Q&A: Aluna Joins SIDEPIECE on “Misbehave” as Duo Launch New Label
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
GRAMMY-NOMINATED DUO SIDEPIECE ARE ENTERING A NEW PHASE OF THEIR CAREER WITH INTENTION AND MOMENTUM. Their latest track, “Misbehave,” is a confident, club-forward collaboration with Aluna that arrives alongside the official launch of their new record label, Lip Service. Sleek and attitude-driven, the track pairs SIDEPIECE’s groove-heavy house production with Aluna’s unmistakable vocal delivery, landing somewhere between late-night hedonism and polished dancefloor precision.
“Misbehave” feels less like a one-off collaboration and more like a statement. For SIDEPIECE, it signals both creative evolution and independence, an opening move for Lip Service, a platform designed to house their own releases while spotlighting a new generation of dancefloor-focused artists. The duo have spent the past several years becoming fixtures of the global house circuit, known for records that balance playful energy with undeniable technical polish, and this release sharpens that identity even further.
For Aluna, the collaboration adds another chapter to a career defined by boundary-pushing dance music and cultural impact. Her voice has shaped some of the most enduring records in modern electronic music, and on “Misbehave,” she brings a self-assured presence that elevates the track beyond the club. Together, SIDEPIECE and Aluna create a release that feels timely, deliberate, and primed for dance floors worldwide—while setting the tone for what Lip Service aims to become.
LUNA: “Misbehavin’” brings Aluna’s voice into the SIDEPIECE universe. What made her the right collaborator for this moment, and how did the record come together?
SIDEPIECE: She has always been on our bucket list to collaborate with. She’s so incredibly talented and her voice is so unique. She also is unlike anyone else, and we gravitate toward that.
LUNA: From “On My Mind” to now, your sound has stayed recognizable but never static. What do you think you understand about house music today that you didn’t when you first broke through?
SIDEPIECE: I think we both understand that less is more. Coming from a bass-heavier sound in both of our other dance music endeavors — and the pop and rock side of things in our productions for other people — we came in with maybe a little less subtlety. Now we enjoy finding the small things to accent a track rather than trying to overload everything like we might have early on.
LUNA: You quietly launched Lip Service last year and are now officially rolling it out. What gap were you trying to fill by starting your own label?
SIDEPIECE: As most artists know, labels can be tricky to deal with. First and foremost, they’re designed to make money and maximize that. That’s great, but oftentimes it leads to a creative struggle between where a label and an artist are headed. For us, we wanted to be a label and outlet that was not only easy and fair to the artist, but one that supports the next generation of artists. We’re fortunate enough to have a platform where we can champion other people’s music and have others take notice. We also sign things we would play in our sets.
LUNA: The label is described as “community-driven,” with space for new artists and even bootlegs turned official releases. What does community actually look like to you in practice?
SIDEPIECE: Both of us spent years in and around the Mad Decent circuit, and in the early 2010s there was this great ecosystem of artist-driven labels where the collective became just as big as any individual artist. We want people to be excited to not only release on Lip Service, but to rep it. Hopefully Lip Service becomes a lifestyle — something bigger than us. We also want to build showcases with our roster, and eventually entire festivals that feel truly unique for both fans and artists.
LUNA: With SIDEPIECE now operating as both artists and label heads, how has your perspective shifted on the business side of electronic music?
SIDEPIECE: We’ve realized how expensive it is to run a label and how much work it actually takes — something you don’t always see from the other side. We’ve also always operated pretty insularly, focused on our own music, and this has been really fun because we’re now diving deep into demos from other artists. There’s so much talent out there that deserves to be heard, and we’re excited for people to get to know them.
LUNA: Who have you been listening to lately?
SIDEPIECE: Biscits, Jackie Hollander, Dansyn, Essed, Solomun, Marco Strauss.
LUNA: You’ve played festivals all over the world, but club culture is still at the heart of house music. How do different spaces change the way you think about DJing and producing?
SIDEPIECE: When you’re DJing an intimate club, the songs you select should take people on a journey. We love being able to see faces and watch, up close, which moments are really resonating. With festivals, you sometimes lose that personal connection, but it’s made up for by the spectacle. We tend to focus more on making music for the club experience, but we’ve been lucky that a lot of those songs translate well to bigger stages too.
LUNA: When someone walks away from a SIDEPIECE set or record, what do you hope they feel or understand about who you are as artists?
SIDEPIECE: Hopefully our versatility and our energy. We always pride ourselves on making people move during our sets. We don’t want you standing still with your phone in your hand — leave that for other artists.
LUNA: What intentions do you have for the upcoming months?
SIDEPIECE: More music. More music on our label. And some incredible collaborations in the works.
