♪ Tell me ♪ Davis: Coming up on "Studio 3 LIVE"... ♪ When does it get better?

♪ I could do this forever.

I don't know, it's just, it feels so easy and just feel so good and rewarding to create music with these guys.

And I feel like it's like, who knows what exactly will happen, but as long as we're continuing to write music and release it and take risks, I would love to be doing that.

♪ I'm sick and tired of blowing all my time ♪ ♪ Searching why I feel so empty inside ♪ Funding for this program was provided by... Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation, as well as generations of families and friends who feel passionate about the programs they watch on Iowa PBS.

Good evening, and welcome to "Studio 3 LIVE."

I'm your host, Mickey Davis.

Tonight, we're joined by Neptune's Core, a Chicago-based quartet comprised of two sets of sisters, Sofie and Hannah Richter and Jackie and Kaitlin Cywinski.

The group pulls from an indie rock sound while also having a background in jazz, classical, and rock in their performance, and they hearken back to a '90s Chicago rock sound of the Smashing Pumpkins and Veruca Salt, while crafting a sound entirely their own.

Please help me welcome to the stage, Neptune's Core.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪ Hey, you ♪ ♪ I thought you really cared ♪ ♪ But the feelings I felt, I guess we didn't share ♪ ♪ Hey, you ♪ ♪ Shouldn't have started what you couldn't end ♪ ♪ I know things are hard if you just say I'm a friend ♪ ♪ Hey, you ♪ ♪ I know you care ♪ ♪ But why call it love when it isn't really there?

♪ ♪ Hey, you ♪ ♪ I guess I'm not through ♪ ♪ 'Cause the hurt is still there and I still want you ♪ ♪ I heard your voice again ♪ ♪ But only in my head ♪ ♪ It's the dream of how it'll end ♪ ♪ I heard your voice again ♪ ♪ But only in my head ♪ ♪ Telling me to go away ♪ ♪ Told me the feelings were only one way ♪ ♪ Hey, you ♪ ♪ Why don't you love me?

♪ ♪ I told myself that I don't care ♪ ♪ But all that I can do is stare ♪ ♪ Hey, you ♪ ♪ We haven't talked since ♪ ♪ But that might be best since you detest me ♪ ♪ Hey, you ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Hey, you ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I heard your voice again ♪ ♪ But only in my head ♪ ♪ It's the dream of how it'll end ♪ ♪ I heard your voice again ♪ ♪ But only in my head ♪ ♪ Telling me to go away ♪ ♪ Told me the feelings were only one way ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I heard your voice again ♪ ♪ But only in my head ♪ ♪ It's the dream of how it'll end ♪ ♪ I heard your voice again ♪ ♪ Only in my head ♪ ♪ But only in my head ♪ ♪ Telling me to go away ♪ ♪ Told me the feelings were only one way ♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] Neptune's Core, thank you so much for joining us.

at "Studio 3 LIVE" on Iowa PBS.

How did this group come together?

So we've always had a love for music.

Yeah, and then they met each other in fourth grade.

Yeah, and, I mean, the band really started in -- we weren't that experienced.

We were young and we didn't really know what we were doing, but we knew we wanted to make music and do it together.

And we kind of just learned as a group.

I remember our first song, I didn't even know how to play guitar at that point, and I just kind of took this weird melody to the band, and I was like, "Hey, Jackie, what can you do with this?"

And she put it to chords and Kaitlin added her drums, and it was just -- it just it ended up working out.

And it's a really cool song, actually.

It's a very dissonant one.

Yeah.

"To Fall Apart."

Our second album.

Yeah, the second album, I think probably around the time of our second album, when we were recording that, I think around like four years ago is when we really started to dig into the band and take it seriously and stuff.

So that was kind of a big moment for us too, when we just really decided to establish and really just come together, because we love doing it.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ I make up rules, I make up rules I can't afford to ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I'll be the one, I'll be the one you can look up to ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I make up rules, I make up rules I can't afford to ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I'll be the one, I'll be the one you can look up to ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Who are you?

♪ ♪ Who are you?

♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ I ♪ ♪ I-I-I ♪ ♪ I ♪ ♪ I-I-I ♪ ♪ Ahh ♪ ♪ Are you still in love?

Are you still in love?

♪ ♪ Are you still in love?

Are you still in love?

♪ ♪ Are you still in love?

Are you still in love?

♪ ♪ I-I-I ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ I contemplate, I contemplate, I contemplate, I contemplate ♪ ♪ I contemplate, I contemplate, I contemplate, I contemplate ♪ ♪ I contemplate, I contemplate, I contemplate, I contemplate ♪ ♪ I contemplate, I contemplate, I contemplate, I contemplate ♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] Imagine you're talking to someone who's never heard your band before.

How would you describe your sound to them?

Oh, wow.

Well, we love a good melody, a good, dissonant, powerful melody with a harmony and some fun guitar parts to buff it up, some soothing bass lines, and some shimmery, elegant drums to tie it all together.

So I'd say melodic, powerful, groovy.

Yeah.

We've got some hard-hitting ballads, but then we like to dance, so it's like, there's like the two sides.

And I think in general, smart.

I feel like we all play with each other, not just doing our own thing, and each part builds off of the other.

Yeah, and dynamic, I guess.

Yeah.

Very dynamic.

That's a big one.

Yeah.

We love to take the listener for a ride.

It's fun, song to song, within each song, it's just like, let's make it fun for us too.

I don't know.

We have a good time.

And we're very particular when we organize our set lists, too.

We love making it a journey.

We want -- Because when we're seeing a band live, we love when it goes from some quiet thing, and then all of a sudden you're like, whoa, what's happening?

This is a cool, loud song!

And so we like to do that sometimes, but if it's low, sometimes we like to keep it low.

If you're in a sad mood, sometimes you just got to like, let it sit for a second, recognize it, and then just slowly pick it up.

So we like to, yeah, take it all over the place.

Dynamics, for sure.

This next one is one that we have been having a lot of fun with.

Its unreleased, and it's our newest song.

And yeah, we're very excited to play it.

♪ Honey ♪ ♪ Turning tables ♪ ♪ Love me ♪ ♪ I write a narrative ♪ ♪ Give me ♪ ♪ If I was able ♪ ♪ Something ♪ ♪ I'd bite right into it ♪ ♪ I ask ♪ ♪ I see you clearly ♪ ♪ Questions ♪ ♪ In my reflection ♪ ♪ I want ♪ ♪ I must be dreaming ♪ ♪ Answers ♪ ♪ I left you long ago ♪ ♪ I would run to you ♪ ♪ Long time ♪ ♪ Flipping switches ♪ ♪ Both sides ♪ ♪ I start to find my place ♪ ♪ And you ♪ ♪ The world without you ♪ ♪ You entwine ♪ ♪ A healthy change of pace ♪ ♪ I see ♪ ♪ Still feel your anger ♪ ♪ Something ♪ ♪ Ignore the facts around me ♪ ♪ But I get ♪ ♪ I must be dreaming ♪ ♪ Nothing ♪ ♪ I start to wonder why ♪ ♪ I would rather walk away ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I would run to you ♪ ♪ I would run to you ♪ ♪ I ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Over again, never be all yours ♪ ♪ Over again, never be all yours ♪ ♪ Over again, never be all yours ♪ ♪ Over again ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I ♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] Who are some of the artists that are most inspiring you now?

Who are some of the artists you've discovered that you kind of look to in your songwriting and your performance as well?

I'd say now, The Beths.

They're from Auckland, New Zealand.

They are just so tight when they play together, and they're all jazz-based, and we all have our own classical or jazz roots.

So I think seeing how they use jazz in their more rock or pop sound, it really -- you can see it in our music, how we translate the classical and our jazz knowledge into a totally different genre.

And that basis of music knowledge really helped when we were working together in that kind of thing.

And I don't know, just their harmonies too, are so tight.

So Sofie and I, we work a lot on those and find it's a lot of fun.

So yeah, definitely The Beths for me.

I would say, my favorite artists of all time is probably Velvet Underground.

I mean, Moe Tucker's drumming -- she's a badass, she's cool.

