On her newest project, BUZZKILL, Lyn Lapid tackles feelings of isolation in a way that can resonate with anyone.
When looking back on some of her previous projects, to love in the 21st century and The Outsider, Lyn Lapid describes them as evoking the colors green and dark blue, respectively — hues that manifest in each EP’s aesthetics. With her newest record, BUZZKILL, she’s going with dark red.
The singer-songwriter’s debut album is appropriately frustrated and ambient, an atmospheric reflection on Lapid’s feelings of loneliness when transplanting her life from her hometown in Maryland to Los Angeles almost two years prior. Its songs depict a sense of alienation that can manifest even when surrounded by crowds of people — such as feeling like the world isn’t quite right for you in “coraline,” or feeling like a social liability as in the album’s titular song — that is unifying in its relatability.
Lapid trades her signature ukulele for a larger instrumental ensemble on the album, and the result seems to signify a new level of artistic maturity. The breadth of sound it allows for is evident within the album’s most lively portions, like the energetic musical accompaniment of “i’ll be happy when,” as well as in the record’s more quiet spaces: the subdued piano and drums that support Lapid’s vocals on “floater friend” run parallel to the feelings of despondence she conveys. From the uncertainties of building relationships and a life in a new place comes a project that feels fresh, but inextricably connected to the instrumentation and candid lyricism of the artist’s past work.
In spite of the theme of isolation that takes center stage on BUZZKILL, Lapid’s music has often served as a builder of community for those who listen. One of her first viral hits, “Producer Man,” was released verse by verse on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic — early evidence of a vibrant online presence that continues to envigorate a dedicated fanbase in 2025.
Lapid spoke to The Knockturnal about building community, her life after her move and developing the album to be played live at her upcoming BUZZKILL headline tour, which begins next month.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Knockturnal: Could you tell us about some of the emotions that led to your decision to center your feelings of isolation on BUZZKILL? Was that stream of reflection something you were naturally inclined toward when pursuing your first long-form project?
Lyn Lapid: I feel like when I was first writing for the album, I kept coming to the word “buzzkill” in my mind. I think it’s because I was writing about my personal experiences living in a new city by myself, I just kept running into the feeling of constantly being surrounded by people, but never feeling so alone in my life. I think it had to do with a multitude of things, like the cultural differences between the East Coast and the West Coast and adjusting to that, meeting so many new people who grew up so differently from me. As I was trying to find that sense of belonging and community that I already had back in my hometown, I kept coming back to the word because I’m in my early 20s and have this urge to be everywhere and in every room, party, and club. I think I was more so doing it just over and over again to not feel alone. Meeting so many people that I maybe didn’t click with at first, but doing it anyway, just to not be alone, I think, was the premise of it all. I felt like a buzzkill everywhere I went… But I was feeling like a buzzkill with the wrong people, which is what I’ve learned.
The Knockturnal: How has music allowed you to connect with friends, fans or otherwise over the past five years?
Lapid: I never predicted that music was going to be the way that I would find a whole new community of people that I probably would not have found [otherwise]. All of my high school friends went to four-year colleges, and they were making friends there. And I felt like, how do I do that on my own in the industry? When I would say it is so very small, where everybody knows each other, but I feel like [with] music and connecting with new creatives, songwriters, producers… I was really grateful to have met all these people through my songwriting and my music. And then there were those rare occasions where I would go to a club or party, and meet someone that I really did vibe with. I feel like that was my way of finding my sense of community, trying over and over again to find the people that give me that sense of belonging and value me as much as I value them
The Knockturnal: A lot of fans are considering the release of BUZZKILL and the hype leading up to it to be the start of a new era for you as an artist. Did you find this album felt like a natural continuation of your artistry or a chance to try something entirely new?
Lapid: I would say that I was really stepping into something new, because I feel like with my previous projects and my singles — at least early on in my career — it was more so me experimenting with what kind of sound I wanted to go into and developing my songwriting. But I feel like with this album, and the different influences that had inspired me to write it, it’s exactly in the direction that I want to be taking. I feel like it’s such a step up from my previous music. If I were to describe this album compared to the rest of my other projects, I would say the one word that describes it all is “honest.” I’ve always been very personal and vulnerable in my music, but not to this extent… with my first EP, The Outsider, that was kind of similar to the premise of BUZZKILL — feeling like an outsider. But I feel like this is more of a mature perspective on that, as I was, like 17, 18 when I was writing that EP. But I’m 22 now, and it’s quite different. My last project before this one was to love in the 21st century, and it was more whimsical and brighter sounding. But this one is definitely darker. I would say that if to love in the 21st century was a rom-com — because it was based on a situationship — this album, I would say, is a documentary of my life and coming-of-age in my in my 20s.
