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Livingmore \u00a9 2026<\/p>\n
\n Livingmore\u2019s story started in the frayed ends of other lives \u2013 a cosmic alignment that pulled two people into a twelve-year creative firestorm, eventually trailing smoke all the way to the backstreets of Japan.
\nby guest writer Lily O\u2019Delia
\nStream: \u201cAway Away Away\u201d \u2013 Livingmore<\/p>\n
There is something disarming about the way Alex Moore and Spencer Livingston tell the story of how\u00a0Livingmore began.<\/p>\n
They do not offer it up as an origin myth, not in the way people so often reshape the past into something cleaner than it ever was. There are no neat lines here, no singular moment that can be pointed to and named as the beginning. Instead, they allow the story to remain what it was: Fragmented, human, unresolved. It begins, as so many real love stories do, in the margins of other lives \u2013 other bands, other relationships, other selves not yet fully shed.<\/p>\n
Before they ever met, Moore knew Livingston first as a presence, almost as a rumor moving through the Los Angeles music scene. Some people arrive in your life first through the voices of others, their names gathering shape before the person themselves ever steps into view. He existed first as an idea, a kind of whispered mythology. And then, suddenly, he was real: A show, a conversation, a passing compliment, a smile that seemed to linger.<\/p>\n
Livingmore \u00a9 2026<\/p>\n
What followed was less a beginning than an accumulation, a\u00a0gathering of moments. A solo project in need of a guitar player. Long nights spent writing songs together. Weed smoke curling through the room while old reruns of Goosebumps flickered in the background. Conversation stretching so late into the night it eventually dissolved into sleep. The same room. The same two people. Again and again, until something unnamed began to press gently but insistently between them. Spencer remembers it as something cosmic, and perhaps that is the only word spacious enough for it.<\/p>\n
The music came first. Then the relationship. Then the band itself, its name a fusion of their surnames; Livingmore. It was as if language had already begun to understand what they themselves were still learning: That two separate lives were becoming something singular. Alex recalls she has never looked back.<\/p>\n
More than a decade later, that intimacy still runs beneath everything they create. Their songs seem to live in that fragile and often unspoken space between tenderness and wound, where longing and release are not opposites so much as companions \u2013 two hands reaching for one another in the dark.<\/p>\n
![\"Livingmore](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Livingmore-2.jpg\")
Livingmore \u00a9 2026<\/p>\n
Speaking with Moore and Livingston now, as a new creative chapter unfolds in Japan, what emerges is not a tidy love story, nor even a conventional band narrative.<\/p>\n
It is something far more convincing than that: The portrait of two people drawn toward one another \u2013 musically, romantically, spiritually \u2013 long before they had language for why.<\/p>\n
Ahead, Livingmore reflects on their beautifully fragmented beginnings, the making of their self-titled fifth album, the viral spark that carried their sound far beyond Los Angeles, and the quiet grit of remaining fiercely independent. They speak, too, about their love of vinyl, and about the enduring mystery of why, after more than a decade, the fire between them seems not to have dimmed, but to burn brighter than ever.<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u2014<\/p>\n
:: connect with Livingmore here<\/a> ::<\/p>\n \u2014 \u2014<\/p>\n A CONVERSATION WITH LIVINGMORE<\/p>\n Atwood Magazine: What is the Livingmore origin story, and what was that initial meeting like for you both?<\/p>\n Alex Moore: We actually met in 2014 while we were both in different projects. I was in a band called The 40 Wink Slumber that broke up, and I was pretty devastated \u2013 there were some opportunities tied to it that fell through. After that, I ended up in this sort of rebound band just trying to stay busy, but through that I met some mutual friends of Spencer\u2019s. They talked about him a lot \u2013 I knew he was in a band called The Alternates that had a pretty big following at the time, and that he had started doing solo music. I went to one of his shows and really loved his songs \u2013 his melodies were unique and his lyrics had a poetic warmth to them. I remember complimenting him afterward \u2013 he gave me this big smile, and I thought that was that. I didn\u2019t see him for months. But later on, I started my own solo project and needed a guitar player \u2013 and Spencer ended up volunteering after coming to one of my shows. From there, we started writing, hanging out, smoking weed while watching reruns of the \u201990s Goosebumps series until we\u2019d fall asleep \u2013 the ultimate bonding moment. You could say that\u2019s how Livingmore was born, (laughs). Back then, it was just the two of us on acoustic guitars, playing duo shows to get the songs out there. From there, we met more musicians and slowly built the full band sound.