- 2025-01-28
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MUSIC
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Luna Morgenstern Releases New EP “heartbreak hotel”
Amsterdam-based singer-songwriter Luna Morgenstern released a new EP “heartbreak hotel” on January 24, 2025.
The EP is her first project in two years since the 2023 EP “Dance Dance (Don't Go)”.
The EP comprises 6 songs, produced by Luna Morgenstern, Nick Ribbens, and Raven Aartsen.
“heartbreak hotel” captures a longing for past connections while exploring the emotional turmoil of separation, documenting the unraveling of a long-term relationship with its warm synths, throwback breakbeats, and ethereal vocals.
“'heartbreak hotel' documents the intricate stages of a separation, from first doubts to breaking for good, from escapism to finally letting go,” Luna Morgenstern said of the EP. “I wrote these six songs shortly before and during a heavy breakup and each song is a personal account of the emotional phases i went through in real time. It was one of the hardest, yet also one of the most transformative records to write, produce and now perform.”- She continued, “Each song opens the door to another room within the metaphorical 'heartbreak hotel', reflecting on the intricate emotional stages of two people parting ways.”
She added, “I am a huge sucker for a melancholic dance moment too. I wanted to capture that feeling of crying while dancing in a crowd full of strangers in every tune.” -
Luna Morgenstern explained about some tracks for the EP.
“hush hush”
“It's about the struggle of holding onto a fading relationship, despite looming doubts and uncertainties. I like playing with contrasting elements in my songwriting and production whether that's blending four to the floor kicks with UK garage breaks or by contrasting a very heavy, direct lyric with a nursery rhyme inspired melody.”
“heartbreak hotel”
“For these visuals I partnered up with Anna Van der Velde, a multidisciplinary artist, director and wonderful human being whom's otherworldly visual handwriting fascinated me from the first time I discovered her work. We immediately connected creatively and personally and from that mutual trust we were able to build a visual world that beautifully reflects 'heartbreak hotel'. At first, I was really stuck on recreating the 'heartbreak hotel' I had imagined while writing the record. But I am glad that I let go of that literal translation and trusted Anna with her vision: To travel to Iceland and let the otherworldly landscapes represent the different stages of grief on the record. So we flew all the way to Iceland, travelled the island in a rental car and shot as we went. We were shooting in freezing cold and windy conditions - it felt like a transformative experience that we went through together. In a way, I was able to relive some of the pain in a physical way and could let go of it.”
“miss u”
“'miss u' represents the reminiscing stage after the breakup, when you find yourself estranged from the person you used to share everything with. I wanted to capture the yearning for the intimacy you once shared, when they still saw you as a part of them. Despite seeking solace in a foreign place, it's impossible to escape the overwhelming feeling of missing them. It's about reminiscing, memories you can't erase and postcards never sent.”
“spiral”
“'spiral' contemplates escapism and self-destruction. It's set in a club, capturing the numbness and detachment that overshadows the initial pain after it's starting to fade. By arraying distinctive impressions of an escalated night out, from the outfits of the crowd ('getting all dressed up, low- rise and tanktops') to encounters with dealers in the dark corners of the club, 'spiral' evokes a feeling of increasing anxiety and isolation within a crowd.
'spiral' is about escapism and patterns of self-destruction that i found myself in to feel something? nothing? Imagine yourself in a room full of people and sound. The bass is rummaging through your body, lights are flashing red then white in front of your inner eye. You can't tell up from down while you're slowly letting go of who you thought you were before. It doesn't matter really. So you're swaying side to side, slowly, a droplet of water in their tidal wave - you're one of them for now, even though you don't know their names. and for a split second you find yourself wondering: how is that i am skin to skin and yet feel so lonely?”
Photo by Torge Hill - source : Apple Music
