Maude Latour recently debuted her brand new EP Starsick. Starsick is a rare talent of pop that is a mixture of soft pop and indie music. The stellar EP features the title album track, the 2018 hit “Shoot and Run,” and the angelical harmonic “Lovesick.”
The New York based artist got real with me about her music and life. Maude Latour is innovative with a factual mind that is worth knowing the interpretations she believes in.
For our readers at Affinity, tell us a bit about yourself.
Greetings. My name is Maude Latour, I just turned 20. I’m from New York City, moved around a lot growing up, Hong Kong, London, etcetera. Bored of the usual intro. I’m a sophomore in college, but I’m creating this musical universe that’s capturing my world and life and philosophy right now, and that’s kinda my mission. I’m satirically awkward but still bold and confident, an optimist, disorganized but improving.
Congratulations on your release of Starsick! How are you feeling?
Honestly best I’ve felt in a while, not gonna lie. These past few months have been a whirlwind of emotions, but things feel clearer than they have in a while. I’m really really proud of this body of work being out in the world.
You collectively connected the six songs off your EP into the last song. How was the process of writing that? Was it your original plan for Starsick?
These songs are a cohesive world, an introduction into my little universe. There are streams and themes running through the songs, I think the EP takes you on this journey. These are mostly songs I’ve written in the past year, in addition to the first song I released after graduating high school. These songs all tell different aspects of this philosophy that I’d like to think I’m working on as my life’s purpose. I hope you get a little taste of it here.
What’s your interpretation of the word “Starsick”?
The word appeared to me while I was lying on the roof of a rental car in Joshua Tree with one of my best friends. There were literally infinite stars, and we were both basking in this feeling of transcendence and the largeness of the universe. For me this word means exactly that, being drunk of stars and the hugeness of the galaxies. It’s both good and bad, but it’s beautiful.
Based off my interpretation of Starsick, would you say you wear your heart on your sleeve?
Oh definitely. I’m an extremely emotional person, as most artists are. Honestly I’ve retired from the game of getting strung along by bad guys and building romantic fantasies where I spill my guts out to people who give me nothing in return. I am definitely in a phase of reclaiming all of my identity. No, I don’t bleed sadness, I am very optimistic. But I try to openly dissect my thought processes. I definitely put open communication, honesty of how things make me feel, confrontation, truthfulness within my own inner dialogue, and self awareness above everything. I’m learning more every day about what it means to be in touch with one’s self.
In your recent Instagram post, you asked your followers to name artists you would open for. Who would you like to open for?
King Princess is probably my dream person to open for. I love her new album, she’s a rock star, we’re both from New York I think we’d get along. Clairo, also, her music makes me feel warm. I’d love to open for someone whose music I actually listen to, that would just be a total utopia.
If you were to create a music festival, who would be headlining next to you? What would the festival be called?
Oh wow. It’s me, SZA, the Strokes, King Princess, Clairo, the Kooks, Chance, Pheobe Bridgers, honestly Doja Cat with this new album… Benee (just discovered her), I’m breaking the rules I know that’s too many. What would it be called? “No Cell Phones”? Yeah, there would definitely be no phones allowed in.
You are a student at Columbia University. What’s your major? How does it impact your music?
I’m a philosophy major, it definitely impacts my music. My ultimate goal is to develop my own philosophy, that’s kind of what my life’s purpose is. Music happens to be a way that I can communicate with people, and it just brings me a lot of joy. The two definitely feed into one another.
Lastly, what’s your message to the youth of the world?
That’s a wild question. Maybe, can we all just not be apathetic? Can we stop going on instagram and fix our individual worlds and smile when we walk down the street and focus on knowing ourselves instead of getting caught up in stupid social interactions. Everyone is just as self conscious as you, please just take some weight off your shoulders. Get off your phone. Take time alone. Please recycle, turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth, take short showers, stop using single use plastic. Stop buying new stuff, stop falling for traps on instagram where people seem cool. No one is cooler than anyone else, don’t waste your time.
Starsick made its debut on November 15. Listen to the EP and read our review of Starsick.
Featured Image via Instagram