Her rhythms are kind of ever-changing.

It's very melodic.

She plays along with the music.

It's just, it's very in it, if that makes sense.

But I've been listening to a lot of jazz recently, like Jackie was saying, and especially a lot of just Art Blakey stuff and the way he plays it with all these more melodic instruments, I think is really cool.

I know personally, I think I get a lot of inspiration from Dead.

Their stage presence is insane, and I just feel the energy when they're on stage.

And Emily especially, the lead singer, she really holds down the fort with her bass playing, but then also elevates the entire song and makes it more, much more lively and energetic.

And I think overall, that band just has so much going on, and they all do it so well and make everyone in the audience feel energized.

Yeah, Jason's stage presence is just so inspiring.

He just is moving around, having the best time.

I think another Chicago band that's really inspiring is definitely Finom.

They are just these two women that, oh, my gosh, they just do so much and they make it appealing, yet so experimental and risky.

And definitely the biggest inspiration for me as a musician, because again, they have really good harmonies and they just... And their guitar playing.

Yeah, yeah.

And the drummer they record with, too, is crazy.

They're such a special band, and they've been huge mentors to us as well.

We've gotten to know them so well, and they're amazing.

♪♪ ♪ I ♪ ♪ Just keep running ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey ♪ ♪ Running ♪ ♪ Away from you ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey ♪ ♪ You ♪ ♪ You keep catching up ♪ ♪ To me ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey ♪ ♪ I ♪ ♪ Just want to be free ♪ ♪ Let me be ♪ ♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh ♪ ♪ Let me be free ♪ ♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh ♪ ♪♪ ♪ If I just keep running ♪ ♪ Away ♪ ♪ Will the thoughts just fade?

♪ ♪ Away ♪ ♪ They say ♪ ♪ Forgive and forget ♪ ♪ But it's different when ♪ ♪ I'm the one who made the ♪ ♪ Mistake ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Give me a break ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I ♪ ♪ Try not to let my past define me ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey ♪ ♪ 'Cause I know ♪ ♪ That I've changed ♪ ♪ But some people ♪ ♪ Still might see that side ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey ♪ ♪ Of me ♪ ♪ That may always ♪ ♪ Stay the same ♪ ♪♪ ♪ If I just keep running ♪ ♪ Away ♪ ♪ Will the thoughts just fade ♪ ♪ Away ♪ ♪ They say ♪ ♪ Forgive and forget ♪ ♪ But it's different when ♪ ♪ I'm the one who made the ♪ ♪ Mistake ♪ ♪ Mistake ♪ ♪ Oh, give me a break ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] You all represent kind of the younger side of the Chicago scene.

I know with that, you know, you might run into issues of playing 21-plus venues or being able to go to shows or things like that.

How important is it to you to kind of make sure that the scene stays accessible to young people?

Because that's something that, you know, whether you're in Des Moines or Iowa City around Iowa, a lot of young musicians struggle with that kind of age barrier as well.

Yeah, we were just talking about this with Sen Morimoto.

We were in Shuga Records with him, filming a promo, and one of the questions was exactly this.

And, yeah, I mean, youth voices are so important because they represent the future, in a way.

And I feel like there's a lot of powerful thoughts that deserve to be out there from the youth generation.

And it's great that Chicago is so good at really acknowledging all voices.

I feel like everyone gets to be represented, whether it's age, gender, it's just, yeah.

And I think it's really important that younger people also see younger people playing music, because when I was younger, I would just see a bunch of bands at least 25 year olds playing, and it just seems so impossible and out of reach.

So seeing people that are closer to your age do something that you maybe want to do, it inspires you.

And we've had a lot of people come up to us and say, "You inspired me to play drums," especially for her, as a female drummer, or, "You inspired me to play guitar or start my own band."

And that's really special, and I think it's harder, it'd be harder if there wasn't representation from younger bands.

Yeah, 100%.

Especially coming from a female lens, we have a lot of younger girls coming up to us and they're like, "Hey."

It's a lot of, "I've never seen a girl drummer before, and that was cool, and I want to be a drummer, too."

