Q&A: The Imaginative World That Lies Within Purity Ring’s Upcoming Self-Titled Album
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY SHERIDAN AGUILAR ☆
Photo by yuniVERSE
PURITY RING’S LATEST SINGLE “imanocean” gives listeners a taste of their upcoming self-titled album, out September 26th. Blurring the line between reality and fantasy, Purity Ring’s upcoming album is set to unfold like the soundtrack to an imaginary role-playing game. Vocalist Megan James and producer Corin Roddick created digital avatars to guide listeners through vast sonic landscapes - each track a new terrain, each beat a step deeper into their world. Inspired by the narrative arcs and emotional crescendos of classic RPGs, the duo used songwriting not only to build a universe but also to reflect their own lived experiences, dreams of liberation, and homage to the artists who came before them.
In a conversation with The Luna Collective, Megan and Corin open up about the creative freedom of gamifying their existence, the pivotal songs that shaped the album, and the bold shift toward colder, digital textures in their production. They also share their vision for an immersive live show, set to be unveiled during their Fall 2025 tour, that fuses holographic visuals, reactive technology and vintage gear to pull fans directly into their universe.
Photo by yuniVERSE
LUNA: I’d love to hear how both of you use songwriting to develop this idea of two characters or digital avatars within the album. What does the creative process behind this look like?
MEGAN: Through the process of making these songs, we imagined they were the soundtrack to the world we created. And the characters are us, because we made them—we’re part of it. The songs are about real life too, so it's like gamifying our existence. This really started out as more of a concept album than what we’ve done before. That framework helped us flesh out what we wanted it to feel like.
CORIN: Yeah. There’s a lot of freedom and fluidity in that setup, which is amazing. I don’t often see albums emulate video-game structures. I’d love to hear more about production and song design and how you drew from video-game elements like narrative arcs, boss sequences, or level progression.
MEGAN: We definitely brought in some of that. Early on, we realized the songs felt like they existed in an imaginary RPG world. We assigned each track a different “landscape” in the story—it helped us see things like “this is the beginning” and “this is the end,” then fill in the emotional and sonic middle with varied moods. For instance, we wanted to capture the feeling of emerging from a small, confined space into a vast open world—like passing through the Great Deku Tree into Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time. That sensation of overwhelming yet exciting freedom was central to the record’s tone.
LUNA: That’s awesome! What a unique way to create an album. Since your avatars reflect personal parts of yourselves, how did songwriting bridge between the personal and the fantastical?
MEGAN: Gaming is often seen as escapist, but for me it’s about imagining how we can exist differently. It’s about building a place where marginalized people belong—without oppression or trans misogyny, without prisons. It’s dreaming of a better world. Many songs also include a sense of respect for those who paved the way for us—artists who shaped our lineage. We wouldn’t exist without them, so there's homage there.
LUNA: That’s beautiful. Do you have a song on the album that shifted your direction overall?
CORIN: Yes—the opening track, relict. It was the first piece that really felt like, “This is it.” That moment gave us the complete vision for the project, both sonically and conceptually, and opened the door to experimentation.
MEGAN: Exactly—and pairing relict with the closing track glacier instantly solved the sequencing puzzle for us. We could say, “Here’s the beginning, here’s the end—now build everything in between.” That clarity was new for us and really freeing.
LUNA: I can imagine! Were there any notable changes in instrumentation or production compared to your previous albums?
MEGAN: Definitely. I shifted from our usual rap-inspired half-time drums to faster tempo, drum-and-bass–inspired patterns. That adjustment impacted every element of the mix. We also leaned into cold, digital late-’80s/’90s sounds to echo RPG soundtracks. Unlike our past work, which aimed for warmth and analog textures, this album embraces the character of synthetic, detached sounds—even if they aren't conventionally “pretty.”
LUNA: That sounds amazing.. Given how long you’ve been in the industry, what advice would you give your younger selves?
CORIN: It feels like the industry changes faster than any advice can stick. But if I could go back, I’d say: “Take it easy—it’ll be okay. Be cautious about what you sign.” We experienced intense early years and a whirlwind of expectations. I wish there’d been more support for younger musicians to navigate that.
MEGAN: Totally. I’d add: “Don’t listen to too much advice—most people are theorizing.” Trends fade fast. Just make music you love, for yourself if nothing else. It’s valid and sustainable.
CORIN: That’s grounding to hear. Shifting gears to the fall tour—what creative elements can fans expect in the live show?
MEGAN: We’re building on previous immersive designs and adding some high-tech, maybe scary, elements. We’re incorporating windmill LED and transparent holographic screens to create layers around us—bringing the game world into the live space. It’ll run on a real-time video-game engine and react to our performance dynamically.
LUNA: That sounds so cool. Any new additions on the instrument side?
MEGAN: We’ve simplified the core instrument setup but added high-tech reactive visuals. I found a vintage mid-’90s drum pad called a “Trap Cat.” We’re projection-mapping it so that it triggers visuals on-screen and on the holograms—creating a 3D, responsive, audio-visual experience.
LUNA: I’m so excited—it sounds incredible. I’ve loved how hands-on and creative everything is. Huge fan.
