Love Letter! is a dynamic fem-fronted three-piece alternative rock band with early goth influences, hailing from New Jersey. Formed in 2021 when guitarist Bruce Macchione and drummer Marc Norton connected through a mutual friend, the band initially played together for a year before taking a hiatus. Their sound and lineup evolved when they met bassist and singer Emily Terzano in the winter of 2023, steering their music in a darker direction. Now, rebranded and rejuvenated, Love Letter! proudly introduces their debut EP, Mother Superior, a four-song collection that showcases their hauntingly fresh and captivating sound.
Photo Credit: Bruce Macchione
Love Letter!’s new music video, "Child of the Earth" plunges viewers into a world of darkness capturing the essence of their sharp guitars and tight drums. The video begins with an eerie scene of a little girl drawing what appears to be a flying pig, then abruptly shifts to the image of her grown-up in a wedding dress, smoking a cigarette. This juxtaposition of innocence and disillusionment continues throughout the video, oscillating between the two perspectives. The almost metal-like guitars drive the background, underscoring the video's themes with a gritty edge.
"The record's imagery features barren, liminal locations. The artwork depicts a leafless winter tree under an overcast sky, evoking a sense of melancholy. The music video reflects this theme, with a gloomy and dark color palette accented by shades of purple, black, and off-white." - Bruce Macchione, Guitarist
The editing, characterized by a doubling of frames, creates a blurred view that evokes themes of perception, memory, and confusion. As the video progresses, the grown-up bride rips her wedding dress and violently breaks chairs, all while singing the haunting lines, "You’re being hunted/ By little boys in tennis skirts /Who hate the rain." These powerful visuals and lyrics, though limited, could stand alone as a poem.
Stef caught up with Love Letter! to talk about the band and the"Child of the Earth" music video!
SJ: Hey Love Letter! We’re so excited to talk about your new music video!
LL: Hey Stef, we're happy to talk about it!
SJ: Love Letter! Formed back in 2021 as a more indie pop group, but made a turn to create a darker edge. Can you tell us a little bit about the band, your sound, and how you got started?
LL: Guitarist, Bruce Macchione, and drummer, Marc Norton, met through a mutual friend that worked at Dairy Queen and started the band in 2021. They met bassist, Emily Terzano in the winter of 2023 and melded influences to create a gothier sound. We take influence from early goth, alternative, jazz, metal, and everything in between because we all have different musical backgrounds.
SJ: You just released your debut EP, Mother Superior, and a music video for one of the tracks on the record, "Child of the Earth." Could you tell us the story behind writing this track?
LL: Yes! Bruce came into practice one day with a riff and the band started writing what would become their first goth-inspired song. This was the first song that we wrote with Emily’s influence. When we were writing the song, we realized it had a much darker sound. We were messing around jamming with the riff and threw in a desert sounding part and then a thrash part as a joke, but ended up really liking the way it sounded. It ended up complimenting the gothic nature of the song. The song explained simply is a goth punk song with a thrash breakdown about a queer child being told by society that they are confused.
SJ: Can you tell us the concept behind the music video? Were there any specific inspirations for this video?
LL: The music video shares a woman’s coming of age in a world that is adamant on enforcing tradition. The beginning of the video follows a young girl coloring, playing, and running in a light of childlike innocence. Once the song gets heavier, her adult self runs away from getting married young. This can be implied through watching the adult woman smoking cigarettes, kicking through puddles, and smashing a chair to show that rage can be feminine! It accentuates the desire to break free from the shackles that a traditional life can hold one in especially as a young adult. The overlaid footage, effects, and light leaks show how disorienting time can feel.
Photo Credit: Rachel Kim
SJ: What was your favorite part of filming this music video?
LL: Emily’s friend, Natalya, stars as the woman in the wedding dress in the video. We had planned to have a scene of her smashing a wooden chair and before Bruce could say “Go!”, she smashed it in one hit without us pressing the record button. It is something funny to look back on now that the video is done. Unfortunately, there is not a super cool chair explosion shot in the music video now.
SJ: You’ve stated that the EP, "aim[s] to bring awareness to climate change, LGBTQ+ rights, abuse, and mental health." Can you tell us a bit more about the record and what inspired this message?
LL: This four-song EP brings awareness to climate change, LGBTQ+ rights, abuse, and mental health with a focus on making others feel seen and understood. These are songs that come from a place of isolation and times of uncertainty. The songs are vulnerable, heartfelt, and use instrumentation and dynamic changes to flow at the same wave and frequency as feelings do. It is about feeling every emotion that finds its way to the soles of your feet and back up through your spine again. It is a work of strength, persistence, and the acceptance of change not just lyrically, but instrumentally as well. Mother Superior is the story of catharsis. Emily writes the lyrics about causes that are important to herself and the band.
SJ: What else can we look forward to for Love Letters! Any upcoming shows?!
LL: You can check us out on social media @love.letter.band on Instagram and TikTok @loveletternj to stay up to date with new music, shows, and releases! Thanks for having us.
Photo Credit: Rachel Kim
LONG STORY SHORT: The "Child of the Earth" music video brings the song to life, adding a gritty, almost surreal dimension to Love Letter!'s dark, alternative sound.
Stream Mother Superior below!
Credits:
Written, Performed: Love Letter!
Vocals, Bass: Emily Terzano
Drums: Marc Norton
Guitar: Bruce Macchione
Mix: Dave Downham
Master: Philip Odom
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