process.
In our interview below, Pretty Friendly opens up about the inspiration behind "Chutes & Ladders," the evolution of his songwriting, and how he balances the demands of creativity with the pressures of social media. He also teases what fans can expect from his upcoming music and the highly anticipated music video for "Chutes & Ladders." Read below to learn more as we delve into the mind of an artist who is redefining indie pop with vulnerability and authenticity.
LUNA: How did the idea for "Chutes & Ladders" come about?
PRETTY FRIENDLY: The song itself is actually pretty old! It came about during lockdown summer after a tough FaceTime with my then-girlfriend. We decided to give each other some space, which sent my 20 year-old highly dependent self down a spiral. There may have been tears. She told me that I still look pretty even when I cry. I didn’t have the composure to explain why that was messed up for her to say, so I locked myself in my room and started fiddling on the uke. I wrote the song in like 20 minutes.
LUNA: How have you seen your creative process evolve since you first started making music?
PRETTY FRIENDLY: Oddly enough, even though I view creativity and artistry as sacred, I am becoming a firm believer that my creative process should be simpler and less precious. Working that writing muscle, getting more reps in versus sitting around, waiting for inspiration to strike, ya know? Those lightning bulb moments are awesome, but are unreliable when I sit down to write or play. I’m still learning how that changes the music I make, but I feel I’m setting myself up for success when it comes to writing more with others and sharing more music I’m working on.
LUNA: Given that you wrote the song as a form of therapy, how did the process of expressing your emotions through music help you cope with the end of the relationship?
PRETTY FRIENDLY: I think songwriting can provide clarity to all those intense and overwhelming feelings that can suddenly bubble up to the surface. So, I tried to give each of those emotional angles a dedicated space in the song. “Chutes & Ladders” is largely a breakup song, yet has a whole section where I list the things I loved about this person. Permitting myself to include both my grief and appreciation for the relationship allowed me to process the breakup over time. And now “Chutes & Ladders” is like a neat, little storage unit for all those complex emotions.
LUNA: Are there any specific artists or genres that influenced the sound of "Chutes & Ladders"? How did you balance the soothing acoustics with the more energetic elements?
PRETTY FRIENDLY: The song borrows elements from indie pop, hyper pop, and dream pop (did I mention pop yet?) Aries’ ear candy style of music is also a big influence for this one, as well as Louis The Child’s sound.
Keeping the ukulele in during the upbeat moments and more floaty moments helped tie it all together here. This song is like if a lofi ukulele beat got a bass boosted facelift.
LUNA: How does this track compare to upcoming music?
PRETTY FRIENDLY: You can expect new music to feel more laid back, leaning a bit more into live instrumentals, too. Although, I wouldn’t bet on that being the direction forever. I love so many styles of music and see myself trying a bit of everything down the line.
LUNA: What can you share in regards to new music? Will you be sticking to the game theme we’ve seen with “Tetris” and now “Chutes & Ladders”?
PRETTY FRIENDLY: At this point, releasing any more game-related songs would have to be a very intentional decision on my part. Probably am bidding that era a farewell for now, but stoked to have both board game and video game representation in my music. In regards to new music, there might be a little surprise coming sooner than you think.. (I’m winking right now).
LUNA: What role has TikTok and social media as a whole been playing in your creative process and approach?
PRETTY FRIENDLY: Social media has been the best outlet for sharing the dope content my friends helped me make, but I understand that making art while constantly reminding people your art exists can be exhausting. Nonetheless, I enjoy learning how algorithms push specific content to certain users because it also informs content choices I make. I think the sweet spot is utilizing social media in a way that meets the needs of your creative process. It’s easy to get discouraged when posting, so keeping enjoyment at the forefront is important. I’m figuring it out, and I’m excited to see what that marriage of content creation and creativity looks like.
LUNA: What intentions do you have for the rest of this summer?
PRETTY FRIENDLY: I just handed off a rough script of the “Chutes & Ladders” music video to my director, which means we’ll be starting pre-production soon! So excited for this video. I don’t wanna reveal too much, but it’s gonna be a wet one.
