When Kerrin Connolly reached out to tell me about their new song, “Cut,” I was excited to see that the song was inspired Severance, which I’ve watched avidly — and dedicated many hours to obsessing over — since its debut in 2022. And the fact that it’s a great tune was just the icing on the cake, so I reached out with a few questions…

Your new song, “Cut,” was inspired by Severance. What draws you to that show?

It was on my radar for a long time, but I didn’t actually get around to watching it until about a month before the 2^nd season came out, and it was mostly due to Paul F. Thompkins praising it on social media. I trust that man. But then of course even just the surface premise of being able to separate work from life was intriguing. I didn’t expect it to be as emotionally gripping and gorgeous and detailed as it is, but that’s what keeps me watching.

Do you see the show as offering commentary on contemporary life? 

Absolutely! Many different commentaries! The compartmentalization of trauma, the compulsion to separate oneself from pain in an attempt to heal, even just working in an office but wishing it didn’t exist when the clock strikes 5 – there’s so much to get into. Identity, autonomy, solidarity, the illusion of choice, dehumanization via corporate control!

Of course, the song also works on its own terms: Anyone can enjoy it regardless of whether they’ve seen the show. How did you strike a balance between writing a song for fans and a song for a more general audience?

I’m glad you feel that way! I struggle to gauge that myself, since I’m the one writing it and I know all of the reasoning behind each lyric. It can be hard to know if I’m even being spoilery or not – but something I tend to practice with all of my songwriting is being vague enough that there’s room for interpretation, but specific enough that there are little nuggets of truth to chew on, even if the listener’s truth is different than mine. With this song specifically, I wanted to try and get all of the emotional beats and questions that I particularly love from the show, but not necessarily spell out which exact ones I’m calling on.

The music of “Cut” echoes elements of the Severance theme song. Did you sample that song, or are you playing all the parts? 

I’m playing all of the parts! I didn’t want anything to be or sound like a 1:1 rip from the original themes, lest Apple sues me, but I did want to make those moments very clear homages.

What’s your usual approach to songwriting? Or is it always different?

It’s usually pretty much the same – I come up with the melody and lyrics at roughly the same time and build the music and instrumentation around whatever nugget of that originally sparked joy or intrigue. I almost always have an errant melody in my head, and I keep a note app full of the odd one-liners and little ideas that can sometimes wait for months and months before the right opportunity for them comes around though, so I make a habit to check that routinely.

Your song “Talk Therapy” raises an interesting question: Why does fun always feel mandatory? Any thought on that topic? 

I’ve always had a hard time enjoying myself, especially when I know it’s the expectation, like at my own birthday party or a heavily planned vacation. When I was little I’d have meltdowns and I can remember my mom saying something along the lines of “we just had such a good day, why do you do this?” and the guilt from that and frustration with how I’m “supposed” to feel has stuck with me.

Not to dwell on Severance, but that line made me think of the Music Dance Experience from season one. And you have a song called “Fingertrap.” Is that another Severance reference? 

It isn’t! I wrote it before ever watching the show. Rather than a little treat for my work performance, it’s about being stuck in a bad familial relationship and knowing that if both sides eased up and came together we’d be able to work it out, but just wanting to rip myself out of the situation instead. Which, I guess, is not so far from some Severance themes!

Your bandcamp bio is pretty straighforward: DIY boston musician. Is there a way in which those two elements fit together—DIY and being from Boston?

Hah, perhaps there is an inherent tenacity or stubbornness born out of Massachusetts.

What attracts you to doing it yourself as far as music — and, I suppose, art more broadly — is concerned?

I’ve been doing that way forever, and it originally came out of necessity. I didn’t have many musical connections growing up, or didn’t feel comfortable collaborating once I did, so if I wanted a particular instrument played on a track, I had to learn to do it myself. I didn’t have the money to outsource mixing or mastering, so I learned to do that, too. Now, I send my mixes to a mastering engineer and don’t shy away from recruiting other talented musicians for instruments I simply can’t play, but I still really like the learning process and satisfaction of improving on multiple fronts! I love the experience and having to push myself, even if it means I’m missing out on a more polished product. 

What’s on the horizon for you?

Potentially a little acoustic album in the near future, and a concept album in the less-near future.

Cool! I look forward to hearing that!