<\/p>\n Was there a specific \u201caha!\u201d moment when you realized your last names fit together so perfectly as \u201cLivingmore,\u201d or did you cycle through other band names first? What does the name mean to you today? <\/p>\n Spencer Livingston: I honestly don\u2019t think we really cycled through any other names. It came to us pretty naturally. We liked the double meaning of it and it just kinda made sense. We were in our early 20s when we gave this project its name and there was definitely a young, fleeting sense of optimism there. Not to say that all of my optimism has been lost but a lot has happened since then\u2026 and I do think the meaning has changed a bit as I\u2019ve gotten a little older. Personally, nowadays it is more symbolic of our journey not just as artists but as people trying to make the best of all the ups and downs life throws at you.<\/p>\n When you first began writing together, what was it about each other\u2019s solo music that clicked creatively? <\/p>\n Spencer: My friend Janelle invited me to a show that Alex was playing at Molly Malone\u2019s in Hollywood in 2013 and I was immediately a fan. Alex has a timeless quality about her voice. Her melodies and lyrics hit me like a lightning bolt and I knew I had to find a way to try to write something with her. When we did finally get together to write something it clicked effortlessly and we\u2019ve never questioned it beyond that. I am a big believer in cosmic attraction in the spiritual sense, and I believe that has something to do with it. I\u2019m also somewhat superstitious and I think that trying to explain it too much can kill some of the magic, so I don\u2019t try to do that too much. When something just works in that kind of cosmic way I think it\u2019s best to just go with it and not ask why.<\/p>\n Alex: Like I said before, his unique and catchy melodies and lyrics really drew me in. We both love classic bands like The Beatles, The Kinks, and The Velvet Underground, and I could hear that energy in his music. I felt like it would really complement mine \u2013 we\u2019re kind of like water and air in the way we write.<\/p>\n Did the romantic chemistry spark immediately, or did it evolve slowly out of the creative partnership? <\/p>\n Alex: I think we did have chemistry pretty quickly, but we were both in relationships when we met, so we were just friends at first. We ended up confiding in each other a lot when those relationships were not going well, and I can\u2019t really make this sound any better \u2013 it is what it is, messy and all\u2026 But we left those relationships very abruptly and created our own. Sometimes those stories, where you leave your partner for someone else, don\u2019t work out \u2013 but here we are 12 years later. It felt like a new beginning in a lot of ways, musically and romantically. I\u2019ve never looked back.<\/p>\n Speaking of beginnings, your performance of \u201cLittle Bird\u201d in a parking garage went viral early on. What did that sudden attention feel like? And why do you think that specific raw setting resonated so deeply with people? <\/p>\n Alex: That happened in the early days of Vine, before TikTok, when you could post and scroll short videos. It really attracted fans of art, comedy, and music, so it was a great platform for us. Honestly, it felt like one of the quickest moments of acceptance we ever experienced on social media, even before YouTube really clicked for us. I can\u2019t fully explain why that video hit the way it did \u2013 sometimes it\u2019s always the song you least expect. But musically, it was a moment before that kind of raw, slow burn performance really became more mainstream, so it felt new in a way. Also I think the song just has a lot of heart, and people felt that. The simplicity of the setup made it very no thrills \u2013 this-this-is-just-us sort of thing. Our friend Logan had the idea to film it in his apartment parking garage. We went at night while it was raining and used some random books to prop up my toy glockenspiel. Those little makeshift touches added to the honesty of it all. We just sang and played our hearts out, using the natural reverb of the space \u2013 literally running away whenever a car came through. Luckily, we got the take pretty quickly. One thing about Livingmore is there\u2019s always been something a little unconventional about our videos, whether it\u2019s strapping weights to our feet to sing underwater or sticking my head out of a car\u2019s sunroof. All for the name of the art, as they say. [laughs]\n<\/p>\n You\u2019ve been compared to Blondie, specifically on the track \u201cSharp.