by martina rexrode
photo by ana albores prejigueiro
Rising dream-pop artist april june’s newest single “starstruck” is out on May 10th. Evoking a sense of clarity accompanied by a piano-driven instrumental, “starstruck” is just one of april’s film-inspired tracks from her forthcoming EP out this August. She taps into themes everyone is familiar with in a unique and refreshing way, making her an artist to keep an eye on this year. To keep up with april, follow her on social media (@apriljune19) and be on the lookout for her spring and summer releases!
You’re gearing up to release a new single! What can you tell us about “starstruck” and what this release adds to your growing discography?
april: “‘starstruck’ is a departure from my usual production style, as it's quite minimalistic and revolves around embracing the simplicity of its elements. The backbone consists solely of the folk-inspired acoustic guitar and slightly pitched-down vocals, which set the direction for the entire song.”
How did the film True Romance inspire the atmosphere and the lyrics of this single?
april: “I never grow tired of the final scene; Patricia Arquette's character's monologue is perfect.”
Following that same thread, I read that you have this writing exercise where you compose a song while watching a film on mute. When did you first start using this method?
april: “I remember reading an interview with Dev Hynes where he mentioned this method, and I thought it was absolutely genius. I've been using it ever since.”
Which types of films produce the songs you’re proudest of? Is there a certain cinematic vibe that you find yourself returning to again and again?
april: “Anything by Sofia Coppola or Eric Rohmer is almost always guaranteed to be a good starting point.”
Where else do you pull inspiration from for your songwriting?
april: “The way people talk about things, I always keep a little notebook on me where I try to jot down anything that catches my attention when I'm out and about.”
I don’t know how much you can tell us about your upcoming EP, but I’d love to hear a bit about the process of putting together a longer project after focusing on singles for so long. How easy or difficult was it for you to collect a solid group of songs for an EP?
april: “I've never been into highly conceptual albums. Instead, I tend to prefer albums that read like a collection of thoughts and diary entries from a certain period of time in the life of a musician.”
Which themes does the EP tap into?
april: “Obsessive love, luck, gambling, and destiny; a bit of nostalgia (is that ever not a theme in music?); addictive personality; objects of desire.”
How are you feeling about the thought of releasing “starstruck” soon?
april: “Just like with any release, it's a mix of feeling nervous and excited at the same time.”