It is rare for an artist to be completely caught off guard during an interview, but Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter Runo Plum has a way of dismantling expectations. Her upcoming EP, Bloom Again, serves as a delicate, swirling exploration of the honeymoon phase, braiding post-breakup growth with the joy of new love. Yet, the reality of the artist’s life often moves faster than the music itself.
During our conversation, Plum candidly revealed that the relationship which inspired much of the EP had ended just a week prior. It is a jarring, almost surreal experience to promote a collection of songs about deep, burgeoning love while navigating the immediate aftermath of a split. As Plum noted, the timing was particularly cruel: “Literally, the day after she moved out, ‘Pink Moon’ came out.”
The Vulnerability of Modern Songwriting
“Pink Moon,” a standout track from Bloom Again, captures a sense of pure, spacious adoration. For Plum, listening to her own work during a period of personal turmoil has been a test of endurance. She admits that the process of promoting the EP has been painful, yet she maintains a sense of humor about the absurdity of it all. “It’s so painful that it just becomes funny at some point,” she says. “I just have to tell myself that, in a few years, it’s gonna be a really funny thing to look back on.”
Plum has built her career on a foundation of radical honesty. Since her 2021 breakout, “yin to yang,” she has resonated with listeners by articulating the messy, intimate details of her internal life. While she credits the internet and platforms like TikTok for helping her find an audience, she remains wary of the pressures of the digital age. “TikTok feels so different these days,” she admits. “It got hard, at a certain point, because you never know what people are gonna like.”
Artistic Evolution and Future Directions
Despite the “soul-sucking” nature of social media, Plum has managed to carve out a significant space for herself, touring with artists like Angel Olsen and Hovvdy. Her journey, which included a brief, disillusioning stint in jazz school, has informed her unique, lo-fi sound. She describes the songwriting process as a “serendipitous thing,” a way to channel her experiences into something that feels both accurate and understood.
Bloom Again functions as a coda to her debut record, patching. While the EP is filled with love songs, it does not shy away from the lingering trust issues that follow a heartbreak. As she looks toward the future—and the “rage album” she plans to begin writing this summer—Plum is learning to hold space for multiple, conflicting emotions at once. “I’m able to see the beginning, and I’m able to honor that,” she says. “I think two things can exist at once, you know?”
Bloom Again is out now on Winspear.