\u201d Alex, you\u2019ve mentioned that while you love Blondie, you were actually channeling Elton John there. How does it feel when the public\u2019s \u201csonic mirror\u201d reflects something totally different from your intention? <\/p>\n Alex: To be honest, it\u2019s a little annoying, although it\u2019s completely out my control, (laughs). I love Blondie, but I never actually thought about them while making any of our songs. When I mentioned Elton John, I think I was more referring to his sense of fun and those chaotic, imaginative qualities in his music. \u2018Sharp\u2019 actually started pretty simply with my lyrics, some piano chords, and then bringing it to Spencer, who helped shape it on guitar. Even though I always imagined it as a dance track, the early version we had was a bit more raw and mysterious. Then our drummer Mike \u2013 who\u2019s probably more of a Blondie fan than either of us \u2013 came in with that beat, and the production leaned more into that synthy direction. I love how it turned out \u2013 it feels like the song became what it was meant to be. But at its core, that song was really important to me lyrically. It\u2019s about not fitting into a box, not conforming, and celebrating individuality. So when you\u2019re expressing something like that and the main takeaway becomes, \u2018Oh, it sounds like Blondie,\u2019 it can feel like that intention gets a little overlooked. I mean, I get it \u2013 I have ears, I can hear similarities. But there are plenty of big artists who pull from other sounds and still get to exist as themselves without constant comparison. And not to make it a whole thing, but as a woman, I do think people can be quicker to define you through someone else \u2013 whether it\u2019s your sound, your image, even your hair. At the end of the day, I\u2019m Alex Moore. I\u2019ve never been trying to be anyone else.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve been associated with the \u201cpower of positivity,\u201d but beyond that, what other messages feel central to what you want your music to hold, and do you ever feel pressure to make darker music? <\/p>\n Alex:\u00a0Honestly, I\u2019ve found that perception interesting,\u00a0because a lot of our songs are built on angst. If you listen to \u201cDead Fruit,\u201d \u201cReally Mean It,\u201d \u201cOverworked Meltdown,\u201d or even our latest track \u201cNot That Nice,\u201d there\u2019s a definite darkness running through them.<\/p>\n For some reason, though, that side doesn\u2019t always get acknowledged, even though it\u2019s a big part of our catalog. So it\u2019s been kind of funny to feel like people only take away the \u201csugar,\u201d when there\u2019s always been a wide range of emotions in our work.<\/p>\n More than \u201cthe power of positivity,\u201d our message has always been about holding light and dark at the same time. Even our feel-good songs come from resilience \u2013 or just holding onto a good day for dear life. We\u2019re not afraid to express joy when we write because we know it\u2019s not permanent\u2026 a sad or angry song is always on its way soon enough, (laughs).<\/p>\n You\u2019ve amassed over 2 million streams independently. That\u2019s a huge achievement. What is the most rewarding part of staying independent in an industry that constantly pushes for major label backing? <\/p>\n Alex: Thank you! I will say there are definitely pros and cons \u2013 mainly when it comes to money, which can limit you at times. But honestly, those limitations can also push you to be more creative. I think our visual aesthetic actually benefits from not having a big machine behind it, because we\u2019re able to create something more personal. I feel really lucky to have a brother who\u2019s an incredible video creator and artist, a true one-man show who\u2019s collaborated with us on many Livingmore music videos. We\u2019ve also been lucky to work with Branden Bernath, who really brings our DIY spirit to life. Being independent has also made us more self-sufficient. We record most of our music at home now, and Spencer has really stepped into production in a big way. But the most rewarding part is the freedom. We\u2019ve never had to stay the same for the benefit of a label. We\u2019ve been able to grow and evolve naturally, and that\u2019s what art is really about \u2013 it\u2019s not supposed to be this thing where something works once and you just repeat it forever, and I find that personally boring.