gaslight maggie lindemann siiickbrain
[Photo by: Kristen Jan Wong]

How Maggie Lindemann finally made a screamo track with Siiickbrain

Maggie Lindemann won’t be contained to one genre. The 22-year-old Dallas-born singer may be most well known for her buzzing pop-punk single “Friends Go” that was later remixed with Travis Barker and the melancholy “Would I,” but she’s now ready to take on heavier sounds.

She teamed up with experimental artist Caroline Miner Smith who performs under the moniker Siiickbrain (and fans may recognize from Machine Gun Kelly’s “I Think I’m OKAY” video) to craft a track that is equal parts empowering and badass, with dark, bass-ridden tones to shape their lyrical revenge plot. Alternative Press is exclusively premiering the visuals for brand-new single GASLIGHT!,” which was inspired by Nascar Aloe, $uicideboy$ and IC3PEAK.

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You can check out the visual below, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how Lindemann made her screamo dreams come to life. 

How did you meet Siiickbrain and end up working on this track together? Walk us through the process of merging your two styles to create “GASLIGHT!” Why was Siiickbrain the perfect artist to help capture your vision for this song?

I’ve followed her on Instagram for a while, but we hung out at a birthday party last year and have been really close ever since. We both love the same genre of music and one day just decided to go to the studio and make something. We wanted to do some hard screamo shit, but I don’t scream, so she was perfect. [Laughs.]

In the past, you have shared sonically upbeat tracks such as “Friends Go.” Since then, your recent single “Knife Under My Pillow” ventured into a different side of alternative with heavy riffs, and now “GASLIGHT!” is continuing that evolution. What prompted you to venture into heavier sounds? 

For a while, it was something I wanted to do but just didn’t think I could do given the music I already had out. I always wanted to make pop-punk music, but as of more recently, I just feel more free to do whatever I want. I think I had to grow a bit and get my confidence up. 

As you continue to evolve as an artist, how do you hope to keep pushing your music and exploring new sounds? 

I’m always growing as a person and an artist, so I’m never gonna put myself in another box. If I wanna explore something, I’m not gonna stop myself. Also just listening to music 24/7 inspires me so much to try new things.

Tell us the story behind the lyrics. What personal experiences, if any, shaped the words of “GASLIGHT!”? What do you hope fans take away from the song’s message?

The meaning behind it is being gaslighted and manipulated by someone but stepping up to them and not taking it. I hope the song encourages people to not take shit from anyone and don’t let anyone gaslight you.

How do the “GASLIGHT!” visuals enhance the song? What mood do you want to set with this aesthetic for listeners?

They’re just sick. The girl Sarah, who designed and made the video, is so sick. I found her on Instagram a while back and knew she’d kill it and get the aesthetic perfectly. I know when I listen to “GASLIGHT!,” I feel cool AF. [Laughs.] So, I guess I want listeners to feel like baddies.

“GASLIGHT!” and “Knife Under My Pillow” will appear on Lindemann’s forthcoming PARANOIA EP out Jan. 22, 2021. Preorders are available now here.