LOVPUNE OPEN AiR RELEASE SHOW BRINGS DIY TO THE HILLS OF LOS ANGELES
Los Angeles, CA |October 3rd, 2026
Photographed by Regan Jones, Written by River Epperson
When you think of cities with thriving DIY arts and music scenes, Los Angeles may not be the first place that comes to mind. Long critiqued as a hub for consumerism that would be any corporate advertiser’s wet dream, one may think privatization has gobbled up any remaining arts venues behind a strict paywall without visiting the city. When I arrived in Los Angeles on a sunny Thursday morning, covering a DIY show in a backyard on the outskirts of the city was not on the agenda. However, if I learned anything over the course of my stay in the City of Angels, sometimes the city has a way of opening doors to a plethora of unexpected opportunities, but only after slamming a series of them straight in your face.
I first discovered Lovpune after a series of said doors were closed on me before I could even try to get my foot in. A friend of a friend serendipitously extended an invite to an exclusive backyard show where an electronic artist would be debuting her brand-new EP OPEN AiR, just as my prized collaborator Regan Jones and I had struck out on covering a show at nearly every turn. Lovpune, the electronic project of queer singer-songwriter Mia Madden, draws inspiration from EDM contemporaries like FKA Twigs, Caroline Polacek, and Eartheater, creating a sound simultaneously invigorating and nostalgic, like a half-remembered song from a dream echoing in the back of your subconscious. Madden has expressed a strong dislike for the steady privatization of LA music venues, almost exclusively performs at DIY shows they organize, and has even taken to organizing DIY events for other artists after the success of her own. By the day of the show, Lovpune’s electronic invitation to the show had garnered over 500 RSVPs, with the final headcount reaching upwards of 250. Admission to the show was free, as audience members only needed to download OPEN AiR to gain entry.
OPEN AiR marks Madden’s first release as Lovpune in over a year, and they prove the music is worth the wait with driving percussion on “OHMYGODDD,” pulsing loops on “TO HOME,” and layer upon layer of tantalizing distortion in “ETHER.” The all-female lineup featured support from Sur Back, who produced the track “Ether,” and the duo gave an eager audience a night to remember. Complete with a hand-built stage, lighting equipment, and a haze machine, the backyard release celebration had the same production quality as any indoor show at a privately owned venue, with the unique addition of flash tattoos, tarot reading, art vendors, and more being available at the event. “Thank you so much for all the love on the new EP,” Madden said on Instagram, “the house show was so fun, I might just have to throw another one… maybe in New York? ;)”
OPEN AiR is the second EP from Lovpune, an effort over three years in the making. In creating the EP, Madden was inspired by the tumultuous tides of change that come with living out your terrible twenties, and wanted to challenge herself by making a five-track concept EP, a form of storytelling they had never used in their songwriting before. “That time in my life really felt like falling through the sky, open air, no landing gear, no plan… I would never change anything about my twenties, and I certainly would never want to go through them again.” Lovpune seems ready to ride the momentum of the fresh release, hinting at more DIY shows and teasing a snippet of a taped DJ set titled “Welcome 2 the Lovclub.”
As I board my return flight and my trip to Los Angeles comes to a close, it occurs to me how lucky I am. Lucky to be in the company of an artist like Madden, someone who cares about creating community alongside her art and wants to invest time, effort, and energy into revitalizing Los Angeles’ music scene. Not only that, but I had the opportunity to experience a one-of-a-kind release show with one of my closest collaborators over 1000 miles away from the city I call home, a night I will cherish for many years to come.
