Teen lust and teen angst will always go hand in hand. And if dissociation has made you forget what that’s like, leave it to musician Mia Loucks to coerce those feelings of sincere melancholy back where they belong. Mia’s music is kissed by the sun. Glittery layers of late ’90s bedroom rock. Simple guitar chords and fuzzy pedals will make you feel 16 forever.

The music video for the song “Girls”off her Sister Honey Demos is directed by Ali Cabral, is available to watch for the first time and exclusively right here on What Youth. We caught up with Mia and asked her for some insight into the video and these recordings.—Asal Shahindoust 

What Youth: Describe your music in three words? 

Mia Loucks: Sincere, aggressive, lullaby.

What pushed you to go solo [Mia plays in all-girls band Nightshades]?

The songsthat I write on my own are always very personal and seem, because of that, more conducive to a solo project.

How does the music video for “Girls” resonate with the feeling of the song?

I wrote this song originally as sort of a sardonic reaction to this really homogenous group of people I had met at a party who seemed really fixated on fitting into their group and denying anything uniquely human about themselves in order to maintain that connection with each other. It was a pretty judgmental reaction on my part; I didn’t know these people at all, but I think the song transformed from there into something deeper — probably when I saw how I fit into this paradigm too. I started
thinking a lot about social trends and social hierarchies and manipulation of power within those systems; how we’re all so affected by the people who surround us and how we conceal so much of our emotional lives in these interactions, maybe in an effort to feel connected and a part of something.

People do such bizarre things in order to avoid exposing any intimate or vulnerable side of themselves.

This song tries to talk about that and Ali’s video paints a perfect picture of it. Like all these beautiful girls
sitting by a pool doing their nails in their little underwear. They’ve got this uniform, apathetic “cool” about them but then you see this real darkness in their vacant stares, dragging cigarettes — it’s a perfect snap shot  of the emotional detachment I’m talking about.

Can you write us a short poem that describes the themes of your “Sister Honey Demos?”

sad girl
mad girl
bad
bad bad boy
everybody crying
[laughs]

Name a few women who you’d say inspire you and your music.

Liz Phair, PJ Harvey and Angel Olsen.

What are your plans for future albums and shows?

I’m recording an album right now that’s going to be released this
summer! Not playing any solo shows until then but definitely when the album is done.

Frame grabs from “Girls”