Neptune’s Core Turns Pain into Power with “Unloved”
Article by Isabel Dowell
Making waves in the Midwest, the Chicago-based Neptune’s Core is bringing sparkling, feminine energy to the alternative indie rock scene. This four-piece, made up of two sets of sisters, is demanding all of your attention and emotion with their latest release, “Unloved”.
Sofie Richter (vocals/guitar), Hannah Richter (bass), Jackie Cywinski (guitar/vocals), and Kaitlin Cywinski (drums) want you to transform your pain into power with “Unloved” and truly experience their raw vocals and building guitar riffs. Hannah adds, “Every single time I hear this song my entire body goes tense from the emotion built into this–it shows so much bravery.” Accompanied by a band-made lyric video, the DIY aspect of the visual pulls you deeper into the illusion that their emotions are yours, your emotions are theirs, and together you are able to share in a vulnerable moment and be moved by empowering music.
When listening to “Unloved” for the first time, you will be overcome by the emotions of your past. When listening to “Unloved” for the second time, you’ll be ready to take on anything the world throws at you. “Unloved” will be featured on the group’s upcoming EP, Called Upon. Being their first project in two years, Neptune’s Core is holding absolutely nothing back.
"'Called Upon' is a beautifully diverse EP that truly shows how we work together in order to make music that is alive. The parts all four of us play separately naturally intertwine into unique, dynamic songs that we are extremely proud of." - Jackie Cywinsi (guitar/vocals)
The group’s genre-blending sound makes their music perfect for any age, audience, and individual. Thirteen was able to chat with the band about “Unloved”, their upcoming EP, and the group’s future - read more below!
Photo by Sam Monendo
THIRTEEN: Who is Neptune’s Core? How did you come to be a band?
Sofia Richter: It started as a casual “let’s play some music in a basement and have some fun times” type of thing. We worked on a few covers at first, anything from the Shins to Ballroom Blitz, and a couple months in, we started writing. When we started writing, we couldn’t stop. Between the four of us, we listen and experience all kinds of genres, and our music really reflects that. We’ve made our own distinctive sound that melts together all of the kinds of music we know and love. We’ve been writing music together for a couple years, but things really solidified at the beginning of 2023 when we opened for Dehd at their NYE show at the Empty Bottle. After that gig, and leading up to it, we decided Neptune’s Core is what we want to do.
Kaitlin Cywinski: We refer to ourselves as an alt-rock band, but we make an effort to transcend genres and make each song sound “new” or “different”. We all come from different classical and jazz backgrounds. We formed around 4 years ago right as we all began playing our instruments. We started playing music together as a form of self-expression and as a way to connect with each other. Around a year ago, as we played more shows and wrote more songs, we locked in and decided to take the band to a new level.
THIRTEEN: What’s it like being a band of two sets of sisters? I have a younger sister so I know how things can be!
Jackie Cywinski: Honestly, it brings us so much closer together. Of course we’ll have our sister bickering moments, but being 2 sets of sisters, we understand that it’s really not that serious (haha.) Being sisters, we know each other emotionally, and musically, so well, it’s basically telepathic. We know exactly how to work together, when to push each other, give each other space, etc. Being able to work so comfortably with each other makes so much more room for creativity.
Hannah Richter: I think being two sets of sisters actually makes us work better together. In a way we can all read each other's minds and know how each other are feeling. Like if someone is having an off day we all understand and are more patient with them. Being two sets of sisters is like our super power!
THIRTEEN: “Unloved” is your latest release and is meant to turn pain into power. Tell me more about that process.
Sofia Richter: I love the phrase “turn pain into power.” Before seeing it in an article a month ago, I had never really seen the song as something that did that. “Unloved” stemmed from a lot of pain. It represents how I felt the moment I wrote the song. I felt severely alone, especially when comparing myself to the people around me. The majority of the song is quiet and gentle. It’s sad. Originally, that was the song. There was no loud, crashing, drum-heavy, feedback, fiery ending. It just ended as softly and sadly as it began. I took it to the band in its original form and they all felt how special it was. The lyrics, the message, it was a stirring song. When I went home that night, after showing it to Jackie, Hannah, and Kaitlin, I knew it wasn’t finished. It needed that anger because sadness wasn’t all I felt; I felt angry. I was angry that I felt so alone. No one deserves to feel that way. So, I sat down and wrote the ending, and bam. That was a song. It felt complete. Kaitlin added her crashing drums, Hannah brought in a booming bass line, Jackie let her feedback loose, I let my voice express the deep anger I felt, and it was magical. The ending of “Unloved” is what turns pain into power. Belting those lyrics into the mic gives me life.
THIRTEEN: The lyrics are so powerful yet so heartbreaking. What line(s) are your favorites or resonate the most with you?
Sofia Richter: The imagery of the line “I wanna bash my head against the wall” in the opening verse is something that stands out to me. It’s the first time I’ve written a line like that, something with a violent undertone. It gets me thinking. “Unloved” is probably the most painful song I’ve written. It’s also the most relieving. The “you always fly above, while I remain unloved” line in each chorus also stands out to me. It brings in another element to the song. Who is the “you”? I think it’s people who are seemingly so loved. People who are happier and more deserving of love. That’s who the “you” is, maybe. I wrote these lyrics, but I’m not even quite sure. I love how long each line in the verse and the ending bridge is. The words keep spinning out, making each breath count more. “I’m unloved, why should I even try?” The last line of the song. It’s devastating. There is no happy ending, which sucks, but it’s honest. Now I can look back at the song and see it from a different perspective. I’m not in that place anymore. I was for a while, as the song shows. Perhaps I’ll return there again from time to time, but it’s a beautiful thing to be able to see how much I’ve grown and how much love I’ve found since writing the song.
