Piper Connolly: “I Don’t Want to Make Myself Smaller”
Vents Magazine: Piper, first of all, congratulations on she’s too much! There’s a lot happening around this release. How are you feeling right now?
Piper Connolly: Thank you! Honestly, I’m really excited. It feels a little surreal because I’ve been living with these songs for so long, and now they’re finally out in the world. There’s definitely some nervousness too, but mostly I’m just excited for people to hear the whole project and hopefully find something in it that connects with them.
Vents Magazine: Let’s talk about the title. she’s too much! is a pretty bold statement, especially because “too much” is usually something people say negatively. Why did you want to take that phrase back?
Piper Connolly: I think “too much” is something a lot of people hear at some point. Maybe you’re too emotional, too loud, too opinionated, too ambitious—or you care too much. I’ve realized that those things don’t necessarily need to be weaknesses. They can actually be some of the things that make you who you are. So instead of letting someone else use “too much” to define me, I wanted to turn it into something I could own.
Vents Magazine: Your latest single, “unapologetic,” really fits that idea. Where did that song begin?
Piper Connolly: It came from that feeling of realizing you don’t have to constantly edit yourself for other people. Obviously, I’m still figuring myself out—I’m 15! But I think there’s something really powerful about being able to say, “This is who I am, and I’m okay with that.” I wanted the song to feel confident without pretending that I have everything figured out.
Vents Magazine: Was there a specific experience behind it, or was it more of a feeling?
Piper Connolly: More of a feeling. I think songwriting can work that way. Sometimes you’re not writing about one specific moment; you’re taking a bunch of emotions and experiences and turning them into something that makes sense musically. “unapologetic” came from wanting to accept the imperfect parts of myself instead of constantly worrying about how they look to everyone else.
Vents Magazine: There’s an interesting contradiction throughout the EP. There’s confidence, but there’s also insecurity. There’s humor, heartbreak, freedom and consequences. Did you intentionally want the project to contain those contradictions?
Piper Connolly: Definitely. Growing up is contradictory! You can feel incredibly confident one day and completely unsure of yourself the next. You can be really happy and still have something bothering you. I didn’t want to make a project where everything was perfectly neat because that’s not what life feels like. I think the messy parts are actually what make it interesting.
Vents Magazine: The EP has six songs. Did you know from the beginning that these particular songs belonged together?
Piper Connolly: Not necessarily at first. But as everything started coming together, I could see the connection. “beautiful life,” “body bag,” “bubblegum with razorblades,” “unapologetic,” “joyride” and “better than this” all have different personalities, but they’re connected by that idea of figuring yourself out while everything around you is changing.
Vents Magazine: “bubblegum with razorblades” is probably one of the most intriguing song titles on the EP. What does it mean to you?
Piper Connolly: It’s basically the idea of something looking sweet on the outside but having a sharper side underneath. That contrast is something I really like. I don’t want everything I do to be predictable. Something can be fun and colorful and still have an emotional edge.
Vents Magazine: And you made it the focus track. Why that song?
Piper Connolly: I think it captures a lot of what I’m trying to do as an artist. It has the catchy, pop side, but there’s also that bite underneath it. It feels playful without being harmless. That combination really represents where I am creatively right now.
Vents Magazine: The music video takes that idea even further, with candy-coated imagery and darker undertones. How involved were you in creating the visual world?
Piper Connolly: Very involved. I really care about the world surrounding a song—not just the song itself. The styling, the imagery, the performance, the colors and the overall feeling all matter to me. I wanted the video to feel like it belonged to the song but also like it belonged to me.
Vents Magazine: You’re also very active creatively outside the music itself. Is having that kind of creative control important to you?
Piper Connolly: Yeah, absolutely. I love collaborating, but I also want my personality to come through. If someone sees something connected to my music, I want them to feel like there’s a real person behind it. I think that’s really important, especially because I’m still developing my identity as an artist.
Vents Magazine: Your sound sits somewhere between alt-pop and pop-rock, with that guitar-driven energy. Where does that musical identity come from?
Piper Connolly: I’ve always loved that combination of really strong pop melodies with guitars and a little bit of grit. I love music that can be catchy but still have an attitude. I think some of the sounds I’m drawn to have that 2000s guitar-pop feeling, but I also want everything to feel current.
Vents Magazine: You’ve already had support from Apple Music and publications like LADYGUNN, EARMILK, Atwood Magazine and We Found New Music. Do you ever stop and think, “Wow, this is actually happening”?
Piper Connolly: Sometimes! Especially when something happens unexpectedly. You work on music for so long that you can become really focused on the next thing. Then something like a playlist placement or an article comes along and you’re like, “Wait, people are actually hearing this.” It’s really exciting and I’m incredibly grateful.
