“My life got bigger once I was diagnosed, not smaller.”

I love this thought. That even when life gets difficult, there is still room for joy, new perspectives, and beautiful surprises. Today, we’re so happy to share an interview that is not only about wonderful music, but also full of beautiful thoughts about life, friendship, and finding joy even when things aren’t always easy.

Pen Pin is the musical project of Jeni Magaña and Emily Moore, two talented musicians who first met while touring with Mitski. What started as a friendship soon turned into a creative adventure, bringing together their love for music, playful ideas, and the simple pleasure of making something together.

Their new album Pony Up is a great collection of dreamy melodies, nostalgic sounds, and songs that feel like little pockets of sunshine. It’s playful, gentle, sometimes wonderfully romantic, and above all, a reminder not to forget the lighter side of life. Because even when life takes unexpected and difficult turns, there is still so much beauty to be found. And perhaps that’s what makes this album and our conversation with Jeni and Emily so special. Behind all the lovely melodies are two women who have learned, in their own ways, that friendship, creativity, and a little bit of playfulness can carry us through a lot.

We spoke with them about their first impressions of each other, the stories behind their songs, the importance of holding on to the people we love, and all those little things that make life worth celebrating.

Photography by Glenn Isaacs

Hey Jeni and Emily! So lovely to have you on C-Heads! How are you both doing today? (smiles)

Jeni: We’re in business mode for album and show related things! It’s honestly kind of thrilling.

Emily: I’m in Lake Arrowhead enjoying the fall leaves and cool weather. Plus our album comes out next week. Couldn’t be better!

You first met while touring with Mitski. Do you still remember your first impressions of each other?

Jeni: I’m gonna let Emily take this one because she has such a distinct impression of me. But I remember showing up and she immediately apologized to me and offered to carry my bag upstairs and I was like…what is happening why is she afraid of me?

Emily: Vividly. I was so scared of Jeni. I first met her in a zoom meeting with the new Mitski band. She was in my lower left corner with her arms folded and giant parka on. I knew she lived in LA and I just couldn’t make any sense of this. Why the parka? She also has a very blunt text style that I was not prepared for and have since begged her to stop using “ok” because I’m a millennial and only comfortable when I see at least 2 exclamation marks. Turns out she was just cold in her parka and hates texting, so shame on me for being so judgemental. She’s the warmest and kindest person I know.

I love the idea behind Pony Up – finding joy in the little things and bringing more playfulness into life. I think that’s something we sometimes forget as we get older. What inspired this way of thinking?

Jeni: That’s such a good question. I think maybe we’re both naturally playful in our personalities, and when you mix us together it’s an obvious result. It was maybe like a week into our first tour together that we were like “should we make a dance to do before the shows?” or “should we have the whole band match for no reason on this night?” It’s probably why we were such a good match musically too. It’s just like hey do you want to do this recording? Yes, why not! And then eventually we had a record of them!

In another interview, you said something about Pony Up that I really loved: “The lesson here is life can be hard, try to make it fun when you can. And obviously pretty much any person that walks this earth has had their fair share of trials. So we’re hoping to remind them to take a second, put their hands in the air, add a dash of whimsy wherever they can.”

I think that’s such a beautiful thought, and something I often think about myself. It’s also what we try to do with C-Heads – bring a little beauty into a world that can sometimes feel quite grey and difficult. Was this message something that naturally developed while making the album, or was it your intention from the very beginning?

Jeni: Yes I love that! Most of my music making up until I met Emily was about finding beauty in embracing sadness or some of the typically darker emotions. It wasn’t until we started writing together that I realized that can be true and I can also celebrate the lighter and more whimsical moments. It definitely wasn’t my intention from the very beginning but I was very inspired by the idea of appreciating all of life.

