Q&A: Piper Connolly Releases New EP “She’s Too Much!”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY INDI TEJEDA ☆
THERE’S SOMETHING UNMISTAKABLE ABOUT THE MUSIC THAT SOUNDTRACKS GROWING UP — the songs that make heartbreak feel cinematic, confidence feel attainable, and every small realization feel like a turning point. For Piper Connolly, she’s too much! captures that feeling, bringing together the messy, exhilarating experience of coming into yourself with a sound that feels both nostalgic and distinctly current.
Blending alt-pop, pop-punk and early 2000s influences, the EP moves between emotional vulnerability and unapologetic confidence. From the love-song warmth of “beautiful life” to the high-energy defiance of “body bag,” Connolly embraces the contradictions of growing up without feeling the need to choose between them. At the center of the project is her description of “bubblegum with razorblades,” a fitting reflection of the sweetness and strength that coexist throughout her music.
In conversation with Luna, Connolly reflects on finding her voice in the writing room, challenging the expectations placed on young women in rock, and turning personal experiences into songs that resonate across generations.
LUNA: She’s too much! feels like a coming-of-age soundtrack, balancing confidence, heartbreak, joy and self-discovery. Looking back on the process of making the EP, what did you learn about yourself as both an artist and a person?
CONNOLLY: I was nervous to go into the writing room and state what I really wanted from the song and stuff, but by the end, I felt really confident in my own voice and my own writing abilities. I feel like I grew a lot through it.
LUNA: You described “bubblegum with razorblades” as the center of the project, the idea of appearing sweet while carrying strength underneath. How has being underestimated shaped the way you approach your music, career, or even your sense of self?
CONNOLLY: It definitely gave me something to write about. Throughout my whole life, I feel like people have underestimated me, and that’s part of why I love making music so much. It gives me a chance to really be myself and be confident in an art form. Being a young woman in the music industry is not an easy thing, and you’re constantly underestimated. One of the first things I heard when I really got into the music industry was, “You can’t be a woman in rock. That’s not possible.” I just think that’s so untrue. I use my music to prove to myself and to others that I am not someone who should be underestimated.
LUNA: Songs like “beautiful life” and “body bag” sit on opposite emotional ends of the spectrum, yet they both feel empowering in different ways. How do you navigate turning very personal experiences into songs that listeners can see themselves in?
CONNOLLY: I feel like I’m actually in a really good position because I’m so young, and I’m going through a lot of experiences that people are either going through at the same time as me or have gone through in the past. I’ve never really had to doubt whether an experience I’m going through is relatable. I write about a lot of experiences that people can relate to throughout their lives, no matter their age.
“Beautiful life” is a love song, and “body bag” is this super high-energy confidence anthem. They’re completely different, but I’ve never really had to doubt whether people would connect or relate to them. I just know I’m in a really good position where kind of everyone has gone through these experiences.
LUNA: Your music blends alt-pop, pop-punk and nostalgic influences while still feeling very current. Are there specific artists, records, films or cultural moments that inspired the world of she’s too much!?
CONNOLLY: Oh my gosh, that’s so tough. I have so many inspirations on this EP. When we went into the writing room for a song like “unapologetic,” you can really hear that we were super inspired by 2000s music, like Avril Lavigne and Ashlee Simpson. But on some of these other songs, it’s more Olivia Rodrigo or Chappell Roan.
The inspirations are all over, but I really liked that 2000s and 2010s pop-punk that sounded nostalgic, even though it wasn’t that long ago. I think that’s part of what makes this EP so cool. People my age will really like it because it feels like current pop, but also like what some people now would call vintage. An older audience can connect with it, too, because they grew up with that music.
LUNA: Your live shows are known for being incredibly interactive, from conga lines to letting fans choose the final song. What do you hope people walk away feeling after a Piper Connolly show, and how does that connect to the message behind she’s too much!?
CONNOLLY: 100 percent. I totally feel that way. Within the performances I’ve gotten to do so far, I’ve played pretty much my whole EP, and it’s so exciting. You spend so long making something like this EP. It’s a pretty long process, and I’ve been working on it for a while.