<\/p>\n What was the catalyst for your partial relocation to Japan? <\/p>\n Spencer: We first came to Japan a few years ago and fell in love with so many parts of it. The people, culture, food are obvious reasons to love it here. But we also discovered a very thriving music and art scene. There is so much great music and art in Japan right now it is kind of insane. There is a real music scene and community of people in the Kansai region of Japan (Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka) that have made us feel very welcome. Playing in Tokyo has also been pretty unbelievably awesome. It is the most support and love we\u2019ve felt for this project since it first started so it was basically a no brainer to try to make a big effort to return the love. Being here and showing up is the least we could do. We\u2019ve had quite a few successes in the US but we\u2019ve always been outsiders in the music scenes there, especially in Los Angeles where we grew up and had always been Livingmore\u2019s main base. We\u2019ve never fully fit in which I actually think has contributed to our longevity. The LA music scene has seen some pretty big ups and downs over the past decade especially with Covid. Most of our favorite DIY or mom and pop venues are gone and it\u2019s been a hard recovery for the whole music community although I do think it\u2019s finally starting to come back. I want to be optimistic about it because I love LA so much. I think probably 90% of the bands that were around when we started doing this thing aren\u2019t around anymore and somehow we are still here. It\u2019s a bittersweet feeling.<\/p>\n What does a completely normal day look like for you when you\u2019re not actively \u201cbeing the band\u201d? <\/p>\n Alex: It depends \u2013 some days are busy, and other times are more mellow. In Los Angeles, I do costuming work on set when I can, which has been my latest venture. My r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is filled with a lot of different things \u2013 the old tale of artists having all kinds of odd jobs still rings true \u2013 but I actually really love costuming. I even costume designed a short film not too long ago. Working on set is kind of like being in a band: you\u2019re all creating something together, everyone has their roles, and you end up staying up really late shooting, haha. So I\u2019ve found that\u2019s another passion of mine at the moment. Spencer also does artist management work. If we\u2019re talking about a non-busy day in Japan, I\u2019ve really enjoyed drawing by the Kamo River, going to izakayas with Spencer, ordering a lemon chu-hai \u2013 that\u2019s our favorite drink there \u2013 and just walking around. There\u2019s always something new to see in Kyoto. But yeah \u2013 food, drinks, walking, maybe watching a movie \u2013 that\u2019s my kind of perfect day.<\/p>\n How have you navigated the Japanese indie music scene? Is there a different kind of camaraderie among bands in Tokyo or Kyoto compared to the competitive nature of Hollywood? <\/p>\n Spencer: There are a lot of similarities. From what we\u2019ve experienced so far, I can\u2019t say we\u2019ve really felt much of a competitive vibe. Maybe just a little shyness sometimes from the bands but that is really a pretty normal thing and sometimes there can obviously be a bit of language barrier but we are slowly but surely improving with that lol. One thing that I think might surprise a lot of people is how diverse the music scene really is. People from all over the world singing in many different languages with all kinds of different backgrounds.<\/p>\n Last year we made friends with incredible musician that goes by ADM. He is originally from Georgia, but has lived in Kyoto for the past 16 years and he\u2019s pretty much a legend in the Kansai region of Japan. He writes these beautiful folk songs that are gritty and raw but also sensitive and sometimes humorous. Truly one of the best songwriters and singers that we have ever known. He really took us around and introduced us to so many cool people, musicians and amazing places to play. It\u2019s very much about making personal connections if you are interested in playing shows in Japan.<\/p>\n It would be pretty difficult to book any gigs by just blindly emailing venues and asking for a date like a lot of DIY bands are used to doing in the US. To have someone walk you into a place and introduce you to the owner is everything. So we are forever grateful to ADM for tapping us into the community in the way he did. We are actually recording producing some music for him at the moment and we\u2019re very excited for people to hear it. So far, most of our interactions have been very positive and welcoming in nature though. One other thing that we\u2019ve noticed about the music scene in Japan is that people really love physical merch more than they do in the US. Vinyl, CDs and cassette tapes all do really well at the merch booth here. I think audiences in the US tend to gravitate towards shirts, posters, buttons and sometimes Vinyl. But there is still a huge love for physical media in Japan which has almost entirely been lost in the US aside from the niche vinyl collector. Tower Records is still thriving in Japan for God\u2019s sake!