And then I think when we played The Metro for our EP release show, there was these three girls that came up and they're like, "Guess what?

We started our own band."

And that just really warms the heart, and that's like, "Oh, that's awesome."

And so it's really cool that we're already seeing an impact that we're creating by being like a young band in the music scene, because I think it's really important to just get different perspectives from all over.

Chicago is very accommodating and, yeah.

♪ Setting sun ♪ ♪ I gaze upon thee ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Let me rest ♪ ♪ Beneath this willow tree ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Birds are chirping ♪ ♪ Calling out for me ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Softly singing ♪ ♪ A sweet melody ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Lustrous moon ♪ ♪ Presumably empty ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Daylight fades ♪ ♪ My lover has left me ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Birds are chirping ♪ ♪ Birds are chirping ♪ ♪ Crying out for me ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Softly screaming ♪ ♪ Softly screaming ♪ ♪ A sweet melody ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] We're gonna bring back an old one and a good one.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Life, it's not that easy ♪ ♪ Life, it's really hard ♪ ♪ On TV, it seems so breezy ♪ ♪ But life will leave you scarred ♪ ♪ I don't want to hear how your life sucks ♪ ♪ I'm sure it's bad ♪ ♪ I don't want to hear you crying ♪ ♪ Stop being so sad ♪ ♪ Sad ♪ ♪ You have the right to want to see ♪ ♪ Everyone living happily ♪ ♪ Having the time of their lives ♪ ♪ You've got to try and find a way ♪ ♪ Out of all this dismay ♪ ♪ Please go and learn to live your life ♪ ♪ Happily ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Life, there are no miracles ♪ ♪ Life, it's really rough ♪ ♪ On TV, it seems so lyrical ♪ ♪ But life is just so tough ♪ ♪ I don't want to hear how your life sucks ♪ ♪ I'm sure it's bad ♪ ♪ I don't want to hear you crying ♪ ♪ Stop being so sad ♪ ♪ Sad ♪ ♪ You have the right to want to see ♪ ♪ Everyone living happily ♪ ♪ Having the time of their lives ♪ ♪ You've got to try and find a way ♪ ♪ Out of all this dismay ♪ ♪ Please go and learn to live your life ♪ ♪ Happily ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ You have the right to want to see ♪ ♪ Everyone living happily ♪ ♪ Having the time of their lives ♪ ♪ You have the right to want to see ♪ ♪ Everyone living happily ♪ ♪ Having the time of their lives ♪ ♪ You've got to try and find a way ♪ ♪ Out of all this dismay ♪ ♪ Please go and learn to live your life ♪ ♪ Happily ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] So where do you see this group?

I mean, what do you hope this group achieves in the next year or kind of down the road?

What do you hope to do with this group?

We definitely want to keep releasing new music.

We've been writing a lot recently, which is super exciting.

We're going to be playing some songs that we just wrote, that we're super proud of.

I feel like it does really come down to the music aspect about it too.

We've just been having so much fun, continuing to explore our sound together.

The more music we experience, the more risks we take, the cooler songs we create.

Yeah.

And I just -- It's something where I'm like, I could do this forever.

I don't know, it's just feels so easy and just feel so good and rewarding to create music with these guys.

And I feel like it's like, who knows what exactly will happen, but as long as we're continuing to write music and release it and take risks, I would love to be doing that.

[ Applause ] ♪ Help ♪ ♪ Where did I go?

♪ ♪ I used to know ♪ ♪ Who I was but now I've changed ♪ ♪ I just need somewhere to go ♪ ♪ That isn't down this road ♪ ♪ Cause I don't know how it ends ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Nobody knows who I am now ♪ ♪ Not even me ♪ ♪ It's the secret I'll never tell ♪ ♪ I'm even keeping it from myself ♪ ♪ Help ♪ ♪ Help ♪ ♪ It's raining down on me ♪ ♪ These feelings I can't see ♪ ♪ These thoughts I can't change ♪ ♪ Why do I have to overthink ♪ ♪ Every action every blink ♪ ♪ It's all soon gonna flood me ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I just wanna be myself without wondering ♪ ♪ If that's who I really am ♪ ♪ I just wanna stand here and tell you ♪ What I really like and what I can't stand ♪ ♪ But I don't even know myself ♪ ♪ So how do I present myself to everyone else ♪ ♪ Help ♪ ♪ And I say I love myself but how do I love someone ♪ ♪ I don't truly know ♪ ♪ They say I'll find myself, but at the end of the day ♪ ♪ I'll never really know ♪ ♪ But I can't keep holding me back ♪ ♪ 'Cause the past is the past ♪ ♪ And I need to make room to grow ♪ ♪ Grow ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Applause continue ] So this next song, um, yeah, this is a very special song.

