You might already be familiar with Party Nails, the artistic alter ego of Elana Carroll, whose music blends retro synthwave, futuristic electro-pop, and lush indie rock into a unique sound. Now, she has released the music video for “Trigger Warning,” a noir-electropop single that immerses you in synthwave energy reminiscent of Kavinsky’s “Nightcall,” Chromatics, and The Weeknd.
In “Trigger Warning,” you’re invited into the emotional journey of a survivor processing an abusive relationship. The lyrics navigate feelings of injury, pain, endurance, and eventual triumph, especially when she sings, “You’re gonna keep on rising / with the morning sun.” This song holds space for opposing emotional forces, delivering an immersive yet accessible experience as you listen.
The visual companion to the track is just as evocative. Directed by Elinor Howells, the music video weaves surrealism and emotional upheaval together, mixing dreamlike landscapes with introspective portraiture. You’ll notice the vintage-toned footage, nostalgic and otherworldly, as if you’re watching a hazy VHS tape or a fragment of a childhood memory. Themes of escape, community, inner searching, transformation, and transcendence play out vividly in the imagery.
Party Nails shares how she connected with Elinor Howells after admiring her work on Boy Phase’s “Small Talk” music video—a song Carroll recorded and mixed the previous year. She entrusted Howells with her ideas, encouraging her to run with them fully. You’ll see this creative trust reflected in the video’s storytelling, where the damsel character moves from chaos, fear, and confusion to beauty, connection, and joy.
The cinematography combines gritty street art from eastern Los Angeles with dreamy floral textures, led by director of photography Quinn Thomashow and enhanced by mixed media and editing from Estrello Lo. Together, they create a dreamlike world that you can lose yourself in. The narrative culminates with the damsel being rescued by Carroll’s real-life friends, the queer angel band Fake Dad, who bring her to a nightclub in Heaven. You can feel the energy as they dance surrounded by love and freedom of expression.
Beyond “Trigger Warning,” Party Nails has built a multifaceted music career since debuting in 2015. You may know her from her first tour supporting PVRIS and Lights in 2017 or through her contributions as a vocalist to artists like LŪN, Urban Heat, and MitiS. Not only is her music featured in television shows including Girls, The L Word: Generation Q, and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, but she also operates a recording studio called Top Coat in Los Angeles, where she produces and mixes her own work as well as other artists’ projects.
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Her third album, Pillow Talk, released under Eye Knee Records, presents a collection of ten genre-bending tracks that bring together retro synthwave and indie rock with forward-thinking electro-pop. With “Trigger Warning,” you get a vivid glimpse into the emotional and sonic landscape that defines Party Nails, an artist who continues to push creative boundaries while connecting deeply with her audience.
