INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KIMBERLY KAPELA ☆
Kristeen Young
AGAINST THE MACHINE — Profound greed, overconsumption, the reckless depletion of resources, egocentric leadership and the growing dominance of AI is just another day in America. For longtime DIY rocker Kristeen Young, it all has reached a breaking point. Unafraid to confront the uglier realities of the world around her, Young has released her newest album, Full Scrotal Scorpio.
Full Scrotal Scorpio finds Young examining the arrogance of human beings and the destructive systems we've built around ourselves. From capitalist obsession to the relentless pursuit of excess, the album takes aim at a society interested in accumulating power, wealth and numbers rather than recognizing its own humanity.
The title track, also her most recent single, opens with what initially sounds like a whimsical piano melody before something sinister begins to creep into the arrangement. It doesn't take long for the track to take a dark, signature Kristeen Young turn. Driven by heavy industrial textures and her unmistakable dissonant piano-bashing style, the song resonates with something primal and urgent. Her swirling harmonies and astonishing vocal patterns cut through the noise, creating a deeply human sonic experience that leaves plenty of room for personal interpretation.
Her single, “Numbers,” takes direct aim at the brutality of capitalism. Opening with faint sirens before her signature dark, piano-led groove takes hold, the track builds into an industrial assault, with drummer Jefferson Wayne on the kit that’s reminiscent of early Nine Inch Nails. There is no subtle approach to “Numbers.” It grabs listeners by the throat and pulls them into Young's world without apology. That same intensity carries throughout the album, with opening track “Beelzebop” immediately establishing the record's unruly atmosphere.
The lead single and album's second track, “Not Like You,” is a frenetic firestorm of energy, showcasing Young's signature operatic vocals and her vocal prowess. Her ability to move between theatrical intensity, unconventional melodies and outright sonic chaos is one of the album's greatest strengths. From “Muleskinner Blues (Blue Yodel #8),” an unexpected reinterpretation of Jimmie Rodgers' 1930 country classic, to “Editedit,” which carries the energy of an alternate-universe Missy Elliott, Young demonstrates a remarkable versatility that refuses to be confined to one genre, sound or expectation.
“It's a piano rock record, but not in the way people have done in the past,” Young says. “It's Missouri gothic dark doom, but fun because we are living in catastrophic United States of America times, and we should talk about it, but also we need something to jump around to.”
Full Scrotal Scorpio is an album for anyone who has looked around at the state of the world and wondered how we got here. It's confrontational, powerful and unapologetically abrasive.
Kristeen Young
LUNA: Thank you for talking to Luna. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. For any readers who aren’t familiar with you yet, what kind of atmosphere or emotional space do you aim to create for your listeners?
KRISTEEN: I just vomit out how I feel and hope other people might feel the same, or if they don’t I don’t care.
LUNA: Full Scrotal Scorpio confronts greed, overconsumption, wastefulness, egocentric leadership, and the growing dominance of AI. What was the catalyst for bringing these frustrations together on this record, and what can listeners expect from you in this new era of music?
KRISTEEN: The catalyst was everything that is happening now. Everything. I don’t know what listeners can expect, but I write music on piano. I play piano in a sort of bashing, dissonant manner, but also melodic at times. I sing passionately, using a full range of emotion. I try to write focused, impactful lyrics and music to make people think and feel. But also, the music on this album is kinda fun so you can jump up and down to it while you cry.
LUNA: The album title Full Scrotal Scorpio immediately signals that you’re not interested in making yourself palatable. What does this being your 11th studio album represent to you?
KRISTEEN: The album title suits the music and the music suits the moment we are in. It’s extremism, but concerned with your zodiac sign.
LUNA: I would love to touch more on the creative process behind Full Scrotal Scorpio. As a self-produced artist, you have the freedom to follow your instincts without having to compromise your vision for someone else’s expectations. You’ve maintained an independent approach to your career, taking ownership of your music across multiple facets of the creative process. How did that freedom shape the sound of Full Scrotal Scorpio in the studio?
KRISTEEN: I do have a strong vision. I’m independent because I have to be. That’s where life has continued to sit me. I don’t know how it shaped Full Scrotal Scorpio because I had to make 10 billion little decisions that ended up whatever and wherever it ended up.
LUNA: What feels different about Full Scrotal Scorpio compared to your previous releases? Did you experiment more or take any risks with your songwriting, production or perspective? What did that look like?
KRISTEEN: The writing went fast. I could have probably written another album immediately, but the making of the album was excruciatingly slow and had many obstacles and problems to figure out.
LUNA: Do you have a personal favorite song on Full Scrotal Scorpio — one that feels closest to your heart or most revealing of who Kristeen is right now?
KRISTEEN: I truly enjoy the whole album. I still feel fulfilled playing the songs live. I usually am over a record by the time it comes out, but I love this one. I don’t think the songs reveal much about me because the songs are more looking out than looking in on this album. “I, Claudia” is a bit about me, and “Honey” is about my birth family and discovering things about them. I was a foster/adopted kid. But, again, more looking outward and how it sits in the world.
LUNA: The album addresses issues that can feel almost too overwhelming to process individually, let alone collectively. How do you keep yourself creatively engaged when the state of the world can make you feel powerless?
KRISTEEN: I feel like because things are so raw and upsetting it makes writing and making things very easy and plentiful. When I was a child, writing and making things was always my refuge from the turmoil of my “home.” I’m in a familiar place.
LUNA: How do you hope listeners — especially your femme audience — can connect with or find power in this new era of music from you? What emotions or messages do you want to leave with them?
KRISTEEN: I don’t think it’s an area an artist should even entertain. I wouldn’t attempt to tell someone what they should emotionally take from a song, painting or film.
LUNA: What is fueling your fire right now that’s pushing you into this new era of your career?
KRISTEEN: If I only knew why I do this. I’ve had the fire my whole life. I feel compelled to make things and keep trying to make things more concentrated, more impactful, more focused. I don’t know why.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like that you would like to share with Luna?
KRISTEEN: I’m enjoying the shows and enjoying how other people seem to be enjoying the album. It’s a lot of work doing most of this on my own, but I also feel lucky to have a musical life.
