Q&A: Lauren Juzang Leans Into the Chaos on ‘EITHER WAY ??!?’
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY SHEVON GREENE ☆
Photo by Caity Krone
THERE’S A RARE KIND OF CLARITY IN LAUREN JUZANG’S VOICE — one that captures the chaos of heartbreak and the calm of the storm that follows. The LA-based artist, originally from Tarzana, started her music journey at the young age of twelve sparked by her love for pop-punk bands such as 5 Seconds of Summer and All Time Low. After multiple projects including the formation of a jazz-pop band called Deli Hours and collaborating with her childhood best friends, she’s arrived once again with her newest release, EITHER WAY ??!?, out now.
EITHER WAY ??!? is what Juzang would call her most self-produced and emotionally honest body of work yet. It follows PEEK-A-BOO!, which was released before she decided to take a hiatus from music to focus on her academics. Throughout graduating, moving back to LA from New York, going through a breakup and choosing herself, EITHER WAY ??!? was born. Across seven tracks, Juzang doesn’t shy away from emotional messiness, but instead leans into it. You can pick up hints of sharp, witty and honest reflections on love, self-trust, and starting over.
Luna sat down with Juzang to talk about reclaiming her sound, pushing through creative fear, and writing songs that feel like turning points. Read below for more on her process and the vibrant chaos that shaped EITHER WAY ??!?.
Photo by Caity Krone
LUNA: EITHER WAY ??!? is your most self-produced project yet. Can you walk me through your daily songwriting routine and how you balanced writing and producing all at once?
JUZANG: Yes, it was so hard. I hadn’t produced anything prior to this. I’d done a couple of demo-y things, but this was the first time I fully finished songs on my own. I had just moved back to LA from Syracuse, where I went to school, and luckily I could live at home and not pay rent and stuff. But I was kind of confused, didn’t have a day job, didn’t know what was going on ... I was a mess. And I was going through the breakup that this whole project is about.
So, to make myself feel productive, I challenged myself to write a song a day. None of those really made it onto the project, but it helped me finish the songs I’d started earlier. I had everything written in the first couple of months. Usually I work with my best friend Jason [Vance Harris], but he was busy working on another project. So I started by doing scratch vocals and guitar—just to have something ready for when he was available again. Then he was still busy, and I was like, okay, maybe I’ll just try adding some ambient stuff ... and it kind of turned into me finishing the songs.
There was a lot of help from instrumentalists, and Jason was my greatest consultant. A couple of songs were produced by other friends too. But it wasn’t like I set out saying, “I want to produce this.” It just kind of happened—and I’m really glad it did. I learned so much and I’m really proud of it. It’s nice to have autonomy over the files. If I want to change something, I don’t have to wait on anyone—I can just do it in real time.
LUNA: That’s awesome. And just having that autonomy, like you said—being able to change things on your terms. It’s also nice to be able to say, “This is me.”
JUZANG: The last song I wrote and produced by myself, I was like—wait, I did that. It felt really good.
LUNA: Totally a cool milestone. This is your first project since PEEK-A-BOO!—how did your mindset or approach shift while making EITHER WAY ??!??
JUZANG: Good question. PEEK-A-BOO! came out in 2023, and after that, I kind of took a break. I was in school, trying to figure out my life. I just wanted to be a student for a second, especially during my last semester. So I took time off from making music. Coming back to it, I was nervous—PEEK-A-BOO! was the first time I had any song get attention at all. But I realized there’s no rush. I had this fear, like, “It’s been so long since I put out music,” but it’s fine. There’s no deadline.
Mindset-wise, producing a lot of this myself was a huge confidence boost. Jason, who I’ve worked with forever, always told me, “You’re a producer. You have great ideas—you won’t need me one day.” And I was like, “No way.” But then I did it. I didn’t feel confident every single day—some days I was super confused trying to use Logic—but I definitely gained a lot of confidence through working on it.
LUNA: You grew up on pop punk bands like All Time Low and blink-182. How did those early influences show up in tracks like “Why’d You Ask ?” or the overall vibe of the project?
JUZANG: I love those bands. “Why’d You Ask ?” was kind of my homage to pop rock—it’s not quite punk, but definitely in that realm. Middle school me was going to those shows constantly. I’m excited to have a song that feels like that live. My past projects have been a bit more somber, more mid-tempo, softer overall. But with this project—and especially “Why’d You Ask ?”—I had more fun. It’s the silliest I’ve been in my music, production-wise and even lyrically. I remember seeing All Time Low in middle school and thinking, “This is awesome.” Everyone’s headbanging—and while “Why’d You Ask ?” is definitely still on the pop side, it’s nice to have something guitar-driven and fun.
LUNA: I love that. It’s always so cool when those nostalgic influences sneak into your work. It makes the music feel even more personal.
JUZANG: Totally. I was just talking to a friend about Twenty One Pilots the other day. I don’t listen to them every day, but when I do, it hits so hard. Like, nothing makes me feel the way that music does.
