We had the chance to speak to rising star yunè pinku, who is making waves with her latest EP, ‘Scarlet Lamb’, released via Method 808. This enchanting pop-centric project invites listeners to explore gothic imagery alongside balmy melodies, influenced by classics like Jane Eyre, Dracula, and Frankenstein. With themes of responsibility and culpability reflected in her work, pinku’s artistic evolution is fascinating.
Bursting onto the scene with her captivating debut single, ‘Laylo’, in 2021, she quickly followed with the critically acclaimed EP “Bluff” and the brilliant ‘BABYLON IX’, which showcased her distinct sound blending pop, psychology, and myth.
Having collaborated with Logic1000 and garnered endorsements from industry giants like Joy Orbison and The Blessed Madonna, pinku has captured significant media attention, earning cover features in publications such as Interlope Magazine and Rollacoaster Magazine. After a successful UK/EU tour supporting Biig Piig and standout festival performances, she is set to continue her ascent with planned dates supporting Barry Can’t Swim and appearances on the upcoming Caribou tour in the US and Canada.
As she embarks on this new musical journey filled with metaphor and symbolism, we can expect to hear much more from yunè pinku in the months to come.
KALTBLUT: At just 14, you started experimenting with music production. What were some pivotal moments or challenges you faced in those early stages?
I think it can feel like your ideas outstrip your skills at first, which can be frustrating, so I think the hardest hurdle is just staying committed to chipping away at your own understanding of production or writing.
KALTBLUT: Your music is known for transcending genre boundaries. How do you decide which elements to incorporate into a new project?
For me, it happens quite organically, I think naturally the music just develops itself, but also what im listening to in that period or where things are at culturally, all end up influencing what I reach for.
KALTBLUT: What are the central themes and inspirations behind your latest EP, “Scarlet Lamb”?
A lot of it’s based around themes of innocence and guilt, kind of exploring different variations of dramatic feelings like divine ecstasy and shame. It has some biblical and gothic references, but more melodramatic sensibilities of them.
KALTBLUT: How do gothic literature and fables influence your songwriting and lyrical choices in recent works”?
I quite like to occasionally write from a more fantastical narrative, like rather than talking about a relationship, imagining it within the overly-dramatic dynamic of something like Nosferatu kind of breathes a new life into expressing it. I think lyrically just aiming for a more whimsical and melodramatic tone was something I was definitely drawing on gothic literature from.
KALTBLUT: “Half Alive” explores personal themes like anxiety and depression. How do you draw from personal experiences to shape your music?
With a lot of my music, I only realise how honest some of it is months or years after making it. The first iteration of half alive was a very different kind of song and was pretty personal in kind of facing up to my own pessimism. I think everything I make will always be coming from quite a personal place on some level.
KALTBLUT: In what ways are your Malaysian and Irish heritage featured in your music?
I’m not sure really, I think growing up with various cultural influences just kept my mind open when it comes to genre-crossing, but I think there’s definitely something about this Irish lilting-style singing that people like Dolores O’Riordan from The Cranberries did that seems to have snuck a way into the way I form melodies.
KALTBLUT: Having worked with artists like Logic1000 and Cecile Believe, how do these collaborations impact your creative process and final sound?
It is always great to work with people who have their own vision because the result is so different to what you might’ve done on your own, and I just always enjoy the idea that you could put one idea in front of five artists and they’ll all come out with completely different results. So it’s nice and eye-opening to watch how other people work.
KALTBLUT: How have your extensive live performances and festival appearances influenced your musical direction and confidence as an artist?
Tourings definitely helped me become a lot more confident in being an artist because even travelling and seeing the world just develops you so much as an individual, watching so many people react to your music in front of you, takes it into a different context and for me makes the music feel real and tangible.
KALTBLUT: The concept of the “scarlet lamb” plays a significant role in your music. Could you elaborate on its symbolic significance and connection to your identity?
The title ‘Scarlet Lamb’ is just a subversion of the sacrificial lamb, where it’s sort of just based around the question of “what makes something innocent?” I wouldn’t say it’s something I grapple with on a personal level, but I think for people, collectively, it’s an interesting question that’s reminiscent of our constant debacles with moral compasses.
KALTBLUT: As you continue to evolve as an artist, what future directions or projects can your fans anticipate from yunè pinku?
Over the past year, I feel like artistically I’ve filled my boots a bit more, so I’m feeling really happy with a lot of the new tunes I’m making at the moment. As usual, I’d always say expect a lot of genre-mashing, but in terms of direction I’m always a fan of just experimenting, and switching lanes visually and sonically, I’ve got big ideas in the works at the moment so I’m very excited for next years shenanigans!
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@yune.pinku
@method.808
Scarlet Lamb is out now: https://yp.lnk.to/scarletlamb
