Los Angeles songwriter Sonja Midtune has long found herself at the nexus of several different musical lineages, mostly rummaging through acoustic melodies but occasionally venturing into indie-pop rhythms and electronic ephemera whenever the impulse arose. For her forthcoming EP Golden Girl, she made a conscious decision to move away from the “sad-girl tunes” of her earlier albums and embrace a more uplifting perspective, focusing on sounds more inclined toward an indie-electronic aesthetic.
“I’m just tired of writing sad songs,” she says. “I was fed up with myself and wanted to have more fun with my music, so I made music that was more up-tempo, more flavor, with the ‘volume stuck on high’.”
The EP has its roots in the title track, a song that she had written several years ago but which didn’t quite fit the vibe of any previous albums. After years of being cooped up due to COVID, it seemed like the right time to give it another chance and explore the new opportunities that this song offered her. She recorded the song with producer Sean Oakley, and from this experience, the remaining tracks were eventually shaped.
“The recording process was 100% fun 100% of the time,” says Midtune. “Every song had a magical recording moment which is what I call when you start experimenting with instruments and come up with the perfect sound by accident. ‘Golden Girl’ has this moment with the do-doo guitar lick in the background. I would go home from the studio absolutely buzzin’ and sometimes I was scared we weren’t going to be able to have the same energy while recording the next song, and then we would!”
Drenched in summery melodies and images of coastlines stretched wide across the horizon, “Golden Girl” is a scruffy, laidback indie-pop miracle. It’s the kind of song that can soundtrack any mood and comes pouring out of your car stereo just when you need it the most. The guitar shivers and shakes before blossoming into a shimmering pool of liquid sunlight. There’s just enough fuzz to keep it grounded without losing focus. Roll down your windows and let the day wash over you as Midtune offers this gem of late summer radiance.
“I’ve been waiting for the right time to release this song for about 4 years,” she explains. “So many fans and friends tell me it’s their favorite one of my songs, and I just haven’t had the right means to record it or get it ready. Working with Sean really made everything come together for the song, and every measure makes sense. I think people will really like it!”
Listen to the song below.
Sonja Midtune’s new EP Golden Girl is due out November 11. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