<\/p>\n When you\u2019re in the thick of a songwriting process, how do you negotiate conflicting impulses? Do you try to reconcile the differences, or do you lean into that contrast to create something more dynamic? <\/p>\n Alex:\u00a0I think we\u2019ve always leaned into what our differences bring to the music, because we write in so many different ways. When one of us brings in a song that\u2019s already fully formed, we usually let that person follow their instinct because it\u2019s their story to tell, and we respect that. But on the songs we build together, our different instincts actually help us finish them. That push and pull tends to lead us somewhere more interesting than if we were thinking exactly the same way.<\/p>\n Alex, you\u2019ve spoken before about writing from the space between longing and liberation, and about always remaining true to yourself as a songwriter. With this fifth, self-titled album, did you find yourself accessing a new level of vulnerability \u2013 something perhaps harder to articulate in your twenties? Was there a particular song on the record where you felt compelled to strip everything back and allow a more raw, unsettled truth to sit at its center? <\/p>\n Alex: Speaking of truth, there\u2019s a song on the album called \u201cTo Be True\u201d that we recently released as single, and I feel like that song reflects a new sense of vulnerability the most. It\u2019s about learning to sit with pain for a moment instead of trying to force it away. Sometimes that\u2019s actually when new doors open. When I first started Livingmore, I was already in my mid-twenties, so I never felt like I was writing from a super young mindset or trying to pander to any age group. I just wrote whatever rang true to me or intrigued me in the moment. Now, I\u2019m more aware that I don\u2019t have everything figured out \u2013 and that\u2019s okay. The difference now is how I handle things. It\u2019s less about wishing difficult feelings away and more about letting them exist for a moment. I\u2019ve been through enough to know things shift if you stay open and keep going.<\/p>\n A big lesson I\u2019ve learned is to hang in there \u2013 sometimes life can feel like lightning has struck, but if you keep moving forward, things can shift and suddenly there\u2019s light again. Instead of running away from things, I\u2019m more interested in embracing them and writing from that place. Another vulnerable song for me is \u201cUndone.\u201d The line \u201csomething happened when you kissed her\u201d is intentionally ambiguous. I\u2019ve never been very interested in explaining everything in a song \u2013 I like when a lyric opens a door rather than closes one. That line captures a moment where something shifts emotionally, and it just is what it is. I\u2019ve always tended to leave the attraction door open in life, and I think that perspective naturally finds its way into my writing. It\u2019s also something that feels different now than it did in my twenties \u2013 I\u2019m a lot more confident about who I am as a person. For me, it\u2019s less about defining it and more about capturing a real moment and letting people connect with it in their own way. Both of these tracks reflect that growth; it\u2019s about being more confident in the ambiguity and just letting the truth be what it is.<\/p>\n What is one thing from the Japanese music scene that you wish you could transplant to California, and vice versa? <\/p>\n Spencer: Every music venue in Japan has a full backline for the bands. Any band can literally show up with nothing but your guitars effects pedals and the venue will supply everything you need for you to play a solid show. They always have a bass amp and usually a couple guitar amps to choose from. A full drum kit with cymbals and kick pedal. Usually nice, well maintained gear that works\u2026 it makes it very easy to tour around Japan just using the trains and subways. You don\u2019t need a van like you do in the US to pull it off. No driving or gas money required. It\u2019s honestly a little embarrassing that venues in the US usually don\u2019t take note of this.