We usually write -- Um, Jackie and I will bring a song to the band and we'll kind of add to it, but this one was truly born out of collaboration, and it was like late one night we had been locked in this rehearsal space for hours and not seeing broad daylight for hours.

And we were just like, "Let's write."

And we wrote this in like ten minutes and, um, we're proud of it.

It's -- It's a really fun one.

♪♪ ♪ You are a star ♪ ♪ I could have wanted more and more and more again ♪ ♪ God I'm your arm ♪ ♪ I could have one or two or three or four again ♪ ♪ I would have wanted more and more ♪ ♪ And more again ♪ ♪♪ ♪ You are a star ♪ ♪ I could have wanted more and more and more again ♪ ♪ God I'm your arm ♪ ♪ I could have one or two or three or four again ♪ ♪ I would have wanted more and more ♪ ♪ And more again ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] What are some of the lyrical themes that kind of most emerge in your music?

All: Hmm.

Yeah.

I think, um, turning pain into power, I think is a big one.

Ooh.

Yes.

Yeah.

You guys can touch on that.

She's right.

She's right.

I think finding yourself is a very prominent theme.

That's in a lot of our songs, just like whether you're even, like confused about, like, why did I do that?

You kind of write a song about it or you're just like, "Who am I?

Why?"

Like write a song about that.

You know?

Yeah.

I think that's... Yeah.

That is... And it's just like we -- we write to, I don't know.

We use our writing to kind of... To relieve.

Yeah.

Yeah.

To, like, relieve us and to release, I guess.

It's just kind of like we just use it as, like an easel, and we just kind of let it all out.

An easel, I like that.

And it helps.

It really helps.

♪ Don't try to see me ♪ ♪ You are to leave me ♪ ♪ How can I make it clear?

♪ ♪ You are to disappear ♪ ♪ Don't come and find me ♪ ♪ The past is behind me ♪ ♪ Why should I look at you?

♪ ♪ When I don't want to ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ You were my everything ♪ ♪ For two months ♪ ♪ I gave you everything ♪ ♪ For what?

♪ ♪ I used to crave you ♪ ♪ Longing to save you ♪ ♪ Now I can say ♪ ♪ I'm glad I let you go ♪ ♪ Tethered, I was tethered to you ♪ ♪ Somehow fell under your spell ♪ ♪ Better, I am better without you ♪ ♪ Starting to doubt you ever loved me ♪ ♪ Well ♪ ♪ You certainly tried, I did too ♪ ♪ Then I realized ♪ ♪ That I cannot fix yooooou ♪ ♪ I'm aware of how much I care ♪ ♪ I'm aware of how much I care ♪ ♪ I'm aware ♪ ♪ Of how much I caaaaare ♪ ♪ I'm aware ♪ ♪ Of how much I caaaaare ♪ ♪ I'm aware, I'm aware ♪ ♪ I'm aware of how much I caaaaare ♪ ♪ I'm aware, I'm aware, I'm aware ♪ ♪ I'm aware, I'm aware, I'm aware, I'm aware ♪ ♪ I'm aware of how much I caaaaare ♪ ♪ I'm awaaaare ♪ ♪ I'm aware ♪ ♪ Of how much I caaaaare ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Applause continue ] ♪ I love you ♪ ♪ But the things that you said ♪ ♪ They went straight to my head ♪ ♪ I know you didn't mean it that way ♪ ♪ But the words that you say ♪ ♪ Oh, they can hurt ♪ ♪ And I felt it now ♪ ♪ Oh, they can hurt ♪ ♪ Even if I don't make a sound ♪ ♪ But I still love you ♪ ♪ Because you didn't know any better ♪ ♪ And neither did I ♪ ♪ So only now I can remember ♪ ♪ All the things that you said ♪ ♪ Running around in my head ♪ ♪ What was I supposed to?