Vents Magazine: “beautiful life” also had that five-week run on South Africa’s 5FM Top 40. What was that experience like?
Piper Connolly: That was amazing. It’s really cool to see music travel somewhere you might not have expected. Knowing that people in South Africa were listening to “beautiful life” and connecting with it was such a special feeling. Music really can take you places.
Vents Magazine: You were also selected as Meta’s Artist of the Day. That introduced you to a huge audience. Does having that kind of exposure change how you think about social media?
Piper Connolly: It definitely makes you aware of how many people are watching, but I don’t want that to change who I am. Social media is a big part of how I connect with people, and I actually really enjoy sharing the funny, random and behind-the-scenes parts of what I’m doing. I don’t want everything to feel overly polished.
Vents Magazine: You have more than 360,000 followers across platforms. How do you keep that connection feeling personal?
Piper Connolly: I try to be myself. Obviously, there’s a difference between sharing something online and sharing everything about your life, but I think people can tell when you’re being genuine. I like showing the creative process, joking around and letting people see that I’m not just a finished product. I’m figuring things out too.
Vents Magazine: Do you ever feel pressure to have everything figured out because you’re already building such a big audience?
Piper Connolly: Sometimes, but I try not to put that pressure on myself. I’m still growing up and learning. I think it would be weird if I had everything figured out at 15. I’d rather let people see the process and grow with me.
Vents Magazine: That’s actually one of the things that makes she’s too much! interesting. It feels like a snapshot of someone in the middle of becoming themselves.
Piper Connolly: I love that. Because that’s exactly what it is. I’m not trying to pretend that I know exactly who I’m going to be five or ten years from now. I’m just trying to be honest about who I am right now.
Vents Magazine: “body bag” earned a Hollywood Independent Music Award nomination. What did that moment mean to you?
Piper Connolly: It was really exciting. Obviously, you make music because you love it, but recognition like that is still really meaningful. It makes you feel like the work is reaching people outside of your immediate circle. I was really proud of the song.
Vents Magazine: Let’s talk about performing. You’ve developed a reputation as a strong live performer. What changes when you take these songs from the studio to the stage?
Piper Connolly: Everything gets bigger. (laughs) There’s something about being in a room with an audience that you just can’t recreate in a studio. You can feel their energy. I love that the live versions can be a little more raw and immediate. It’s one of my favorite parts of being an artist.
Vents Magazine: Do you prefer writing songs or performing them?
Piper Connolly: That’s such a hard question! I honestly need both. Writing is where everything starts, and performing is where you get to share it. They’re completely different experiences, but I love both for different reasons.
Vents Magazine: Your songs deal with young love, heartbreak, betrayal, ambition and identity. How personal are these songs?
Piper Connolly: They’re personal, but not every song is literally a diary entry. Sometimes something happens to you, sometimes you hear a story, sometimes you just have an emotion that you want to explore. I think the best songs can take something personal and make it feel universal.
Vents Magazine: At 15, you’re writing about things that many people experience at completely different ages. Do you think being young actually gives you a different perspective as a songwriter?
Piper Connolly: I think everyone writes from wherever they are in their life. I’m experiencing things for the first time, so maybe that gives some of the songs a certain immediacy. I’m not looking back on my teenage years—I’m literally living them right now. (laughs)
Vents Magazine: That’s a pretty good way to put it.
Piper Connolly: Thank you! (laughs)
Vents Magazine: If someone listens to she’s too much! and feels like they’ve been told they’re too emotional, too loud, too ambitious or simply “too much,” what do you hope they take from the record?
Piper Connolly: I hope they feel less alone. And I hope they realize that they don’t have to shrink themselves just because someone else is uncomfortable with who they are. That doesn’t mean you never grow or change—you should. But you should be doing that because you want to become a better version of yourself, not because someone told you that the real you isn’t acceptable.
Vents Magazine: That feels like the heart of the entire project.
Piper Connolly: Yeah, I think so. At the end of the day, I’m still figuring it out too. But I think that’s okay.
Vents Magazine: Finally, what does the next chapter look like for Piper Connolly?
Piper Connolly: More music, definitely. More performing, more creating and hopefully a lot more experiences that I can turn into songs. I don’t want to put too many limits on what comes next. I just want to keep making things that feel honest to me.
Vents Magazine: And if the next chapter gets a little chaotic?
Piper Connolly: Then I’ll probably write a song about it. (laughs)
Vents Magazine: Fair enough. Piper, congratulations again on she’s too much! and thanks for taking the time to talk with us.
Piper Connolly: Thank you so much. This was really fun!
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