<\/p>\n Some US venues can supply certain backline equipment for touring bands upon request, but it\u2019s always a discussion, and most places want the headliner to backline the drum kit for the night. If you\u2019re doing a bunch of dates in the US, you would be a fool to not bring a drum kit and amps, because more than 50% of venues aren\u2019t going to have what you need when you get there. In Japan, you can always rely on a solids backline without any worries. I think the only thing I would transplant to Japan from California is In-N-Out. The after show ritual of going to In-N-Out would be a very nice thing to have in Japan [laughs], and I think it would be quite appreciated here. Not just for us musicians\u2026<\/p>\n Do you think audiences romanticize your dynamic \u2013 and if so, what do they usually get right or wrong? <\/p>\n Alex: When we first started the band, we actually weren\u2019t promoting that we were a couple. Sometimes that can overshadow things when you\u2019re just starting out. Now I don\u2019t care at all \u2013 it\u2019s a huge part of our lives, obviously, (laughs). But when people did start to catch on, there was this \u201caww, they\u2019re so cute\u201d thing that honestly pissed me off sometimes. It could feel a little demeaning, like it took away from giving us real credit as writers \u2013 both together and individually.<\/p>\n That said, if people romanticize our dynamic now, I\u2019ll take it as a compliment. I think what they\u2019re getting right is that there is a real connection there \u2013 but what they don\u2019t see is the day-to-day reality of who we are and how much work goes into our project.<\/p>\n Living between LA and Japan now, do you look back at your San Fernando Valley roots differently? Does the \u201cValley boredom\u201d you once wrote about feel different from across the ocean? <\/p>\n Alex:\u00a0It\u2019s kind of made me realize how small my world used to feel. My goal for us was always to tour more \u2013 and we did at times \u2013 but it just wasn\u2019t enough for my dopamine levels. I have ADHD, I thrive on adventure. For a while, I did feel stuck in the Valley.<\/p>\n We used to live with our drummer at the time, Mike, in Sherman Oaks. We\u2019d play music in the house, write, have friends over, walk to get pizza \u2013 the three of us were really close. Sometimes he\u2019d drive us crazy, like waking us up playing drums at 8am, but there was this weird beauty to it. I had some of the best and worst moments in that house. I was grateful he let us rent a room there, because at that time I literally couldn\u2019t even pay my phone bill \u2013 I just straight up wouldn\u2019t have a phone sometimes.<\/p>\n We also went through COVID in that Sherman Oaks house, and a lot went down during that period that kind of drained the battery. We\u2019ll always love Mike, though like family.<\/p>\n So it\u2019s hard to just call it \u201cValley boredom.\u201d Looking back now, it feels more like a wild ride than I realized at the time.<\/p>\n I\u2019m obsessed with Japan, so it\u2019s hard for me to say I\u2019m completely homesick. But being away has definitely made me appreciate parts of Los Angeles and our life there\u2026 mainly friends, family, and Mexican food. I\u2019m half Mexican, so I really can\u2019t go without it \u2013 it\u2019s my favorite\u2026 although I did manage to find a great taco spot in Kyoto. And our LA fan base too \u2013 we\u2019re really excited to come back and play our album release show in Los Angeles after being away for so long.<\/p>\n Why was it important to you to give analog listeners the first full experience of the record via the early vinyl release? <\/p>\n Spencer:\u00a0We\u2019ve been collectors of vinyl for a while now and I think, in a time when music is such easy access, it\u2019s fun to try things a little differently. To me, vinyl is the best way to experience an album, so we wanted to let that option be available for some time before we make it available on streaming \u2013 kind of the same way some movies are released in theaters before they go to streaming.<\/p>\n It\u2019s about wanting and hoping people will allow themselves to hear it in the best way. We also knew we were doing a bunch of shows in Japan this year and they love vinyl here, so we figured it would be cool to have it available on vinyl at all the Japan shows before it\u2019s available anywhere else.<\/p>\n \u201dYour<\/p>\n ).push({});<\/p>\n Alex, you mentioned your love of Mexican food and your half Mexican heritage. Being multi-ethnic can sometimes feel like living in the \u2018in-between.\u2019 How do you navigate that space in your music career, especially when people might make assumptions about your background before you even speak? <\/p>\n Alex: It\u2019s not something I overthought when I was younger. I think it became more apparent as I got older and started noticing how people sometimes assume things about your background before they really know you. Sometimes people recognize that you\u2019re mixed right away, and sometimes they don\u2019t see it at all.