Maggie Lindemann Breaks Down Every Track From Her Powerful Debut EP, Paranoia
We have been eagerly anticipating the release of Maggie Lindemann's debut EP, Paranoia, ever since we heard the announcement last year, and after getting the chance to listen to these eight new tracks by the genre-defying singer-songwriter, we have to say it lives up to all of our expectations.
These songs are pure Maggie—but don't take our word for it. We got the opportunity to ask Maggie herself about the meaning behind each one. Keep reading for her breakdown of every track on Paranoia.
The Making Of:
Maggie Lindemann: With every song on the EP, the melody came first and then the lyrics. I have to do melodies before I can think of lyrics. And then after that we go in on production to get it to sound exactly how I want. "Different" and "Love Songs" I went in and helped with production and added sounds that I thought would fit nicely. "Scissorhands," we actually morphed the entire production after the fact.
1. 'Knife Under My Pillow'
ML: Yeah, it's based on my paranoia. When I was living in my old house, I had extreme paranoia. I would always have to call people and tell them to come over because I thought someone was in my house trying to kidnap me or something. So yeah, I used to literally sleep with a knife under my pillow.
Favorite lyric: "I know I made this call before, not crying wolf I'm pretty sure," because I actually did this. This actually happened.
2. 'Gaslight'
ML: Everyone always asks about "Gaslight" and like the backstory and stuff, but honestly there is no backstory! Me and Caroline [Miner Smith] are just really close and wanted to make a hard song, and that's what we did.
Favorite lyric: "Shouldn't love a girl just to tear her down."
3. 'Scissorhands'
ML: I wanted to do something based off Edward Scissorhands because I am obsessed with that movie and the concept. I feel like it is related to how he couldn't get close to people and was kinda misunderstood.
Favorite lyric: "I hold you closer but I can't." I morphed what he says in the actual movie to fit the line. When Winona says, "Hold me" and he says "I can't."
4. 'Crash and Burn'
ML: It's about a relationship I had with someone that ended super abruptly and randomly and how I put a lot of blame onto them. A lot of it was me, too, but at the time I just felt hurt and like…we can't just try to like, even talk about it?
Favorite lyric: "I don't know how to fake it when we're disintegrating." IDK, I feel like for me personally, when I feel the connection is gone, I cannot fake it.
5. 'Loner'
ML: I was feeling really lonely at this time. I felt like I just didn't have anyone that cared about me and I was trying to kinda tell myself that it was fine and I like it that way, but I didn't.
Favorite lyric: "I can be your safety net if you let me," because I just wanted to be his safety and it was cute.
6. 'Love Songs'
ML: I was so so so in love when I wrote this song, I just wanted to write something for my boyfriend and then we ended up deciding to actually put it out.
Favorite lyric: "Take me where the headlights go." That's actually deep (LOL) because I'm talking about like, away, into the dark, vanish, dead.
7. 'Different'
ML: I wrote this when I was really low last year after what happened in Malaysia. I just felt like I was keeping a lot inside and was kinda just dealing with the trauma that came immediately after and this session was my therapy basically to get out the words I felt.
Favorite lyric: "Feel the same like every day, conversations on replay, I just need to take a break." I feel like this a lot about life. Relatable.
8. 'It's Not Your Fault"
ML: I wrote this when I was also feeling kinda low and unsure of myself. I tend to go back and forth a lot in relationships and psychoanalyze them and myself because I feel like nothing is ever enough. So I just felt like, damn, it's not your fault, but I think I suck. LOL.
Adore Maggie as much as we do? Click HERE to find out all of the reasons Maggie was our Woman Crush Wednesday this week.