As they charge into 2026, New York experimental alt-pop outfit Tripping Jupiter return with ‘This Fuss’, a vibrant and politically charged single that signals a new creative surge. Following October’s ‘Crack That Drum’, the band waste no time reigniting momentum, delivering a bold slice of alternative pop that fuses slick, synth-driven production with sharp-eyed social commentary.
Fronted by the magnetic Madstone Rowan (he/they), alongside Zeke Bardash, Jake Messinetti, and Marie Dragdeline, Tripping Jupiter channel frustration with unchecked power structures into something rhythmically irresistible. Produced by Barb Morrison (Blondie/Franz Ferdinand) and Bart Schoudel (Lady Gaga/Selena Gomez), ‘This Fuss’ wraps pointed observations in playful lyricism and towering harmonies, offering listeners a cathartic anthem to carry their anger without losing their sense of fun.
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Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in music?
I started playing piano when I was 9. I begged my parents for lessons. There was always music in my house – my parents sang and listened to music a lot, so it was a natural thing for me. I started my first band when I was 16 and haven’t looked back.
Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
I mean, I listen to A LOT of different music. Everything from current alt and indie to 1990s and 2000s alternative, classic rock, glam, classical, jazz, American standards (love!) – even some country (the older stuff). I have always been most fascinated by the avant garde – in music, but also in art. So it all kind of melds together. I remember looking at a Max Ernst painting and thinking “I want to make music that sounds like the way that painting makes me feel”
Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to pursue music seriously?
The first time I stepped onto a stage and performed in front of people. The feeling was incredible. Electric. I was a kid – but I remember thinking I wanted to do this always.
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
I have a couple of approaches. Sometimes I sit at my piano and just play and if a song comes out, I go with it. Other times, I’m on the computer, laying down a drum track. Then I put a bass groove to it – and just start singing. Eventually, I constructed the song around it. These songwriting sessions usually last hours – if I’m grooving on something and I want to go with it, I have to complete the demo. Often these ideas come to me at 1 am – and although the initial structure of the song comes quickly, getting it down on the demo can take hours. It happened a lot on our debut album. I’d start writing something after midnight and wouldn’t finish till the sun came up.
How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?
It’s never predictable. Usually with lyrics I just start singing something, almost like channeling it. It may not be coherent at first, but then I let it take shape. I usually feel like the song is writing to me – it just kind of comes and I get out of its way. There have been times I’ve had strong emotions in reaction to something that’s happened in my life and I wrote to kind of push through those feelings – but the subject matter of the song is never directly about what is happening in my life. I just try to capture in the song whatever I am feeling inside at the time.
Also dreams. I’m a vivid dreamer and I remember my dreams. A bunch of them inspired lyrics on our debut record and also some of the newer material.
What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?
Push back against the generic. Defy genre. Nothing has to fit into a neat, little box. And be yourself – always. Also – billionaires are bad. They shouldn’t exist.
What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?
People taking my money and not doing anything for me. It’s an expensive lesson to learn.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?
The studio process. I work with an amazing production team. Barb Morrison, half of that team, is also my music mentor and we have been meeting once every week or two on Zoom for a few years. But being in the studio with Barb and Bart Schoudel is just pure joy. I love seeing where they are going to take the songs. I could spend 10 hours in the studio and time just flies.
How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?
I just keep doing whatever I want to do artistically. That’s one of the positives of being an independent artist – no one is telling me what my songs have to sound like.
What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours?
We will be releasing a new song every month and a half or so for the rest of the year, leading up to the album release. And a tour is in the works with another act, my friend Mars the Star Child, starting this Spring. We are starting out on the East Coast of the US – New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey – and then heading westward. Later in the year I’d like to do a mini-tour in Europe and hit up places like Spain, Portugal, London of course. Our music seems to do well overseas – those are some of our top countries as far as listeners go.
Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?
Having millions of people listening to and responding to our music. Touring with big-name acts. Playing all over the world. Coming out with interesting albums. Writing a Broadway musical. Having a best-selling bobble-head with my likeness.
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