Q&A: A Journey Through Speedrun's New EP 'Love's Latest News'
SPEEDRUN OFFERS LISTENERS AN INTROSPECTIVE JOURNEY through the nuances of human emotion in her new EP Love’s Latest News. Inspired by Jean-Michel Maulpoix's poetic musings in "A Matter of Blue," Speedrun's EP delves into the ever-evolving landscape of love. Each track, akin to a headline in a newsletter, illuminates the myriad forms of love encountered in life's journey, inviting audiences to explore the depths of their own emotional tapestries.
With a fusion of 2000s post-punk indie rock and contemporary pop-rock sensibilities, Speedrun's music strikes a delicate balance between nostalgia and innovation. Collaborating with industry luminary Gordon Raphael, known for his work with The Strokes, Speedrun infuses her EP with timeless allure and modern edge. Through her artistry, Speedrun explores themes of relationships, identity, and societal alienation, offering listeners a poignant reflection of the human experience.
As a Gen Z artist, Speedrun's music resonates with the experiences and aspirations of her generation, advocating for authenticity, connection, and social consciousness. With captivating visuals and live performances on the horizon, Speedrun embarks on a new chapter of artistic exploration, inviting audiences to join her on a profound musical odyssey of love, longing, and self-discovery.
LUNA: Congratulations on your latest EP release! Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the title and themes of the EP, especially considering its focus on self-love?
SPEEDRUN: Thank you! The title of this EP comes from poet Jean-Michel Maulpoix’s book A Matter of Blue. I thought the title of one of his poems, “Love’s Latest News,” was a really compelling sentiment – it suggests to me that love isn’t something that’s static, but rather an evolving feeling that we are indefinitely learning from. I’ve always had a real fascination with love as a human phenomenon and how we have tried to make sense of it over the course of millennia, so this EP is my crack at it – summing up what I’ve learned from the different forms of love that have shown up in my life – and presenting these “findings” almost like a newsletter, with each track as a headline or story.
LUNA: You've mentioned that your music is influenced by the nostalgia of 2000s post-punk indie rock with a contemporary pop-rock twist. How do you balance these influences while still bringing your own unique style and sound to your music?
SPEEDRUN: I’d say that while I’m very inspired by the sound of the 2000s post-punk, I have a pretty eclectic taste in music – a lot of my inspiration also comes from Cameroonian Makossa that I grew up with, old-school New York jazz (Billie Holiday is my main vocal inspiration!), classical music, and 60s French pop. I think that childhood exposure to all types of genres has helped me reimagine the blueprint a bit and hopefully make something fresh and modern sounding, while still having that nostalgic element.
LUNA: Collaborating with Gordon Raphael, known for his work with The Strokes, must have been an incredible experience. How did working with him influence the sound and production of your EP?
SPEEDRUN: Gordon, despite being such an industry legend, treated me with so much patience, humility, and kindness – as if I was an established artist of his caliber! Working with him was truly a childhood dream realized. In mixing the tracks on this EP, he knew exactly the right ways to keep the “old school” sound that I sought from him, while also completely maintaining and highlighting the modernity of the record. His overt enthusiasm and overwhelming support for this project I think truly elevated it to the next level.
LUNA: Your songwriting explores themes of relationships, identity, and societal alienation. Can you share some insights into how these themes are reflected in your upcoming EP, and how they relate to your own personal experiences?
SPEEDRUN: For sure! I think that those themes appear not just lyrically, but tonally as well. “Nudie Cutie” touches on infatuation and idealism in relationships with a bright tone, “What He’s Used To” comments on toxic masculinity/its effects on both men and women with a more intense rhythm, “Nosebleed Season” highlights loneliness and yearning for recognition with a somber, slower pace, and so on. I like to combine my own personal experiences with a wider macro lens on society when songwriting — to see how I can use my personal feelings to dissect wider, systemic issues and deduce conclusions about the world we live in.