♪ ♪ Was I supposed to follow the rules ♪ ♪ That you made up ♪ ♪ Just to hurt me ♪ ♪ You said you thought you were helping ♪ ♪ While you watched me suffering ♪ ♪ But I still love you ♪ ♪ Because you didn't know any better ♪ ♪ Neither did I ♪ ♪ So only now I can remember ♪ ♪ All the things that you said ♪ ♪ Running around in my head ♪ ♪ I know you didn't mean it that way ♪ ♪ But at the end of the day ♪ ♪ It hurts ♪ ♪ And I feel it now ♪ ♪ Oh, it hurts ♪ ♪ Even when I don't make a sound ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] I'm gonna read off a couple of prompts, and I'm going to ask you to point to the person in the band that you think this, uh... We were just playing this.

Were you really?

Okay, this is perfect.

Um, okay.

Who talks the most on stage?

Yeah.

Who has the best sense of humor?

Ooh.

Ooh.

I feel like your jokes are smart.

Yours are silly.

Yeah.

I just, like, laugh a lot.

Yours are stupid.

Which is funny.

Yeah.

Yeah.

[ Laughter ] Um, who is most often in a really great mood.

Whoa.

I think it's me.

Yeah.

You.

Yeah.

Her.

Good.

Okay.

I like when the answer is somewhat unanimous for some of your questions.

Who responds most often to the band emails?

All: Oh.

Maybe -- I think you.

Yeah.

One of you.

I probably... Yeah.

I do, too.

Mickey: Okay.

Okay.

Good.

Yeah.

Who is the most fashionable.

Oh.

They like...

I think one...

They always have good outfits.

Yeah.

Kaitlin and I like to dress lazy sometimes.

Yeah.

Mickey: Okay.

Yeah.

Cool.

No shame.

Yeah.

Yeah.

No, it's.

It's cool, it's cool.

Who is the nerdiest?

Yeah.

I think it might be me, Yeah.

[ Laughter ] She said, "I love calculus."

[ Laughter ] She's like, I'd love to tutor you since you're struggling.

Like I want to do that.

I love this unit.

Mickey: Um... We have our own little, like, nerdy quirks.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Once you get to know us.

but I think, like, surface level.

Yeah, definitely.

Mickey: Yeah.

No, yeah, for sure.

Uh, I think everyone's a little bit nerdy, right?

At the end of the day.

If you play music.

Yeah, sure.

Yeah.

You've got to be somewhat.

♪♪ ♪ Oh, hear their call ♪ ♪ Into it love ♪ ♪ Bloody and blind ♪ ♪ Bleeding ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Who you are ♪ ♪ You're a faded star ♪ ♪ I long to love ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Oh, I'm trembling here ♪ ♪ Feed me your fear ♪ ♪ Feed on that lust ♪ ♪ Feed ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Who you are ♪ ♪ You're a faded star ♪ ♪ I long to love ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Who you are ♪ ♪ You're a faded star ♪ ♪ I long to love ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] This next song we typically call the jumpy one.

And, um.

[ Sighs ] If you weren't in the chair, I'd say jump to it, but move your chair up and down.

Do it, [chuckles] levitate.

It's great.

It's called "Wash." ♪ Breaking off ♪ ♪ Your shaping in ♪ ♪ Who aaaaare, are you?

♪ ♪ Deniiiiii-al ♪ ♪ Into thee a piece of me ♪ ♪ I cannot be so decently ♪ ♪ I love to love and get in love ♪ ♪ I love to love to love ♪ ♪ I would hate yooooou ♪ ♪ Thought I'd break yooooou ♪ ♪ All I do just think of you ♪ ♪ And ruminate in solitude ♪ ♪ All I do is think of you ♪ ♪ Ah...♪ ♪ Ending near ♪ ♪ You disappear ♪ ♪ Fueling apaaaaart ♪ ♪ No longer ♪ ♪ Gooooooooone ♪ ♪ I would hate yooooou ♪ ♪ Thought I'd break yoooooou ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ All I do is think of you ♪ ♪ And ruminate in solitude ♪ ♪ All I do is think of you ♪ ♪ Ah... ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪ ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪ ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪ ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪ ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪ ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, aaaaaah ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] Tell me a little bit about your song "Inside."

