Strawberry Launch on the bonds of sisterhood, new single "Emily" and anticipation ahead of SXSW

Strawberry Launch, a strong pop-rock group out of Brooklyn, New York are making their way to the big leagues and making stops along the way to touch the hearts of their audience. Their latest single, “Emily” is an ode to long-distance family.

“Emily” serves as another puzzle piece that encompasses the everchanging bond of sisterhood and the growing pains that come with it—lyrically inspired by lead singer Riiza’s relationship with her sister, Emily, and the relationship they maintain as they live on separate coasts.

As Strawberry Launch gears up for South by Southwest Festival in the next week, three of the five members sat down with OTR to discuss new projects and another exciting year of touring.

I know that Riiza and Matrianna connected via cold call and were virtually strangers when you first started the group. What were your first impressions of each other when you first started working together?

Riiza: It's kind of funny because, as I'm sure Matrianna and Taylor will tell you, they already kind of knew each other. I was really the one who didn't know them. I had a friend that I had met through the GrammyU program, and they had sent me a list of guitarists and Matrianna was the first person on that list. So I just, straight up got in touch with her and I was like, ‘I know you don't know me, but I want to start a band.’

Matrianna: Taylor and I met in like 2015 because we were both from Chicago and we both went to School of Rock together. So we already played music together and we already knew each other. I met Riiza during my freshman year at NYU, so like 2018. She just like called me because someone from my major told me about someone who was looking for guitarists to play in a group. So, I was interested because I had just moved here and I wanted to play music.

Let's talk about “Emily” because I feel like a lot of songs in the industry right now aren't about familial love so I think this single is really going to stand out in that way and I really, really liked it. Riiza– what was your sister’s reaction to the song?

Riiza: Yes! I went on an amazing retreat last April, called the Atrium Retreat and it's with artists from all over the country we spent four days climbing in the mountains in California doing yoga classes, and talking about our feelings. We as a group had already kind of worked on “Emily” as a concept because I really wanted to write another song that had a little bit more about like my own personal origin story and all that stuff. Then I had a chance to take what we had of “Emily” to this retreat, work with a producer on it, and get some thoughts from other people on it, which was fun. Then I brought it back and we kept working on it and it just kind of turned into what it is now.

I showed it to her then and that version of it is very different from what it is now. I had added some more texture to it, so I was slightly worried that she wasn't gonna like the new version. So we did it anyway, and then about three weeks ago, I played the mastered version for her, and I filmed it over FaceTime, and she listened to it, and she was like, ‘This is amazing, and I'm so proud of you, and like, thank you so much for like, including me in your story,’ and it was a really beautiful moment.

Obviously this is a very personal song to Riiza, but do you as other members of the group find that you have any connections like this song in your life?

Matrianna: I also have a sister, so I feel like I definitely relate to it. My sister and I are pretty close, but we also don't live in the same place. So I connect with it.

Taylor: I actually am an only child. And it's really funny because I kind of run most of the TikTok, so I've been making all these posts that are just the lyrics and then like something that relates to it. It's kind of funny because usually, I'm like making something up. I don't know if I'm just making assumptions about the song, but this is what I get from it. That's such an important part of music. I feel like I tend to maybe a little selfishly, apply a lot of the songs I love just to my life, even if the writer didn't intend for it to be about that.

I'm excited for you guys. I see that you guys are going to South by Southwest in a couple of days. I know a lot of artists make their mark at this music festival specifically. How do you guys feel?

Riiza: I'm so happy and nervous. We've had a really amazing growth in the last year. The strawberry batch has just grown exponentially and it's been a lot of work between everybody and just getting our stuff out there, there's a lot more going on for us as a whole. The stars aligned for us because we've been applying to South by Southwest for years, but this was the right place and the right time. So I'm hoping that we'll walk away with just a lot of new friends and connections and get to see some people we already know and love.

Strawberry Launch is set to release a new EP this spring under Trash Casual Records and is set to tour with Small Crush this April along the East Coast. Get your tickets here.