Q&A: Sabrina Song Lets the Illusion Fall Apart on ‘Big Trick’
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY SHEVON GREENE ☆
Photo by Morgan Winston
GROWING UP IS USUALLY NEVER WHAT YOU EXPECT IT TO BE—and Sabrina Song knows all about it. On her upcoming EP Big Trick, out May 8, Song leans into that lesson she’s still learning to this day. The Brooklyn-based alt-pop singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist is known for her delicate vocals yet emotionally precise songwriting which positions her well within the indie space.
Big Trick comes from a period of reflecting on disillusionment, shifting expectations and the subtle realization that life rarely unfolds the way you imagined. Starting as a loose collection of songs, the tracks eventually revealed themselves as something more cohesive where she’s “deconstructing” her own ideas of what her twenties would look like.
On “Play It Cool,” shimmering guitars mask the almost embarrassing intensity of falling in love, perfectly capturing that push and pull between wanting to seem unaffected and feeling everything at once. Elsewhere, tracks like “LOCK” spiral through overthinking and self-doubt before finally becoming certain in her own emotions.
One thing that makes Song so distinct as a songwriter is how she writes in tension. For example, being hyper-aware yet deeply felt, where even her messiest emotions are shaped into a clear, intentional and cathartic song.
We chatted with Song about the making of Big Trick, navigating disillusionment in your twenties and writing through love, doubt and everything in between. Keep reading for more.
Photo by Morgan Winston
LUNA: I love that you decided to name the EP Big Trick. Did it mostly come from the song itself, and how did you decide that you wanted it to be the full name of the project?
SONG: Yeah, it’s funny. I’m not usually conceptualizing a project before I know it’s going to exist; I don’t pick a concept and then write toward it. I had just been writing and working on music after I finished my album in 2024, and I wrote “Big Trick” with two friends [Lucas Wurman and Tom Brecker]. When we finished it, I was like, I think this is the EP title and the focus track. Then I realized the other songs I’d been writing actually fit into this narrative. I think I’d been deconstructing my own expectations of what my twenties would look like; how life unfolds in different areas. The project touches on personal growth, relationships and even the world as a whole; what’s expected of you versus what actually happens. I’ve been feeling a lot of disillusionment and figuring out what I want in this mid-twenties phase.
LUNA: I love how sonically, “Play It Cool” feels light and soft, but lyrically it’s more vulnerable, talking about how embarrassing it can feel to like someone so much. There’s this contrast between the sound and the emotion. Was that intentional?
SONG: Yeah, that’s another one I wrote with [Greer and Michael]; I usually work alone, but “Big Trick” and “Play It Cool” were both collaborative. We were talking about that giddy feeling of new love, and also how crazy it is when that feeling doesn’t go away; it just becomes part of your life, even years in. I think it also ties into societal expectations—wanting to seem chill and independent, even though you feel something really deeply. I wanted to approach it in a cheeky, lighthearted way. Like, I’m not talking about this all the time, but then I see you and I’m like, wow, I just love you. It’s about how funny it is that we get to feel that on any given day.
LUNA: Based on your music, you seem very self-aware in relationships, but still fully in your feelings. How do you balance that while writing?
SONG: That’s a great question. I think I’m very focused on how I articulate things; not just in music, but in life. I can fixate on why someone said something a certain way. Sometimes that’s valid, sometimes I’m reading into things too much. When I write, I try to distill a feeling or situation into something really clear and true. I want every lyric to contribute to the story. I’m definitely someone who’s very self-aware, but that doesn’t mean everything’s resolved. Writing is cathartic; it helps me figure out what I’m actually feeling. It starts as a lot of scattered thoughts, and then becomes something more clear through songwriting.
LUNA: Being able to take all those thoughts and shape them into something cohesive must be really therapeutic. I wanted to ask about “LOCK.” There’s a line about loving someone versus loving a version of them in your head. How did that come about, and how do you tell the difference?
SONG: Yeah, the line is “loving you or the figment in my mind.” That comes from this tendency I have to overanalyze everything internally. By the time I talk about something, I’ve already thought through every angle. That line is about anxiety; questioning your own feelings, wondering if you’re missing something or in denial. I have this fear of not trusting my own emotions. So I end up exploring every possible way I could feel. But the core of the song is coming back to certainty—realizing I’ve already thought it through, and I know how I feel. I just sometimes spiral before I get there.
LUNA: I love that structure of how the song moves from questioning to certainty.
SONG: Thank you, I’m glad that stood out.
LUNA: I also loved the “Background Actor” music video. You’re present in all these spaces but still feel invisible. How did that concept come together?
SONG: That was directed by my friend Julia Kupiec. I sent her the song with some ideas, and she was into it. We wanted to play with this mix of real and internal experiences: sometimes you are being ignored or undermined, and sometimes you’re feeding into that feeling yourself. It becomes cyclical. We wanted to capture both frustration and a bit of humor in that, like a slight self-awareness within the self-pity.
LUNA: That really comes through. I also love the lyric videos you’ve been releasing; the hand-drawn style is so cool. How did that come together?
SONG: I found this animator, Anna Neiger, online and loved her work. I reached out, and we ended up collaborating. She puts so much thought into every detail, like symbolism with animals or movement. For “Play It Cool,” all the animals in the video mate for life, which I thought was so sweet. I just gave her context, and she built these amazing visual worlds.
LUNA: That’s such a cool way to collaborate; just reaching out and seeing what happens.
SONG: Yeah, I’m always just throwing things out there and seeing what sticks (laughs).
LUNA: I wanted to ask about your songwriting process. Do you start with emotion or sound?
SONG: I’m very lyric-forward. I need to know what the song is about before I build the production. The emotion and narrative guide everything. Sometimes that means restraint, letting a song stay small and introspective instead of building to a big moment. Other times, like “Background Actor,” it’s about letting things spiral. I like playing with those contrasts, but it always starts with the emotional core.
LUNA: I love that you explore both ends of that spectrum. I wanted to talk about self-compassion, since that’s a theme on the project. What does that look like for you day-to-day?
SONG: It’s been a big journey. My earlier music was very rooted in self-doubt and insecurity. I used to feel a lot of pressure to constantly improve, like every day had to be productive or optimized. That mindset is everywhere. Reading things like Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino really helped me realize how much of that pressure is external. Self-compassion, for me, is recognizing that; not measuring my worth against those constantly shifting standards. It’s still something I’m working on, but it’s helped me feel more secure in my choices and more confident in what I create.
LUNA: Your live shows are described as intimate but still energetic. How do these songs translate into a live setting?
SONG: I’ve performed a few of them already, and I think now I naturally consider how songs will feel live as I write. These songs feel especially fun to perform; they have more humor and playfulness than my earlier work. I’m just really excited to share them in that environment.
LUNA: After sitting with these songs for a while, what have they helped you understand about yourself?
SONG: They feel the most like me. I’ve allowed myself to write about messier emotions without needing resolution, and to bring in more humor. It feels closer to how I actually talk and think. Production-wise, it also feels like I’m getting closer to the sound I’ve been aiming for. And collaborating more was a big learning experience; I didn’t do everything alone this time, which was really rewarding.
LUNA: What’s next after the EP release?
SONG: I have an EP release show on May 14 [at Union Pool in Brooklyn], and I’m hoping to keep playing live a lot this year. I’ll probably release more music too, but I’m taking it one step at a time. I’ll definitely take a breather, but also will keep promoting the EP and sharing the songs live.
Big Trick is out everywhere on May 8.
Photo by Morgan Winston