<\/p>\n One interesting experience is being around people who don\u2019t realize you\u2019re part of that world and hearing casually racist things about Hispanic people without them realizing it applies to you. It almost makes you feel like an undercover detective because you\u2019re suddenly seeing how people really are when they think no one in the room is connected to what they\u2019re saying. I\u2019ve also experienced the other side of it, too; I had an ex-boyfriend whose mom realized I was Mexican and suddenly started making some pretty wild comments. So, I\u2019ve seen both sides of that dynamic.<\/p>\n My mom is from LA and she never learned Spanish, so I didn\u2019t grow up speaking it either. I wish I did \u2013 funny enough, I probably know more Japanese at this point. But culturally, I\u2019ve always felt really connected to my mom and her family. Growing up in the Valley, we\u2019d go to my grandma\u2019s house in Montebello all the time, and I\u2019d sleep over there while my mom\u2019s brothers and sisters were around.<\/p>\n They played so much music around me \u2013 Garbage, \u201980s new wave, Jane\u2019s Addiction \u2013 and that really shaped me. It was such a special time in my life. I remember wanting to be more like them because I related to that side of my family so much.<\/p>\n Being mixed sometimes means you exist in a bit of an in-between space, but I\u2019ve actually come to appreciate that. I\u2019ve always felt a little in-between in a lot of things \u2013 even my signature. I\u2019ve rarely had a solid one, which is kind of funny. For the longest time, I didn\u2019t even match my socks. I think subconsciously I just got used to never being only one thing, and I\u2019m sure that probably comes out creatively in ways I don\u2019t even realize.<\/p>\n \u201cHurting\u201d has a striking duality \u2013 it feels raw and heavy, yet the melody is incredibly catchy. How do you approach balancing those darker emotions with such a strong melodic sense? Is the goal to create a release of energy, or something more meditative? <\/p>\n Spencer: I think a lot of our music tends to have a sort of happy\/sad quality to it. Sometimes, if you aren\u2019t feeling okay or you are having a hard time, it feels good to scream about it with heavier music that represents that anger or discomfort. That can absolutely be true and obviously works, but I don\u2019t think that is the only way to convey a heavier or more painful emotion. I think of a song like \u201cHurting\u201d more as a meditation on something painful rather than throwing a brick through a window to release that energy. I tend to gravitate toward more melodic music. Some of my favorite songs tend to have a happier-sounding exterior, but when you really get deeper into the lyrical content, you realize it\u2019s actually the complete opposite. A lot of Livingmore songs are definitely in that realm.<\/p>\n This industry is built on networking and \u2018small talk\u2019 \u2013 two things that can be incredibly taxing with ADHD and for people who don\u2019t always feel comfortable in social situations, as mentioned. Have you found any \u2018hacks\u2019 or ways to navigate these industry related events (or life in general) that don\u2019t leave you feeling burnt out? <\/p>\n Alex: I\u2019ve actually recently discovered the beta blocker haha, which has been helpful in certain situations. Otherwise I\u2019ve basically just been unmedicated and totally unleashed onto the world. But it\u2019s interesting because I do love people and I\u2019m a social person, I just also experience complete burnout after social situations sometimes. I\u2019ll go to something and then feel like I don\u2019t want to see anyone for a week afterwards.<\/p>\n I also sometimes feel a little out of my body in regular social situations, especially when I\u2019m meeting someone for the first time. It\u2019s funny because I\u2019ve always heard people say, \u201cOh, on stage you\u2019re so different.\u201d So sometimes when I meet people in person I wonder if they\u2019re seeing a different version of me than they expected.<\/p>\n Career-wise, it wasn\u2019t something I talked about very openly in the past, mainly because I was only officially diagnosed recently, even though I struggled with it my whole life. I was actually tested more than the average kid growing up, but ADHD in girls was harder to recognize at the time, so it kind of got overlooked.<\/p>\n Now I\u2019m learning every day to not mask it so much and to embrace that I just do things my own way. I spent a lot of time trying to cover it up with perfection, which didn\u2019t really work anyway haha. Now I try to embrace it, and sometimes I even like letting people know so they can understand me a little better.<\/p>\n That being said, I still always want to work on myself and be a better listener. I think one thing that helps in both life and career situations is just taking a breath and letting people talk. I don\u2019t have to rush to have the perfect answer right away. But honestly, I\u2019m still figuring it out.