Mm.

Okay.

That one, um.

Very special song.

It really, like, it's on our EP, and it was the last song we wrote for the EP.

It came together right before we went in the studio.

Yeah, like five days.

Yeah.

And like, I remember that was one where, like, the melody came to me, um.

And I was like, walking outside after a tornado.

And I was like, I don't know.

I was like, just humming.

And I recorded into my phone.

Casually throwing out tornado.

It wasn't like a real tornado.

Like as much of a tornado in Chicago.

A Chicago tornado.

Chicago.

It's nothing.

Tornado sirens.

Yeah.

Just wind.

We get them pretty often.

Just some silly weather.

Um, and humidity.

Um, but, like, I don't know, it was -- it was such a different song than I had ever come up with before.

And then I took it to them and I was like, "All right, I don't know what this is.

Help me figure it out."

And that's kind of when we really started to write together, it was like, I did not write this whole thing, but like, I wanted them to kind of write it with me more.

So and then we went in the studio having written it already.

But then Doug just inspired other things to come up, and it was just it grew the most in that studio.

It was it was amazing.

Yeah.

And that's a huge example of like a dynamic song we have.

And I feel like it's very representative of us in terms of also taking the listener on like a journey, but then it's also just like very emotional.

It is.

And I'm not like -- I don't really focus on lyrics too much when I'm listening to music.

Like, I definitely, like, express myself more through, like, movement, um, and not really writing.

But Sophie's lyrics on that song, they, like, hit, like, it's crazy.

Yeah.

She, like, did something.

Yeah.

Those lyrics they, I didn't, like, intentionally sit down and write them.

It's just they kind of found me and they really work.

They really work and they perfectly represent where I was at that time.

And I think it's -- it's really cool because I'm seeing people write about it and I'm seeing people, like, think about it, and I'm kind of, like, I'm not really in that place anymore, which is nice.

Yeah.

I mean, like, I don't know.

It's -- Its a very emotional song.

And I think writing it helped me heal.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Broken ♪ ♪ Why am I so broken?

♪ ♪ Hoping ♪ ♪ When did I stop hoping?

♪ ♪ I slip away and I'm floating ♪ ♪ I'm sick and tired of devoting ♪ ♪ All my time in search of why I feel so empty inside ♪ ♪ I slip away and I'm floating ♪ ♪ I'm sick and tired of devoting ♪ ♪ All my time in search of why I feel so empty inside ♪ ♪ Insiiiiide ♪ ♪ Insiiiiide ♪ ♪ Insiiiiide ♪ ♪ Insiiiiide ♪ ♪ Tell me ♪ ♪ When does it get better?

♪ ♪ Seems as though I'll never ♪ ♪ Learn to love myself ♪ ♪ I slip away and I'm floating ♪ ♪ I'm sick and tired of devoting ♪ ♪ All my time in search of why I feel so empty inside ♪ ♪ I slip away and I'm floating ♪ ♪ I'm sick and tired of devoting ♪ ♪ All my time in search of why I feel so empty inside ♪ ♪ Insiiiiide ♪ ♪ Insiiiiide ♪ ♪ Insiiiiide ♪ ♪ Insiiiiide ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Aaaaaaaahh ♪ ♪ Aaaaaaaahh ♪ ♪ Aaaaaaaahh ♪ ♪ Aaaaaaaahh ♪ ♪ When does it get better?

♪ ♪ Seems as though I'll never ♪ ♪ Learn to love myself ♪ ♪♪ Thank you for tuning in.

We love you.

We're Neptune's Core.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Funding for this program was provided by Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation, as well as generations of families and friends who feel passionate about the programs they watch on Iowa PBS.