THIRTEEN: “Unloved” is a masterpiece in terms of storytelling. There is a true beginning, middle, and end to not only the lyrics but its emotion, climax, and eventual, devastating conclusion. Will your upcoming EP, Called Upon, reflect on this more?
Hannah Richter: I think Called Upon is very similar to “Unloved” with the topics it focuses on but I also feel like Called Upon doesn’t really have a conclusion like “Unloved” does. What I mean by this is that with “Unloved” you know the ending isn’t happy as Sofie says in the last line, “I’m unloved, why should I even try?” This lyric is very obviously sad while with Called Upon I like to think that the ending is more up to how you perceive it. It leaves you questioning the journey you just went through while listening to the EP while “Unloved” tells you what you’re supposed to feel.
Called Upon does a lot of reflecting. It’s a release that puts emotion up front through its lyrics and is supported by lush instrumentation and dynamics. The EP has builds with certain songs but the EP order does not build in a way as linear as “Unloved” does. What emotional journey is truly linear? To me, Unloved represents one emotional journey while the EP encompasses many journeys. The EP resolves with the song “Why” which puts the meaning of the EP into question.
THIRTEEN: We already have two songs that give us a look into Called Upon, is there anything else you’d like to share about the EP?
Jackie Cywinski: “Inside” and “Unloved” are a perfect introduction to Called Upon, our EP that will be out on August 25th. There is so much new material that will come out of the EP as well. Called Upon is filled with a wide variety of songs, complex instrumentation, and touching lyrics. Along with the EP, we’ll be releasing a music video to one of the songs, “Bunga”. We’re so excited to share it with everyone and play the songs live the next night at our EP release show at the Metro.
THIRTEEN: Neptune’s Core was established in 2020 and already has two albums out, many singles, and are rising through the local scene in not only Chicago, but the Midwest. How do you feel about everything you’ve accomplished in the last three years?
Jackie Cywinski: Extremely proud. The music we released in 2020 and 2021 perfectly encapsulates the musicians and people we were at that point in time, and we are still so proud of the 2 albums Can’t Have It All and Evolving. Occasionally we’ll play our older songs live - it’s fun to revisit those times! Now, our music has grown with us as we’ve gotten older and have become more well-rounded and complex musicians and writers. We’ve played shows all around the Midwest the last 3 years and have an absolute blast!
Kaitlin Cywinski: I can’t even believe how far we’ve come. Honestly, I’m so proud of us. We have worked very hard to make connections with other musicians, venues, and our audience. We have been surrounded by amazing supportive musicians and venues that have allowed us to grow and helped us with opportunities. I’m so grateful we are playing music in the city we do. It’s so exciting and rewarding to see our work pay off, especially with the Metro show!
Hannah Richter: I’m so grateful and proud of how much we have accomplished but I’m always ready to do more. We have all grown so much over the past three years and our dreams have too. Me three years ago wouldn’t even be able to fathom how far Neptune’s Core has come and I hope myself in three years will think the same thing about me now!
Sofia Richter: I love these guys, and I’m really proud of us! We’re doing it together! I’ve enjoyed it all. Things just keep on getting more unreal. An EP release show at Metro is a dream come true. We’ve worked hard to make it happen. It’s really beautiful to see it all coming together. I cannot wait for what’s next!
THIRTEEN: What goals do you hope to achieve as a band in the future? Can be as big or as small as you want!
Hannah Richter: Something I have always wanted to do was go on tour, whether or not it’s ours or someone else’s. It seems like an experience you would learn a lot of lessons from and in general grow a lot from! Aside from tour, I think just trying to be a better musician and person everyday is another big one!
Sofia Richter: I hope to keep creating in a way that makes me love music! We’ve been changing up our songwriting style a bit recently, Jackie and I have been diving into more crazy pedals, I’ve been exploring endless loopholes of genres, and we’ve all just really been going for it with our songs. I love creating with these people. We totally get each other, musically and personally. So, I hope to keep that fire burning and explore all kinds of sounds and emotions with our music. Let’s do it!
THIRTEEN: Did you expect your success to bring you to this point? If you weren’t in Neptune’s Core, where do you think you’d be today?
Hannah Richter: When I first joined Neptune’s Core I had no idea where it would take us but I didn’t think it would become such a huge part of my life. If it wasn’t for Neptune’s Core I would probably be a lot less mature than I am now and also would have a much worse work ethic. Neptune’s Core has taught me how to accept myself and to not just follow what everyone else does so I think in general I wouldn’t truly be myself if it wasn’t for playing in this band.
THIRTEEN: What can we expect to see from you all after the EP is released in August?
Sofia Richter: Directly after the EP release, we have a show at the Metro which is SO exciting - such a legendary place! We are writing a lot of more material and can’t seem to stop haha. Nothing set in stone yet, but you can expect new music and lots of more shows for sure!
New songs, new shows, new adventures! There is a lot for us to look forward to. I cannot wait to continue to share our music with the people around us! We’ve been working on some really exciting songs. I love these people, and I love the way we work together. Lots more in store. BRING IT ON!
Kaitlin Cywinski: We’re definitely cooking some stuff up behind the scenes. You can expect more shows, new music and more fun! We have been writing a lot of new songs recently that we are very proud of and we are beyond excited to share these with you all!
Photo by Sam Monendo