april june explores the dichotomy between love and peril in new single “carry you on my broken wings”

Sweet, hazy synths define much of april june’s discography, and with a romantic voice akin to pop icon Lana Del Rey, the artist has an addictively dreamy sound many of her fans have come to dub as truly underrated. Crafting rich, introspective lyrics framed by washed-out instrumentals is april june’s expertise, and the harmonious combination makes for well-rounded songs that feel like lustful echoes from a dream. June embodies the innate melancholy pop sounds of accomplished acts like The Marías and Ethel Cain, but also dabbles in a layered upbeat pop sensibility reminiscent of other acts such as George Clanton and Caroline Polachek. Beyond those groups, april june also cites icon Stevie Nicks as a prominent influence on her sound too.

Today, april june is releasing her 7-track sophomore EP baby's out of luck again, which also marks an even bigger milestone for the artist. "The last time I recorded something this long was 10 years ago. It's much easier, psychologically, to let go of a song that you've written, as opposed to an EP…This project is very special to me. It just has more weight to it," april june said of the project. One special highlight from the EP is the project’s closer "carry you on my broken wings". Channeling an ‘80s dream pop sound through layered synths and driving drums, the song tells the tale of a couple that is doomed to fail. One is driven by feelings of lust and danger, and the other is destined to carry them on “broken wings” in her state of unbridled limerence.

april june said she was inspired to create the song after falling in love with themes of seduction and danger seen in Italian gangster projects such as The Sopranos and Goodfellas. "[The song is] an exploration of the tumultuous relationship between the protagonist and her dangerous male counterpart. Clad in a tuxedo, he exudes a sexy, enigmatic allure, navigating the shadows with one hand on her thigh and the other on a gun,” april june described. “The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a life where violence and the death drive intertwine. As she carries the weight of her partner on her broken wings, the song becomes a haunting ode to a love that is as sexy as it is wild.”

june’s voice is breathy and seductive as she tells this tale of these two people caught in the thralls of euphoria and pain. The track is also accompanied by a highly-stylized music video. Directed by Marco Braia, both the track and video are cinematic by design. “The music video draws heavily from the Giallo genre, with a particular nod to Italian film director Dario Argento. We shot this in Turin, which is a city where Argento made ‘Profondo Rosso.’ Thematically, I was inspired by the idea of creating a main character and a doppelgänger, a sort of a ‘real’ self and a shadow self,” april june explained.

The rest of June’s EP takes influences from many other cult classic films such as True Romance, The Virgin Suicides, and My Night At Maud’s, among others. So, if you’re eager to indulge in more of feelings of longing and nostalgia, check out april june’s entire EP baby's out of luck again.