Q&A: Carrie Okay Search for a Cure in the Candy Aisle on Debut Single, “High in a Drugstore”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KELSEY PECCHIA ☆
THE CARRIES ARE MORE THAN OKAY—In their debut song, “High in a Drugstore,” the pop-rock supergroup delves into a feeling most of us know all too well: wanting to call when you shouldn’t. Carrie Okay, made up of solo artists LØLØ, salem ilese, and Alna, recount what it feels like to ache so hard, you don’t even know where to go or who to talk to. Sometimes that means calling a friend. For them, sometimes it means wandering aimlessly in a 7-Eleven.
All 90s babies, the supergroup wanted to delve into the nostalgia and comfort of the music they grew up on, while adding in the realness of what it feels like to exist in such an overwhelming world today. Carrie Okay began in the writing room, originally planning to write this song for another artist. Once all together, though, they realized what they had was too good to give up, both in the lyrics and in each other. Thus, the girl group was born.
“High in a Drugstore” dives into what it feels like to miss someone you know you shouldn’t. It also acts as a mental and physical journey of nostalgia, knowing better, and wishing you didn’t. Carrie Okay separates the mind from the body, emphasizing how disconnected you can feel when your heart wants something your mind knows you shouldn't have. The all-too-relatable idea of taking a gummy, hoping for some reprieve and distraction, when all it makes you do is overthink, self-criticize, and detach, highlights the power of the mind. Though guilty of it themselves, Carrie Okay reminds us your mind is not always who you are, and you cannot find a cure to heartbreak and self-hatred in a convenience store.
Carrie Okay brings a strong sense of relatable uncertainty, affirming that getting older doesn’t necessarily mean you “get over” heartbreak or self-criticism or overthinking, you just learn how to detach from those thoughts. Sometimes, that’s writing in a journal, and others, it’s searching for the Nerd Gummy Clusters in a 7-Eleven, even though they were right in front of you this whole time. From how they started, to their debut single, to where they’re headed, read below to find out all things Carrie Okay.
LUNA: For some of our readers who may be new fans, can you tell us a little bit about
yourselves and your music?
SALEM: Hi, we’re Carrie Okay! A supergroup girl band made up of LØLØ, salem ilese, and Alna. More than that, though, we’re three friends who love to write songs, especially when it’s together. We’re heavily inspired by our own life experiences, as well as the nostalgia of the ‘90s music we grew up on. If you relate to anything we talk about, you’re an honorary Carrie. We hope to make you feel a little more Okay.
LUNA: Your debut song “High in a Drugstore” is such a hit. What inspired you all when working on this project?
ALNA: Thank you! In that first session, we got to talking about the terrible aftermath of a breakup when you’re convincing yourself you’re ready to go out and have fun again, but as hard as you try, nothing can cure you of missing that person. Being “high in a drugstore” felt like the perfect sad and funny image to encapsulate that feeling of being a little drunk and emotional under these horrible fluorescent lights, holding back tears while walking past the Nerds Gummy Clusters in the second aisle. We all related to how weird it can feel when your surroundings and your emotional state are completely mismatched.
That combination of sincerity and humor is a big part of the project in general. A lot of our inspiration comes from taking these moments from our own lives and finding a way to talk about them without taking ourselves too seriously.
LUNA: You all have amazing solo careers. What inspires you when writing for Carrie Okay that may not move you in the same way as a solo artist?
SALEM: As opposed to just a combination of our separate solo projects, Carrie Okay is truly its own world. It wouldn’t exist without the three of us and our producer Andrew. I’ve personally never been part of a collaboration quite like this one, where everything is so mutually agreed upon and decided. You’d think it would be harder, but we all seem pretty aware of what Carrie Okay is and isn’t. I find I get far less decision fatigue from this project than my own. It’s really comforting to know we’re all moving in lock-step.
LUNA: The video for “High in a Drugstore” is so nostalgic and comforting. What drove you to that place aesthetically or even while writing?
SALEM: We shot it all on a camcorder, with our friend and collaborator Whitney Otte behind the lens. We thought the chaotic, grainy nature of the footage fit well with the message and theme of the song. The location for the video was pretty easy to pick, given the lyrics referencing Denny’s and 7-Eleven. As a band of three people who all live in different places, though, we didn’t want it to look or feel too “LA.” We picked spots that we thought could be in a multitude of different cities. We also did this during our first photoshoot with Whitney, opting for DTLA buildings in the background as opposed to Beverly Hills palm trees.
LUNA: This song was originally written for someone else. What about this song or writing together made you want to keep it?
LØLØ: We were working together that day writing with somebody else in mind, but almost right away as we started writing “High in a Drugstore,” we knew it didn’t quite fit anybody else. It just felt so special and so uniquely…us! The lyrics were super specific, the emotions were very honest, and the whole song had this personality that we all connected to immediately. By the time we finished it, it didn’t feel like a song we could give away anymore.
LUNA: I’m absolutely obsessed with the name Carrie Okay. What made you decide on that for the group?
LØLØ: We actually had a giant list of band names that we put together by submitting all names to a shared note, and then we had a band meeting and read through them. It was one of the funniest meetings of all time because some of the names were pretty ridiculous. We all love a good pun, so when someone mentioned “Carrie Okay,” we all immediately loved it. Just like our first song, the band name just…felt right. Once we decided on Carrie Okay, it felt as though we had already been Carrie Okay for a lifetime!
Fun fact: some of the names that weren't chosen became future song titles!
LUNA: I love the concept of mind-body separation in this song, even referring to your mind as “she.” The mind can be so powerful—how does detaching from it help you in overwhelming situations or even while writing?
ALNA: When I get overwhelmed, I always come back to the idea that you are not your thoughts. They’re something to observe, like clouds passing through the sky. You don’t have to believe them, and just because you thought something doesn’t make it true. When we were writing “High in a Drugstore,” it felt natural to personify the mind. We were talking about how hard it can be to fend off the impulse to make questionable decisions (like calling your ex) when you’re emotionally vulnerable. Making a character out of the mind helps create some distance. “She” might be begging me to call, but I, the responsible adult, am most likely not going to.
LUNA: What has been your favorite part of this process? Do you all think about the visuals as you're writing, or do they fall into place?
ALNA: One of my favorite things is how in sync we’ve all been since the beginning. Because of the way the band started, the project sort of defined itself as we went along without us ever really needing to discuss it. That’s been true of everything from the sound to the styling and visuals. We showed up to our first photo shoot with half an idea of what each of us was going to wear, and we were all pretty shocked by how miraculously cohesive our individual choices looked when we got those first few pictures back. Not only does our taste overlap, we also really enjoy each other’s company. It’s made our creative process super fun and seamless.
LUNA: Now that you’ve released your debut single and music video, what is next for Carrie Okay? Is there anything coming up you want to share with The Luna Collective?
LØLØ: We’ve been working for a while on a lot more music, and we’re so excited to share it ALL with everyone. So stay tuned!
