Love's Latest News marks the debut EP for Speedrun, the singer-songwriter hailing from New York. In this instalment, she traces changing traditions and forms of love through time, from the distant courtly love to modern affairs. This musical timeline positions love as both the beginning, the present, the future destination, as well as the adventure itself. The EP is a love letter to love, meeting somewhere between Capellanus and The Strokes.
Inspired by the work of Jean-Michel Maulpoix in his poetry book Une histoire de bleu, the title of this EP marries these traditions of love from past and present from the outset. The cover art, featuring Speedrun herself in a full suit of armour, also opens the record on this powerful image of a young Black woman embarking on her own hero’s journey. Opening track Hearsay introduces it as her self-confessed “love letter to 2000s indie rock” in all its glory, as soft feathery vocals layer over an early indie rock electric guitar riff. Working with The Strokes producer Gordon Raphael, drives home this sound, while Speedrun modernises this influence, infusing the sound also with a Cameroonian influence of makossa inspired riffs.
Daydream Delusion presents itself as the garage rock sound for hopeless romantics, with pretty images such as “In this holy hour, Angels they carry me so closely, but I still skin my knees,” sung over the punchy bass line and drumbeat, and ending on an unforgettable guitar solo. Nudie Cutie takes a slower and more reflective indie tone, as delicate vocals touch on this aspect of obsessive love and idealism. What He’s Used To stands out notably on the EP, confronting toxic masculinity and the impact of patriarchy on both men and woman set against these intense rhythms. Slowing down, Nosebleed Season embodies the pacing and yearning of courtly love tradition, evoked lyrically by “The lover is the loser, haven’t you heard?” Ending on a high, Cruel Heart, Tender Heart concludes the EP on the reflection of the transformative power of love, singing “they don’t see what this world means in our eyes.”
New York-born and raised Speedrun, or Nina Lüders, is making waves as a singer-songwriter, as she paints the world in her indie chic, through alt rock, with her jazz style vocals, introspective lyrics. Her journey from teaching herself bass and electric guitar during lockdown as a passion project to a renowned artist is undoubtedly amazing and well deserved. Having already garnered attention from Fender, Converse, and of course her growing fan base, it’s safe to anticipate more musical volumes from Speedrun in the future. The next headline in Love’s Latest News is without a doubt Speedrun’s own headline show at the Knitting Factory in New York on March 29th , alongside Raavi and Pry. With such a strong debut, we can’t wait to hear the next chapter from Speedrun.