LUNA: You’ve mentioned wanting to be more vibrant and emotionally honest than ever before. Was there a turning point where you felt like your music finally reflected that?
JUZANG: I was going through a breakup, and the catalyst was honestly traumatic—not a word I use lightly. We tried to work it out for a while after, but eventually I was like, “This isn’t good for me.” Writing about it became unavoidable. I couldn’t pretend it wasn’t the thing I needed to process.
And production-wise, I was also trying to regain my sense of self. I was just making decisions that served me—breaking up with him, choosing to feel better. I didn’t want to sit in sadness, so sonically I needed a boost. Making really sad-sounding music would’ve just made me more sad. So I leaned into production that felt more vibrant. I was working alone in my room most days and had to trust my gut. It became an exercise in trusting myself, in choosing for myself.
Photo by Caity Krone
LUNA: Just being able to say out loud, “I want to make something more vibrant,” and then committing to that decision is powerful.
JUZANG: Yeah, and I’m kind of bubbly and positive in real life. I feel like that hadn’t really come through in my music before, and I wanted to bring more of that out.
LUNA: It totally comes through! Even just the EP title—with all caps and punctuation—and the bright cover art. It all pops.
JUZANG: Yay, thank you!
LUNA: Was there a song on EITHER WAY ??!? that ended up sounding totally different from how you first imagined it?
JUZANG: Yeah, “Thursday in June” for sure. That was the first song I wrote while I was still in the relationship. I originally wanted it to be a rocker, very drum-heavy. I remember my ex actually saying it reminded him of “Letter From Last Summer” by Charlie Burg, which is super stripped back. It ended up being more of a mix—no drums, but with distorted guitars. Softer, but still textured.
LUNA: That makes sense. It’s funny, because the final version feels so natural, like I can’t imagine it sounding any other way.
JUZANG: Yeah, totally.
LUNA: You just wrapped supporting Jensen McRae—congrats on that! What did you learn about performing these new songs live?
JUZANG: Thank you! I played “Why’d You Ask ?,” “Thursday in June” on some nights, and “All That !” I learned that choruses really matter. I’ve known that forever, but when you’re playing solo—just you and a guitar—it really becomes clear. Jensen’s fans are also super smart, very lyric-focused. “Why’d You Ask ?” ended up being a favorite, probably because it’s catchy and kind of funny. Having a song like that helped me vary the emotion and tempo in the set.
LUNA: Right—if the chorus sticks, the crowd remembers it. Even if they’re hearing it for the first time.
JUZANG: Exactly. I got so many DMs like, “Where’s that song called ‘Why’d You Ask ?’” It was so nice. Definitely a big takeaway.
LUNA: When you perform in the future, how do you plan to adapt the EP for live audiences? Will fans hear solo versions, band versions, new twists?
JUZANG: My music is kind of moving away from the acoustic-only space, which is fine—I love production. But some songs are harder to strip down. In LA, I played with my best friends Jason and Jacob and we did a trio thing—swapping instruments mid-set. It felt really authentic and reflective of the project’s sound. When I headline or open for a tour, I’d love for the show to feel like a controlled chaos or a moving circus. That’s the vibe I’m aiming for.
LUNA: Controlled chaos—love that. Keeps the audience guessing.
JUZANG: Exactly.
LUNA: You’ve said you feel the most yourself in LA. What small, everyday thing in the city brings you joy or inspires your creativity?
JUZANG: I live in Tarzana, which is kind of random. But all my friends are on the east or west side, so I’m constantly driving. Some days it’s 45 minutes to an hour in the car, but I don’t mind. My friends think I’m crazy because I’m always all over the city, but I love it. The neighborhoods are so different and beautiful. I feel really lucky to be here. My little Subaru brings me joy. Especially when the weather’s nice—I’m just like, “Wow, I get to live here.”
Photo by Caity Krone
LUNA: I can totally picture you in a Subaru. And I get that—driving becomes a space to just think and breathe.
JUZANG: It’s the best.
LUNA: Was there a moment while producing this record where you really surprised yourself?
JUZANG: Yes! The first song I really attempted producing was “All these questions.” I knew it’d be a ballad and I was terrified of drum programming, so I started with ambient elements. In the chorus, I layered background vocals that kind of carry the chordal info. That was the moment I was like—okay, I can do this. I’m not bad at this. I sent it to Jason and my manager and they were like, “The background vocals are great.”
LUNA: I love that—such a turning point. If someone’s hearing your music for the first time through this project, what do you hope they take away from it?
JUZANG: It’s exciting to think someone might discover me through this, because I think it reflects me so well. The storyline of the project is very human. It starts angry, then gets sad, then kind of accepts things. I hope people give themselves grace while listening—grace to feel everything. Grieving, heartbreak, healing—it’s a roller coaster. But eventually, you figure yourself out. I definitely did while making this.
