Lips of Strangers Photo credit: Kyle Seagraves
Emerging from New Jersey’s indie scene with a sound that blends lush synth textures and shoegaze sensibilities, Lips of Strangers are preparing to release their sophomore EP, Too Long For Lovers, on November 14th. But before the full project arrives, the band is setting a distinctly political tone with their new single, “Burn It Down and Start Over Again,” out October 15.
While Too Long For Lovers is largely described as a compilation of love songs, “Burn It Down and Start Over Again” stands apart as a raw, emotionally charged protest anthem. Driven by twinkling melodies, a steady pulse, and the distorted, echo-laden vocals of frontman Spencer Miles, the track doesn’t just ask for change—it demands it.
“It’s one part political statement and one part my own way of dealing with political grief,” says Miles. The song’s origins trace back to 2020, during the final stretch of then-president Donald Trump’s first term. After the 2020 election, Miles shelved the track, unsure of how to complete it. But on November 6, 2024—the day after a pivotal and disheartening election result—he revisited the song, and it quickly came to life.
“I spent the day in a bit of a despondent fog,” he recalls. “Late in the evening, I opened this track for the first time in years, and the song poured out of me incredibly easily.”
While its message is politically potent, Miles says the anger expressed in the track is multi-directional—aimed both at the right, for what he calls electing a “fascist,” and at the left, for “botching the election.” It’s a conflicted, cathartic response that mirrors the divided and emotionally volatile climate of contemporary American politics.
The song arrives as the third single from Too Long For Lovers, which follows Lips of Strangers’ self-titled debut EP released earlier in 2025. The new five-track collection features contributions from Kate Victor (keys, vocals), Zach Abramson (bass), Tim Alworth (drums), and Jim Orso (drums, percussion), with Miles not only leading as frontman but also serving as producer.
Unlike their previous studio work, many of the songs on the new EP were “road-tested” before being recorded. “We wrote them to expand our live set,” says Miles. “They evolved over time on stage, and we were able to bring that live energy into the studio.”
That blend of emotional vulnerability and performance-honed confidence is at the heart of _Too Long For Lovers_—a title that, much like its standout protest single, carries more than one kind of weight.
“Burn It Down and Start Over Again” stands out as the only protest track on Too Long For Lovers, which is otherwise a collection of love songs. How did you approach blending such contrasting themes on the same EP?
LIPS OF STRANGERS: Musically it’s also the outlier on the EP. It’s fast, high energy, and it has some really intense and harsh guitar moments. My hope is that a contrast of vibes across the collection will prevent the listeners from getting bored. That’s how I justified the contrasting themes, a little variety should help keep things interesting.
You mentioned the track was originally started in 2020 and revisited after the 2024 election—how did the time between those moments influence the final version of the song?
LIPS OF STRANGERS: It had been so long since I had worked on the song I didn’t really remember much about the original demo, so I was coming to it with totally fresh ears and able to hear some of those ideas in a completely new way. When I went back to it, one of the first things I did was come up with some new guitar parts. I also had the first verse in the original version, but I didn’t have a second verse, so it is interesting to me to look at that first verse which was written in 2020, and the second verse written at the end of 2024, as two distinct moments in time – the first verse is supposed to be a hopeful protest, but the second verse feels more resigned to our fates, embracing a sadness and indifference, for better or worse. I don’t know that I relate to that feeling now, but that’s how I felt on that day after the election.
Several tracks were road-tested before being recorded. How did live audience feedback or the energy of performing shape the direction of Too Long For Lovers as a whole?
LIPS OF STRANGERS: There’s such a great spontaneity in a live show. Ultimately, I want our finished recordings to feel spontaneous and exciting. You don’t want anything to feel too obvious or familiar to the audience, you want them to feel like something special is happening whether they’re hearing a song live or a studio recording. Our songs for the new EP were feeling good in the demo stage, but during the first few shows it became apparent that there was room for improvement. That kind of live experience with unfinished songs is an invaluable lesson, and helped us fix some of those ideas that maybe weren’t working. Maybe a drum part here and there, a vocal melody in a few spots, some guitar parts that I improvised live, and then we tried to translate all those changes into the finished songs. I think the songs turned out much better having gone through the live wringer.
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