LUNA: With a background in doing covers on TikTok and now releasing your own original music, how has your journey as an artist evolved, especially considering your growing fanbase and partnerships with brands like Fender and Converse?
SPEEDRUN: It’s definitely been growing pains. I didn’t study music business or have any insight into the industry until I started connecting with people via TikTok, so it was initially very overwhelming. However, having major brands reach out with opportunities from simply enjoying my little videos has made me realize my own potential in many ways, and I am so thankful for their exposure and the followers that have been encouraging me (even before I came up with the concept for Speedrun!). Because of those opportunities and my base, it’s important to me to move with grace and kindness as an artist while also pushing myself to explore new boundaries and not be afraid to share myself with the world.
LUNA: "L'Appel du Vide" was your first single as Speedrun. How does this track set the tone for the rest of the EP, and what can listeners expect in terms of musical progression and exploration in the upcoming songs?
SPEEDRUN: “L’Appel du Vide” encapsulates a lot of what Speedrun songs constitute – a strong lead riff, flowery imagery, and observations about the “predetermined world.” It’s the first “story” in one of many – so I wanted to keep that storytelling approach throughout the rest of my songwriting and on this EP. Each song has a particular theme (a type of love) and lesson – so I’d like to think with each track, the bigger picture unravels further and further, keeping listeners engaged – as if they were reading an epic of the hero’s journey. Hence the medieval theme!
LUNA: As a Gen Z artist, how do you feel your music connects with your audience, particularly in addressing themes and experiences that resonate with your generation?
SPEEDRUN: I feel like Gen Z is really facing a lot of different crises right now that are completely unique to our generation. So I feel compelled in my writing to advocate for us, our feelings, and our experiences, because unfortunately as of now in the realm of higher power structures we have very little agency. I think what’s been our main tool of connection – especially post-pandemic – is music (and the online communities surrounding it), so I always want to contribute something that I think is meaningful and representative of my life as someone in that demographic, just trying to figure out where we exist in such a transient society. Everyone always talks about us, but it’s really time for people to listen to us.
LUNA: Can you take us through your creative process when writing and recording songs for this EP? How do you approach songwriting, and are there any specific rituals or techniques you follow to get into the creative zone?
SPEEDRUN: Of course! My approach to songwriting always starts with a rhythm – I’ll usually play around with a few chords before finding a progression that I really like. From there, I conjure a main riff and structure the song around it. Lyrics and vocal melody are always last to come, because I want the tone and sound of a song to resonate with the theme that it sounds like. From there, I determine what the song will be about, based on how it sounds. I kind of hate the sound of my own voice, so I usually size up an entire instrumental for a week or two – slowing it down and speeding it up to get different perspectives on it – before I add on lyrics/vocals. On this EP, I had instrumentals sitting for months before recording – then wrote out all lyrics and blasted vocals within like a week.
LUNA: What are your hopes and aspirations for this EP, and what message do you hope listeners will take away from your music?
SPEEDRUN: My hope is that with this EP, I can live my life knowing that, just like several of my favorite writers and artists, I did my own assessment on one of the most powerful feelings on earth – and walked away pretty happy. I feel so humbled and thankful to be able to share my thoughts about life with the world, and this newfound avenue of music has yielded me so much joy. I hope that listeners can relate to any of the feelings – loneliness, yearning, loving – and feel as though I was able to portray them earnestly and thoughtfully. And if not, at least enjoy a little sonic trip to 2006 or something.
LUNA: What intentions do you have for the upcoming months?
SPEEDRUN: In the coming months, my goals are to continue to play live shows in New York and create striking visuals for the songs on the EP! I’m foraying into directing and will be releasing my first music video in March. I also have some more music on the way that I really can’t wait to share. I hope to keep growing my base on social media, develop some cross-genre tracks, and maybe even make a splash into Europe this year, maybe Paris or Berlin. Hopefully 2024 will be a big year for Speedrun!
