So— Welcome to this Lettuce and Cheddar interview! Thank you so much for taking the time. So I actually wrote this down when you first agreed to do the interview, but when we were first planning this, you said you were in Japan, and I wanted to know what you were doing in Japan. Was that music-related, or was that just a fun trip?

 It was definitely a fun trip. I wish it was music-related, but it was more so to get away from the music. I think it was just a trip I planned with my girlfriend, and we used a bunch of our miles for free. And while I was there, I was handing out stickers, saying, "Listen to my music!” — so I was still doing a little bit of music work, but no, it wasn't a work thing. I wish it was. I think it would be really fun to play shows in Japan.

That's why I wanted to know because I don’t know a lot about the Japanese music scene compared so I was like, what is she doing out there? 

I wish it was a music trip! I think it would be really fun to play shows in Japan. 

Definitely— so this interview is really well-timed because you have a new single out called Paola. What can you tell me about this song? I know it's a love song. I was stalking your Instagram. Is it inspired by anyone in particular?  What can you say about it?

 Yeah, yeah. Paola is basically all about my girlfriend. At first, I was like, should I really just name it after her, or is that too on the nose? But then I was just thinking of different names for the song, and I was like, No, I think it should be Paola. I think it's very cute. But yeah, it's basically about how we met, which was in New York, at this gay bar called The Woods. I don't know if you've heard that, but there are only two queer spaces in New York for lesbians, and that's one of them. And it’s kind of like the night that we met, and the first lyrics are, "We met at a bar under the canopy." And yeah, it's really cheesy, really lovey-dovey. I feel like all my songs are very different and also kind of sad, but this one's very happy. So it's cute. 

So did you guys meet in New York and then move to LA together?

We did!

I love that. So that's very exciting. Did you intentionally want to release it during Pride Month, or did the schedule just line up that way?

I did want to release it during Pride Month because it's probably the gayest song that I've ever written. And so I was like, this is perfect! We should release it in the summer. It's a summer song. It's about me falling in love with a woman. And I think that's perfect for Pride Month. So yeah, it all kind of worked out.

That’s amazing. I love when people are intentional with when and how they release music. Switching gears a little bit— I saw that you did a rebrand a couple of years ago from Mia Madden to lovpune. Am I saying that right? Is it lovpune? Poon?

Yeah, you're saying it perfectly. A lot of people get it wrong. [So to clarify— it’s phonetically pronounced luv-pyoon]

So what prompted this change in name, and where does that name come from?

 So, yeah, it's actually crazy that you picked up on that, because I don't know when you started kind of listening to my music, but I did have an old project called Mia Madden, and some of my songs are still up under lovpune. I think I realized that I wanted something more interesting than just my name because a lot of people were doing the name thing. And with music— you kind of have to try to make yourself stick out in some sort of way. And so I knew I wanted to change my name to lovpune, and I just didn't know what the word was at the time. I was driving in LA, stuck in traffic, and it was at nighttime, and I saw this license plate that said "lovpune." I had never heard of a name like that before, or I guess it wasn't even a name, it was a license plate. Maybe there was a significance to that driver, but I just thought that visually it looked really cute. And I had been searching to find a name, so I remembered it, and I kept it in my head for weeks. Changing your name is a big thing because it can be confusing to people. So I thought, ‘Okay, I really like this word. I think that's what I want it to be.’ I wanted it to be like I'm building a world around my project name, you know, something like Grimes, or like Oklou, a word you've never heard before. So then when you hear that music, it's a better association. So I then decided to make lovpune my artist project and then just build a visual brand on top of that. 

 I think that's so smart, because I've come across a few ‘Mias.’ I agree that people who use their name, especially if there are a few in the same genre, can get mixed really easily. So I definitely like and understand the importance of having a name that stands out. Do you have a picture of that license plate? Did you take a picture when you saw it?

I wish I took a picture of it. I was really thinking about it, and then I was like, no, I don't need to do that. But that's probably one of the biggest regrets. It would be really funny to maybe be stuck in traffic again and see it and be like, ‘that's the license plate that started it all.’

That would be such a cool, maybe not an album cover, but some form of cover art. I think that'd be so cool if you ever found it again. 

I know! 

So your music blends a lot of genres. I hear—indie, electronic, pop, and ethereal stuff all blended together. Who are your musical influences, and how have they shaped your sound? Did you ever make music in other genres?

I feel like—with the genre-bending—it's always so hard to answer the question of what kind of music you make. Because, yeah, I see 12 different genres in my music so it's really hard to pinpoint. I think it is because I pull influences from a lot of different artists that sound very different from the next. I love Caroline Polachek. She's one of my big inspirations. But I also love Blood Orange. I love Flume. I love Art School Girlfriend. I love Christine and the Queens, Oklou, and Grimes. So all different kinds of artists. And so I think that mixed with my indie background—I was in a bunch of bands when I was from 15 to 24—I was in a couple different bands. I was in a cover band. I was in an indie psychedelic rock band. I was in an all-girls punk band. And another indie pop band. So that kind of background mixed with all of my influences, I think you can really tell through the music how all the different genres inspired me.

So with the music you're making now, the goal is to do your own headline tour I imagine but if you could open for or tour with someone, who do you think best aligns with the vision that you're trying to make? 

