“I will always have this feeling that there’s something off about me,” Harmony Tividad says with a soft, accepting laugh. It is a sentiment that defines much of her artistic journey—a recognition that the “weird kid” she was in her youth remains a core part of her identity. For those who followed her work in the indie duo Girlpool, this vulnerability is familiar. Their debut, Before The World Was Big, captured the specific, aching transition between adolescence and adulthood, becoming a definitive soundtrack for a generation navigating the tension between wanting to leave home and fearing the loss of it.
It has been over a decade since that debut, and following the amicable split of Girlpool in 2022, Tividad has embarked on a distinct solo path. After the campy, electropop-infused Gossip, she has returned with Lifetime, a record that feels both transparent and deeply grounded. “I learned how to do everything with Avery and through my collaboration with Girlpool,” she reflects, noting that while her solo work marks a departure, the underlying drive remains the same: a commitment to integrity.
Tividad’s approach to her craft is intentionally insulated from the noise of the internet. By stepping back from the feedback loop of the blogosphere, she has found the space to focus on her immediate world. “I’m not the kind of person who is constantly reading into people’s views of me, because if I did I would just get so exhausted and die,” she explains. This self-preservation has allowed her to lean into a sense of confidence, even when she is grappling with self-doubt. “If you’re able to own your emotions through your work, it’s a superpower,” she adds.
Lifetime serves as a bridge between the hyper-real, ironic detachment of Gossip and the raw, intimate songwriting of her earlier years. While Gossip was born from resentment and the pressures of navigating a dystopian landscape, Lifetime offers a more sincere, morning-after perspective. Tividad describes the new record as a “back-to-basics” project, one that feels like “me with no mascara on and a tank top in my house.”
The album draws inspiration from the golden age of Hollywood and the melancholic, magical-realist atmosphere of Los Angeles. Tividad, who grew up in the city, admits to a lifelong conflict between her introverted writer persona and her extroverted, social self. This tension is palpable in tracks like “Mulholland Drive” and “I’m Still Learning How To Leave You,” where she explores heartbreak against the backdrop of the desert and the city’s own mythos.
Ultimately, Tividad’s process is about gathering data from her lived experiences and translating it into sound. Whether she is finding inspiration in Stina Nordenstam or the quick-witted dialogue of Billy Wilder films, she remains committed to the present. “I try to honor the moment,” she says, a philosophy that has become the guiding principle for her latest work. Lifetime is not just a collection of songs; it is a testament to the act of living with intention, even when the world feels like it is breaking your heart.
Lifetime is out June 26 on KRO Records.