<\/p>\n Spencer, you often handle the technical architecture of the songs. How do you switch from being Alex\u2019s creative partner to being the \u201ceditor\u201d without losing the emotional spark of the original demo? <\/p>\n Spencer: To me, the most important part of getting a great recording of any artist is for them to be relaxed. So, I don\u2019t really think there is much of a switch that happens, actually. When we decide to record something, we do it very casually and kind of treat it like we\u2019re just making a demo. We try to approach it with the mentality that we may use what we record or we may not.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t like to put too much pressure on ourselves to feel like whatever we\u2019re working on is \u201cmake or break\u201d in any way; that\u2019s how we\u2019ve always gotten the best results. We\u2019ve also never put time constraints on ourselves or logged any hours. We tend to finish things relatively quickly once we start working on a recording, but we never put that kind of pressure on ourselves to hurry things along.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve got our own studio, which really gives us a lot of freedom in that regard. We like to give ourselves an abundance of time to explore all the different possibilities. We\u2019ve recorded certain songs in just a few hours; others take weeks or even months. On certain occasions, we\u2019ve completely scrapped songs after working on them for weeks. There aren\u2019t really any rules \u2013 we never release anything that Alex and I both aren\u2019t proud of, and however long it takes to get it right during the process is the right amount of time. Most importantly: stay relaxed and have fun with it. That\u2019s the way we try to approach all of our recordings.<\/p>\n What do you believe music is supposed to do \u2013 for you, and for the people listening? <\/p>\n Alex: I feel like music is the way I can express the most honest part of myself. I\u2019m not always on point in social situations \u2013 I like to collect my thoughts and express them through writing. It\u2019s definitely helped me process my emotions, and I hope our music can do that for others as well.<\/p>\n You have a secret release show in Downtown LA this June. Which new track are you most excited to play for a live audience for the first time? <\/p>\n Spencer: \u201cResident Psycho\u201d has been a really fun one to play in Japan. There is a nice little guitar jam at the end and, selfishly, I look forward to that every time we play that song (laughs).<\/p>\n Alex: For me, it\u2019s our song \u201cNot That Nice.\u201d I haven\u2019t played any of our new songs in LA yet so all are pretty much equally exciting, but Japan really seemed to love that one. It has such a fun, slightly menacing energy live \u2013 I loved seeing people rock out to it in Tokyo.<\/p>\n After a decade together, what\u2019s the most valuable lesson you\u2019ve learned about keeping both the relationship and the creative spark alive? <\/p>\n Spencer: There\u2019s a lot of people who say that a relationship takes a lot of work. Obviously, there have been many difficult moments to work through over the years, but in terms of keeping the spark alive, it hasn\u2019t felt like either of us has had to work very hard to make that happen.<\/p>\n We both have a lot of love and respect for each other, and that makes it easy. I think listening to each other is probably the most important thing.<\/p>\n Alex: I think always having new goals together has really kept things alive, and also not forgetting to laugh. We both share a dark sense of humor and can completely crack up \u2013 even after being in turmoil over something. I\u2019m not saying that heals everything, but it would be hard to go through life without those moments where you\u2019re like, \u201cI can\u2019t believe this,\u201d and just laugh about it. Not trying to sound like the Joker from Batman, but honestly laughter really is medicine.<\/p>\n \u2014 \u2014<\/p>\n Lily O\u2019Delia is a writer and music journalist living in NYC. She is currently working on her debut memoir. Find her on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014 \u2014<\/p>\n :: connect with Livingmore here<\/a> ::<\/p>\n \u2014 \u2014<\/p>\n \u2014 \u2014 \u2014 \u2014<\/p>\n Connect to Livingmore on ![\"Livingmore](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Livingmore-2026-7-150x150.jpg\")
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Livingmore \u00a9 Dillon Moore<\/p>\n![\"Livingmore](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Livingmore-1.jpeg\")
Livingmore \u00a9 2026<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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