It’s easy to get bogged down in the bullshit of the day. Our news feeds, commutes, and personal interactions are all riddled with potential pitfalls and sad traps, a design for life that seems to always want to remind us of the bad, the lost, and the angry. But spring is the time for eternal optimism, and STEFF KOEPPEN wants to make sure we “Celebrate” properly.
The Arizona-based songwriter today released her debut single, “Celebrate,” and it’s a slinky alt-pop number that coils, expands, and restricts in personal reflection before blossoming into electronic pop bliss. The song immediately places KOEPPEN in the ranks of fellow rising alt-pop stars like Verite and Ryn Weaver.
And “Celebrate” is meant to enrich from the inside out.
“The song is about coming together to recognize the positive things going on in our lives, letting go of all social pressures, and enjoying the moment,” KOEPPEN says. “In our society, we come up with so many different reasons — sometimes excuses — to have celebrations. We throw parties for almost every kind of life event. At any given moment, you can likely recognize something positive happening, and that should be a good enough reason to ‘Celebrate’ when the opportunity is present.”
The track is also a bit of a departure from KOEPPEN’s previous work with Tucson-based Steff & the Articles, and was crafted via some creative experimentation.
“I typically write piano-based jazzy pop songs with my band,” she adds. “Last summer, I was making some demos and decided to plug in a midi controller and try something different. I had this melody in my head, then decided to try bringing it to life through a new style and method.”
Expect big things from STEFF KOEPPEN in the future, including the “Celebrate” remix treatment and (hopefully) some dates along the East Coast. In the meantime, listen to her impressive debut below, and use it as a means to cling only to the good times, ahead and behind.