A Playlist with Sonic Alchemists, Misty Mtn
Known as sonic alchemists, Misty Mtn is composed of Montana native vocalist/songwriter Mo Trunzo and Los Angeles native and multi-instrumentalist Lucas Segall. Together they make dazzling synth-pop immersed with entrancing soundscapes, a rich and mellow sound that’s landed them on Spotify’s Chill Vibes and Indie Pop playlists.
Their newest single, “These Lights” was released Dec. 3 and is inspired by the duo’s return to Montana. The track captures the wistfulness of the Christmas carol “Silent Night” and the picturesque environment of their home state.
“‘These Lights’ is that moment of beyond your better judgment going to your childhood home that’s no longer yours,” Misty Mtn says. “Looking up your ex on Instagram, seeing who got the job over you — allowing yourself to get lost in the memories but dance among the pain.”
To get to know Misty Mtn better, the duo answered a few questions and curated an inspiration playlist detailing their process in creating “These Lights.”
[UNPUBLISHED]: Describe Misty Mtn in one sentence.
[Misty Mtn:] Misty Mtn is driving in your car crying.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Who came up with the name Misty Mtn?
[Misty Mtn]: It was 1000% a team effort but also kind of fated to be. We wanted our name to feel like the two of us blended together and we wanted it to be inspired by what was inspiring us when we started the band, which was the mountains, Montana, wildlife, etc. My first horse was named Misty. So, we talked about that a lot and then one day we were watching a Ken Burns documentary and during the credits, the Bob Dylan song, “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” started playing and one of the first lyrics is, “I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains,” and we just knew. But of course, we had to abbreviate mountain (Mtn) because you see that all over the place when you’re driving around Montana.
[UNPUBLISHED]: "These Lights" reflects on the distinct feeling hometowns bring while also diving into the holiday feel. What inspired this blend?
[Misty Mtn]: A lot of people are going through extreme change right now and also a lot of people are not able to say certain goodbyes. We thought about coming back to a place or a person later in life and realizing it is no longer yours and the pain and hurt that would come with that. It just felt so rooted in the holiday “spirit” and we wanted our listeners to feel like they had permission to not have to think of the holidays as just warm and magical, but they could also feel melancholic about them.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Would your younger selves believe you if you told them about what you've achieved so far?
[Misty Mtn]: That’s an interesting question in 2020… I think our younger selves would be like, ummmm… you good?
[UNPUBLISHED]: Do you have any 2021 New Year's resolutions? If so, what are they?
[Misty Mtn]: Put out some of the music we’ve been working on and finally design the Misty Mtn hat that’s been in our brains forever. Yep, you heard it here first… in 2021 Misty Mtn is bringing you a hat.
“These Lights” Inspiration Playlist
Happy Xmas (War is Over) - John Lennon, Yoko Ono
I think when we set out to make a holiday song we wanted it to feel like the holidays but we didn’t want it to be so pigeonholed. We returned to this song a lot because the idea of Christmas is there but it also has a much deeper meaning behind it.
Door - Caroline Polachek
It’s wild, Caroline Polachek was the last concert we saw before the lockdown, so it’s inspired us a lot. Something that we really love about her music is just the world that she creates and how this song in particular builds and builds and builds and then you feel this incredible release when the chorus finally comes in.
River - Joni Mitchell
It has become a “Christmas song” because of some of the imagery, but definitely isn’t about Christmas.
Buzzcut Season - Lorde
That repetition at the beginning of the song that stays with you almost the entire song and the harmonies and the eventual release into the chorus. The production is so minimal and synthy but still driving and timeless.
Unholy - Miley Cyrus
Can’t really say if this song inspired “These Lights” per se but we’ve been so inspired by Miley Cyrus lately and the cool sing-a-long quality this song has just helped us when we were trying to get in the zone.
sad day - FKA twigs
Energy and repetition were really important to us when creating “These Lights” and this song really captures what we were trying to achieve.