Q&A: Gin Wigmore Opens Up with “Rodeo,” a Raw Reflection on Rebuilding and Reinvention
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KRISTEN CASE ☆
GIN WIGMORE ISN’T SHYING AWAY FROM THE TRUTH- Known for her distinctive voice, fearless songwriting and genre-blending sound, Gin Wigmore has built a career on turning life's messiest moments into unforgettable music. Her latest single, "Rodeo," captures the chaos, vulnerability, and dark humor of starting over, offering a raw preview of her upcoming album, Beautiful Mess.
Luna sat down with Wigmore to discuss the inspiration behind the track, embracing discomfort in the creative process, and why honesty remains at the heart of her songwriting.
LUNA: First off, congratulations on your newest single “Rodeo!” How does it feel now that it is out in the world?
WIGMORE: It feels awesome! To be honest, “Rodeo” is such a raw little brat of a song, so having it out there feels like I’ve let my rebel heart out and now everyone gets to watch it kick up dust.
LUNA: How did the songwriting process for “Rodeo” come together, and what shaped the tone and imagery you leaned into throughout the track?
WIGMORE: The lyrics came from this funny, uncomfortable place of finding myself back in a world I didn’t recognize…dating at 40!? I wanted the words to feel blunt, a bit unhinged, and darkly humorous, like laughing while the wheels are coming off.
LUNA: How did the song evolve from its earliest version to the final recording?
WIGMORE: I was actually in a writing session with someone else down in Virginia Beach, and it was going nowhere. Sometimes writing collaborations go like that. But I was mindful of the travel and time I had put in to get there and be in that room, so there was no way I was leaving without a song being written. So I took myself into the hallway and just wrote “Rodeo” on my own. It happened fast, and I think, because I was kinda feeling a little pissed the collab hadn’t gone the way I had envisioned, “Rodeo” received a natural angst when I was working it out. As it became time to produce the song, I knew the guitars had to be nasty and heavy, the groove tough and the vocals right up front so it still had that first-thought, first-hit punk- rock attitude about it. And the breakdown guitar solo I was channeling Weezer alllll day.
LUNA: The track has a raw energy that is so powerful. How important was it to preserve that sense of immediacy in the studio?
WIGMORE: SO important. If a song like this gets too tidy, it loses its teeth. I wanted it to feel like you’d walked into the room mid-argument messy, alive, and unapologetic about the sentiment of the song.
LUNA : What conversations did you have with your collaborators about the sonic direction of the song?
WIGMORE: The main conversation was really about not overthinking things and being too perfect in the execution of it. We talked about grit, tension, humour, and making sure the production didn’t soften the edges.
LUNA: What was the biggest thing you learned creatively while making this track?
WIGMORE: That discomfort is usually where the good stuff is hiding. I had to stop trying to make the experience sound pretty and just tell the truth about the awkward bits, ugly bits, funny bits and all.
LUNA: “Rodeo” blends sharp observations with larger emotional themes. How did you approach the storytelling in “'Rodeo,”, and what made this story one you felt compelled to tell?"
WIGMORE: I approached it like a snapshot of where my head was at in the real time reality I had found myself in. It’s about being thrown back into yourself and then seeing how that fits again in the world after a relationship ends. It’s a necessary step in getting yourself back out there, but it’s a confrontational and uncomfortable feeling in the beginning. That story felt worth telling because I know vulnerability with finding a new relationship and healing from the scars of previous ones is really tough at the best of times. Talking about it and sharing softens the hurt.
LUNA: If "Rodeo" were the opening scene of a film, what would audiences see?
WIGMORE: Laying in bed with a clearly deadbeat dude beside you, your cowboy boots still on as there is no way you are staying long enough to take them off and get comfortable.
LUNA: What do you hope that fans take away from listening to “Rodeo?”
WIGMORE: I hope they feel less alone in the messiness of starting over and embracing change. It’s ok to be brave and completely freaked out at the same time. It’s ok to be angry, disappointed, embarrassed and uncomfortable. Sit in those feelings so you can acknowledge them with clarity and then have them walk right on by so you can get to the good stuff!
LUNA: Are there any upcoming projects or releases you’re looking forward to sharing soon?
WIGMORE: Yes , my album Beautiful Mess is coming out on July 17th. It’s my first album in a super long time, and it holds a lot of life: love, loss, motherhood, chaos, tenderness, the whole messy lot of it. I can’t wait for people to hear what my life has sounded like for the last few years.…