The Knockturnal: Compared to your to love in the 21st century EP, the visuals for BUZZKILL seem simultaneously more simplistic and more bold. There’s a new color palette — What was the creative process behind conceiving these visuals and how do they reflect the contents of the album itself?
Lapid: A lot of the visuals of BUZZKILL revolve around multiple events or party scenes. Some of the songs revolve around more individual relationships with friendships, but they all coincide with each other visually over their premise. The beginning of the album visually is [about] feeling lost, being surrounded by so many people at the same time not having that sense of community yet. Then by the end, it’s realizing that you really just have to let go of control and the want to be liked and befriended by everybody. It’s about just allowing yourself to find the community of people that you truly belong with. And I feel like we illustrated that really well with the album’s visuals.
The Knockturnal: Having been written during a period of change and transition, are there any songs on BUZZKILL that stick out to you as most distant from your current place or which feel most continuously relevant to your lived experience, even as you settle into your new city?
Lapid: When I finished BUZZKILL, I had thought at that point in my life I had resolved these things that I was writing about. Usually when I finish a project, I take a step away from listening to it for a while, but I kept finding myself coming back to these songs and listening to them over and over again, even after they were mixed and mastered and delivered. I think it’s because I feel like all the songs are still very much relevant to my life. I’ve been living in LA for about a year and a half now, but there are those moments where I’m listening to one of the songs on the album to help me reprocess anything that I’m currently going through, and I wouldn’t say any of them are distant at all. I think they’re still very much relevant to my current situation right now. It’s funny, because I feel like when I finished the album, it had felt resolved, but then I went through a period of time afterward where I was re-experiencing those things all over again.
The Knockturnal: Through your performances and songs, you’ve established yourself as a multi-instrumentalist. How did this manifest on BUZZKILL? Was there anything musically or production-wise that stretched you out of your comfort zone or that you’re especially proud of?
Lapid: With my previous songs and my past projects, I would usually come into the session with the ukulele. Chord-wise, my previous songs were quite limited because I was just working on the ukulele, but I wanted to challenge myself on this album, and kind of allow myself to let go of the control of what chords I want every song to be. I think I went into every section collaborating with the producers in the room, or the songwriters, and brainstorming the weirdest way we could take a song melodically. I think that’s why I love so many songs on the album, because they’re just so interesting compared to my previous songs, at least theory-wise. I grew up as a classically trained pianist, and I feel like a lot of these songs on the album are more jazz-leaning, which is a completely different step from the music that I feel like I started out making and was used to releasing. I felt like I was challenging myself there.
The Knockturnal: When you approach creating songs with the possibility of this wider range of production techniques — or perhaps with a larger band or more equipment at your disposal — Does your creative process change when you’re in the studio? Does it become less linear in that sense?
Lapid: I wanted this album to translate well to live playing, and so a lot of the album sonically is very minimal. I’d say it’s very keys, bass, drums, and guitar-heavy… on tour I’ll be playing keys on a lot of the songs, which I’m really excited about. I feel like that’s kind of where my head was leaning while making the album. I really wanted it to translate well live and just be a bit more minimal that way, doing more with less.
The Knockturnal: The song “coraline” touches on feelings of ostracization and alludes to a well-loved story — It’s such a fun way to present a relatable emotion. What other sources of fiction inspire your music?
Lapid: I was super inspired by a number of films when I was writing the album. I like to think visually when I’m creating songs, that this could be the music video for this song. I was very inspired, at least when we were putting together the visuals for it, I was inspired by that comedy show, “PEN15.” The way I would describe it as similar to the album is that it’s so honest and relatable, almost to the point where it’s uncomfortable. And other coming-of-age films, like ”The Edge of Seventeen…” I was inspired by the kind of emotion that those pieces of media evoked.
The Knockturnal: With less than a month until your world tour, what are you most looking forward to about traveling abroad and getting to play these new songs for your fans live?
Lapid: I would say I’m most excited to see how my fans and my listeners interpret the album and how they relate to it, because I feel I was writing this album in one of the most vulnerable times in my life. I always appreciate when fans interpret my lyrics how they want, and they relate to it in their own ways. I find it special, like a bonding moment between me and my listeners. I’m excited to see them again. I think it’s been two years since I went on a major headline tour, and also just playing the music live with my band — my friends — and just being on the road with them. I had written the album with the sole purpose for it to be played live, and I wanted it to translate well. When we were rehearsing for the tour, I was like, “It sounds even better live.” I’m just excited to be playing all these songs. I know my band is also really excited as well.
Photo Courtesy: Kaity Crone/Universal Music Group
