Q&A: Lovpune Takes SXSW 2026
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY EMMI SHOCKLEY ☆
Photo By Oscar Moreno
LOVPUNE IS THE QUEER ELECTRONIC POP PROJECT OF THE SAN ANTONIO-BORN, LOS ANGELES-BASED songwriter, producer and DJ, Mia Madden. Her hooks are intoxicating; her production is sophisticated and often surprising. Her soundscapes are sparkling but pulse with an underlying darkness. She’s an artist who you can hear challenging herself across her growing discography–someone who is pushing their own musicianship further and further with each release. Her most recent single, “Afterlife,” is an extremely promising sign of huge things to come for this artist. It’s a trancey, surging track steeped in drama that, for me, evokes SOPHIE’S “Is It Cold In The Water?”
And Mia Madden has style, through and through. From her performance wardrobe to her visuals (her music video for “Enough” is exceptional, so fully realized, and with immaculate production design), her overall creative direction is cohesive and commanding. She’s (currently) unsigned and very evidently steering her own ship, and I think that’s part of the reason Madden stands out. She’s truly indie, genuinely doing this her own way, and it very much shows.
I met with Madden in the hours leading up to her first-ever official SXSW performance: The Luna Collective and Bright Antenna’s Women to Watch Showcase. I sat down with her on the back patio of the venue (Las Perlas, downtown Austin) before her sound check, and her easy, confident energy was infectious. I had a feeling it was about to be a strong set, and I was absolutely correct. Madden took the stage with Austin bass player Kinseli Baricuatro and LA drummer Sierra Leuschen. After seeing the trio perform together that night at Las Perlas, then going back for another showcase at Hole in the Wall to see them play again the very next night, I can confidently confirm that Lovpune’s music is made for the dance floor, and Madden is meant to command a room. She was easily one of my favorite performers this year.
Read on for Luna’s interview with Mia Madden of Lovpune.
LUNA: Does SXSW feel like sort of a home turf festival for you?
MADDEN: I feel like it is. I’ve been coming since I was about sixteen years old, and I lived in Austin for a couple of years before this. So it’s home turf. Texas is my home.
LUNA: Are you playing any venues that make you feel nostalgic?
MADDEN: Not really. I was in a punk band, back in 2016, here in Austin. It was called Sophisticated Puss. It was an all-girl punk band; I played bass. We played all around Austin, but a lot of shows were at co-ops, so house parties. So I haven’t played many official venues yet. Besides Swan Dive.
LUNA: Do you have a pre-show ritual, and if so, am I interrupting it?
MADDEN: Yes, but you’re not interrupting it. I don’t have an extensive show ritual, but lately I’ve been drinking coconut water before my shows. But I don’t even have one right now. My band is bringing me one.
LUNA: Have you listened to any music today, and if so, what have you listened to?
MADDEN: I was listening to Addison Rae’s new album. I love that album. It feels very adjacent to the kind of music I’m trying to make. Electronic, ethereal, fun, dance-y. She’s a little more pop than me, but I love her sh*t.
LUNA: What’s your stand-out track?
MADDEN: “New York.”
LUNA: You’ve been releasing singles since 2020. Are there any plans for an upcoming LP or EP?
MADDEN: I love this question. I have a new EP coming out in June. It’s called OPEN AiR, and it’s a concept EP. It’s a whole story.
LUNA: I’m obsessed with a concept record. Can you tell me more, or is it too early?
MADDEN: I can tell you about it. I find that I write a lot about very hard, traumatic things that have happened in my life. By making that art, I have a beautiful release of emotion. On this EP, I start with the beginning of my life, when it’s very pure and untainted. Then I tell the story of how things got bad. I think that happens to a lot of people. People come into your life and change your brain chemistry. It moves through that to find the low-lows and the high-highs, and then the healing and transforming into the person I am now, who is more healed. Not fully healed, but for the most part. It’s kind of a coming-of-age EP.
LUNA: Is “Afterlife” a part of this EP?
MADDEN: Yes, “Afterlife” is the last song on the EP. “Afterlife” is me reclaiming my power and my energy. We’re socialized as women to be people pleasers. That's also part of the EP. And so that was me reclaiming and saying that I’m not gonna be stepped on or used anymore.
LUNA: What’s the opening line again? I know how it feels-
MADDEN: “I know how it feels to lose yourself to love.” A lot of us do.
LUNA: It’s a great opening. It’s a line that grabs. Okay, here’s a fun one. Off the top of your head, what was the most memorable night of dancing you’ve ever had? First night that comes to mind. Don’t overthink it.
MADDEN: The producer I work with, SurBack , whose name is Caroline Sans, invited me to a DJ set in this warehouse rave in downtown LA. It was a couple of months ago, and I wasn’t expecting much of it. But we showed up, and it was like… the best set ever. The DJ’s name is Bambii. She needs to be written about. She was so cool. The music was fast-paced, techno house, with lots of break beats in between. And I love break beats. I love Drum and Bass. LA events for Drum and Bass are hit or miss, but this was just amazing. We were dancing. There wasn’t even a pause where I took a break. The whole hour set, I was dancing. I was so sweaty after. I didn’t realize in the moment how special it was, but looking back, I realize that was one of the best DJ sets I’ve ever seen.
LUNA: Say it’s someone’s first time coming to one of your shows, what should they expect? Well, let me rephrase. It’s actually my first time coming to one of your shows. What should I expect?
MADDEN: I specifically write my music thinking about my live performances. In the studio, I think about what’s going to be fun for me to perform. So, expect lots of energy and lots of dancing.