Well, it really depends because right now, currently, with the music that I have out, it's a lot different than the music that I'm currently making that is unreleased. Charlie XCX and Troye Sivan are very good examples of where I would like to go. I think a lot of people in the music industry are going that way because we're realizing that we love performing live and raving and clubbing, so kind of steering in that direction of making fun dance, electronic, house, techno music. It would be really fun to open for Troye Sivan or Charlie XCX.

Oh, I could definitely see that. Even not knowing your unreleased music, I could see that. — You're really making waves in the music industry as an LGBTQ+ artist. How do you feel your identity influences your music and artistic expression?

I think that it influences a lot of my marketing and my songwriting. I have this song, "Never Knew," and it's basically about how I realized I was queer, and it was me coming out to my family. It's funny that you bring that up because I think writing that song was very therapeutic, but it was so hard to release because it's very raw. And coming from a conservative Christian background, it was very hard to release that. But I think I had to let that go because I realized as an artist, I’m trying to make raw and true art, and people can take it or leave it. So exploring my queer identity has made me fall in love with life in a new way and has helped me become a better artist.

"Never Knew" was actually the song that I wanted to talk about next. What was it like to make a song like that? And how was it received, maybe by your parents and others?

 I think that it was very therapeutic to write and very nerve-wracking to release. My mom didn’t love the message of the song. She especially didn’t love the music video, where I’m dancing on a pole in a Catholic church. I think that the whole song was not received well by my family. But I had to prepare myself for that. So I wasn’t that shocked. But I think, like I said, it’s very important for me to make raw and true art. So, I just wanted to release that and kind of take the next step.

That makes sense and I appreciate what it took to put out a song you knew might not be received the right way. So I know that "By Design" was released in collaboration with other musicians and producers. Can you tell us a little about the collaboration and production process? Do you produce your own music?

Yes, it was actually half and half. So I produced a couple of songs in New York with Caroline Sans and Frank Corr, and then the other half in LA with Nicci Gomez. I kind of co-produce, write it out, and then I get into the studio with someone, and we just continue to produce. So yeah, I write all my songs, and then I kind of collaborate further on the production. But for my new unreleased songs, I’ve been working with some new producers, which has been really fun.

I’m excited for the new music. I can’t wait to hear it. Your visuals are also amazing. They're very creative and well-shot. Do these come from your vision, or do you have a team? How do you come up with these ideas?

Most of my visuals are done by both me and my girlfriend, Paola. She’s a director, so we work on a lot of concepts together. She’s instrumental in helping me build the visual world around lovpune.

That's so impressive. And you seem so comfortable on TikTok. Do you find social media comes naturally to you?

I feel in the beginning it was really fun, but that’s more because I was making a lot of content during the pandemic, and there was literally nothing else to do. So I was able to kind of build a following through that. But now that life is back to normal there's no time for anything. I find it very exhausting. I don't like it, but I know that that's the only way to market your music for free. I know that I just have to play the game but I don't necessarily enjoy it. Sometimes I do, but it's just a lot of work. I wish there was another way.

Do you have a strategy for social media?

I like to pull ideas from some of my other friends that are musicians. I also will just go on TikTok and look at what's out there and be like, ‘Okay, maybe I can make something like that.’ But then also just trying to pull from my own creativity and making something engaging. But also in a way I've kind of given up on TikTok, I think I'm more so doing reels because I get better engagement, and I think TikTok is dying a little bit.

On a somewhat serious note— other than as a vehicle for making money, what are you hoping to achieve through your music?

I think what I'm hoping to achieve is more of an understanding of who I am as an artist, because I see the bigger picture of it all, and I know that at the beginning—and I am at the beginning— that I look at artists that have been in the industry for so long, like Caroline Polachek And Charli XCX, like they've been releasing music for years and years and years, and the beginning of their music is still very good, but it's just different. It’s a little less polished. And I do like the idea of my music being less polished, but I'm excited to see how that evolution looks like for me, because I see so many other artists, from the beginning compared to now. They’ve learned so much because they’ve been in the industry longer. And now they’re working with these amazing producers and just continue to get better and better. And so I don't know if that's necessarily a goal or something that I want to achieve, but I'm excited to see what that looks like. Like, what kind of music am I going to be making ten years from now?

I think that’s incredible to be honest. It’s like a roadmap of your growth as a person and an artist. 

Yeah exactly

Last question— What is on your rider in your green room before a show?

I haven’t had that luxury yet! Let me think. Well, I love eating, so I'm gonna say I'm gonna need a crab boil in my rider so I can eat like a crab boil, or like a crawfish boil, maybe a little bit of both. Sausage and corn, lots of seasoning, lots of butter. Yeah, that's, that's what I want. Oh, and I would want a dog bone for my dog, because I'm obsessed with my dog, and I would want her to come to the show with me, just hang out of my trailer. So then when I'm done with the show, she can come hang out with me and we can just chill. But I would like a dog bone for her because I love giving her treats. So dog bone and then, like a crab boil with shrimp because I love seafood. 

That is definitely unique! Before we go— do you have anything else to add?

My new single "Paola" is out now, so go listen to it!