Emily: I’ve always been naturally drawn to the goofy and playful parts of life and I’ve also dealt with my fair share of sadness and hard times. I found early on that the joy and the playfulness you can find in friendship really helps heal from the hardships. Something that is beautiful about Pony Up is that Jeni and I were new friends when we started writing together and I think our personalities are reflected in the making of the album and the final product. I don’t know if it was intentional to record an album about this idea but that’s what happened because that’s who we are.

“My life got bigger once I was diagnosed, not smaller.” Emily

“Fade Out” is the focus track of your new album and also comes with a cute music video. Can you tell us a little about the story behind the song?

Emily: More than any other song on Pony Up, I think Fade Out emphasizes finding joy in the sadness. It very much feels like an anthem to hold onto life and the people in it that brings you comfort and happiness. We wrote this song before I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 but I leaned on it a lot while I was going through treatment and it has taken on a whole new importance to me. It’s about making sure to appreciate the things that really matter to you.

I really love your song “Spooky Love”. There’s something so soft, dreamy and romantic about it. Back then, the song was a playful celebration of love and the idea of wanting to spend your life with someone, wrapped up in a Halloween atmosphere. Does it still hold the same meaning for you today, or do you see and feel the song differently now?

Jeni: Ok so, my husband and I got engaged right before we moved out to California from NYC in 2019. We booked a wedding venue for October 2020 and printed all our invitations and were about to send them out when covid hit. So we rescheduled a few times with the venue and eventually a year later the only time they had available was the night before Halloween. I actually really love the spooky vibe so I consider it a total asset. We went out after the wedding and there were a million costume parties happening and then at brunch the next day our server was dressed like a minion. It was awesome. We just recently celebrated our anniversary and then went out to Emily’s to celebrate Halloween and I feel like every year we get this perfect mix of love and whimsy and spooky. So this one is still rocking the same vibe for me!

Emily, you’ve been through a very personal journey with breast cancer. If you feel comfortable sharing, has that experience changed the way you look at life and what really matters?

Emily: I honestly wasn’t sure how I would come out of it. I worried for a while that it would make me more anxious or more fearful. Smaller, basically. But I feel very proud of where I ended up. I believe the journey made me more of who I already was. I’ve always strongly valued my relationships and wow, they really showed up for me. I have a wonderful circle of friends and I felt so supported throughout treatment and after treatment too. It just made me realize that I want to hold on to them and never let them go. My life got bigger once I was diagnosed, not smaller.

“I’m constantly marveling at the feeling of sun on my skin.” Jeni

You’ve both toured with some incredible artists, but with Pen Pin, you’re creating something entirely your own. What’s been the most rewarding part of that creative freedom?

Jeni: I have learned so much from this process musically, and we have both expanded in different ways to fill roles with the band that needed to be filled. It’s incredible to have the space to do that. Also it’s just rewarding to be in a situation where you’re valued for your creative potential and not just for your playing ability. Which, of course, is another awesome situation. But it satisfies some itch to be able to also come up with a bridge for something or decide that the song should have a synth chorus and have that be celebrated.

Emily: The most rewarding part for me has been the chance to try new things. I love that Jeni and I are so open to allowing each other the space and freedom to just play. It’s a safe environment to feel like a beginner on a new instrument or to develop a new skill.

And one thing I’m curious about – where does the name Pen Pin actually come from? Is there a special meaning behind it? (smiles)

Jeni: It was sort of an early bonding in our friendship. Basically we found out both of us can’t really tell the difference between the words “pen” and “pin” sonically. It’s funny to us and we think it’s a cute whimsical name but man it makes explaining our band name hard for people who are trying to look us up. We gotta get a tattoo of it or something.

And finally, what are the little things in life that make you genuinely happy at the moment?

Jeni: I love this game. The weather has just changed and I’m constantly marveling at the feeling of sun on my skin. I’m taking morning walks just to be in it more often. I want to be outside all the time. Also I’m currently back into enjoying cooking. Not the cooking part exactly, but the recipe choosing and tweaking part.

Emily: Can I make a list? I’m making a list.