Q&A: Your Favorite Color Finds Beauty in Burnout on “Where Did It All Go Wrong?”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY SHEVON GREENE ☆
WITH A TITLE LIKE “WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG?” — Your Favorite Color’s latest single immediately sets the tone for an unseen side of the band. Laced with melancholy and sonic depth, it’s a moody shift for the rising alt-pop band, and a brutally honest one.
After a jam-packed year that included signing with indie label Prajin Parlay, performing at SXSW, and touring in Europe with The Driver Era, the band is now delving into a more emotionally-grounded era. “Where Did It All Go Wrong?” highlights that shift perfectly with layered synths, front-and-center acoustics, and lyrics that question identity, burnout, and ambition in the shadow of Los Angeles.
The Luna Collective chatted with lead vocalist Matt Warren and bassist Cameron Pearson about the story behind the track, how trust and collaboration shape their songwriting process, and what sonic territory they’re exploring next. Read below to learn more.
LUNA: I’d love to talk about “Where Did It All Go Wrong?” and everything you've been up to. To start, can you walk us through where the first spark for the song came from?
WARREN: It started from an instrumental our guitarist David had been working on. He brought me this bare-bones idea, and it just struck a chord. The melodies came out right away—lyrics followed—and it all unfolded pretty effortlessly. Some songs are like that; it just flowed into its own story.
LUNA: I’m sure that kind of seamless writing process feels so good when it happens.
WARREN: Yeah, it’s great. Some songs take forever, so it’s refreshing when one just shows up in an evening.
LUNA: The song explores identity, regret, and emotional disconnection, especially tied to moving to LA. What personal or collective experiences shaped those lyrics?
WARREN: The song tells the story of a dreamer chasing something they believe in. LA is one of those places where people go to pursue big dreams, but it’s easy to get lost. It’s a double-edged sword—once you create this identity to chase something risky like music or acting, you might look back and wonder if you made the right choice. It’s a cry for help, or at least a moment of honesty—like, “I don’t have it all figured out.”
PEARSON: Yeah, it’s such a universal feeling—pursuing what you love and then questioning it. LA especially brings that out, with everyone trying to do the same thing. That self-doubt and loneliness—it mirrors what it feels like in relationships, too. It’s all self-reflection. Following a dream is a lot like falling in love. You ask yourself hard questions along the way. We talk about that a lot—how it’s always going to be a challenge, but you grow by pushing through it.
LUNA: Definitely. It reminds me of Chappell Roan’s song “California,” where she sings about wanting to go back home and how she didn’t expect it to be so tough.
PEARSON: That’s pretty spot on with the theme, right?
WARREN: For sure. It’s this archetypal story we’ve all seen before—the rollercoaster of chasing your dream. Even if the song is about a low point, that doesn’t make it less real. You can be sleep-deprived, trying to network and create, and suddenly you’re running on fumes. It messes with your mind and health. This song captures someone in the middle of that burnout.
LUNA: Sonically, this track leans darker and more atmospheric than your previous stuff. What inspired that shift?
WARREN: We never really know what a song is going to become when we start writing. It’s kind of like raising a kid—you guide it, but you don’t want to force it to be something it’s not. This one just felt like it wanted to be deeper, more melancholy. We followed that feeling. We’ve been leaning into acoustic guitars and exploring new synth textures—that’s a big part of our sound.
PEARSON: Yeah, this might be one of the first times the acoustic is really front and center in one of our tracks.
LUNA: It definitely stands out. I love the shift—it feels natural. If you had to pick one lyric or moment that hits the hardest for you, what would it be?
WARREN: Easy. “I’m not ashamed, but I wish I was.” That line really captures the whole thing. I’m proud of chasing this dream, but sometimes I wonder—what if I’d taken an easier path? I was a lifeguard in Laguna Beach for a while, and it was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. There was a part of me that wished I could’ve just stayed there, lived simply. But the music path is full of uncertainty—there’s no roadmap. That lyric sums up the tension between pride and doubt.
PEARSON: “I’m out again, losing all my friends.” That one hits hard. The way it’s written, with the LA setting, really brings it home. I’m a big fan of descriptive lyrics, and this song has some great ones.
LUNA: Totally agree. Both of those lines stood out. How did the writing and recording process for this track compare to your past singles?
WARREN: This one felt different—we didn’t overthink it. Usually, we put so much pressure on ourselves to make the best song ever, but with this, we just followed the feeling. We even made an entirely different version of the song before going back to the original—it just felt right.
LUNA: I love hearing that. The “almost went in a totally different direction but trusted the original” backstories are always my favorite.
WARREN: Yeah, that one felt special from the start.
LUNA: You’ve had a huge year—getting signed, playing SXSW, opening for The Driver Era in Europe. Has that changed your approach to songwriting?
WARREN: As we grow and get more experience, we’re becoming more seasoned. Touring and signing a record deal made everything feel real. That boosted our confidence. But creatively, we still write like we always have—in our home studios, building out the ideas in Ableton or Logic before taking them to our producer, Stefan Mac. He’s like the sixth member of our band and really helps bring it all to life. We love the process and want to keep pushing our creative boundaries.
LUNA: I love that balance of evolving while staying grounded in what works. Can you walk us through how each of you contributed to “Where Did It All Go Wrong?”
WARREN: The heart of it came from David—he sent me a voice memo of that guitar line. I sampled a piece of it, looped it, and added a synth bass. The melodies and lyrics came quickly. Then we took it into the studio, and everyone added their flair—Cameron, Nicky [Neighbors], Foz [Matthew Fosmire], and Stefan. Not every song comes together that way, but this one did.
LUNA: I love hearing how everyone adds their own piece to the puzzle.
PEARSON: Yeah, it’s really important for all of us to feel connected to it.
WARREN: Nicky was experimenting with an organ tone that we layered with a Juno-style pad for the chorus, which gave it a unique texture. For drums, we played around with both rock and hip-hop influences. Lots of little elements came together.
PEARSON: And it went through so many versions before we landed on the final one.
LUNA: You’ve described yourselves as longtime friends and collaborators. How does that closeness show up when working on vulnerable songs?
PEARSON: It’s everything. We’re comfortable being honest—saying what we like, what we don’t, and being open to trying new things. That level of trust is something you develop over time.
WARREN: Yeah, there have been plenty of moments where one of us pitches an idea and the first reaction is “ehhh.” But we’ve learned to just record it and decide after. Sometimes the idea you’re unsure about ends up being your favorite part. That trust makes all the difference.
PEARSON: We’ve grown so much in the past year—especially in how we approach writing as a band.
LUNA: That trust really is everything. Can fans expect more emotionally driven tracks like this in the future, or are you just going with the flow?
WARREN: A bit of both. We always go with the flow, but this is the first of many new songs. There’s definitely a cohesive thread—more depth, maybe a bit more melancholy.
LUNA: Any new sonic directions you’re excited about?
WARREN: Maybe a little shoegaze? We’re dipping our toes in.
PEARSON: Yeah, anything’s possible. [laughs]
