Primer Talks Single “A New Paradigm,” Abject Pop, and Togetherness

February 21st, 2026 – Los Angeles, CA

It’s a sunny Saturday afternoon on the brink of spring, and I’m listening to Primer’s new single “A New Paradigm” in my headphones as I walk to my car. The song’s streak of cynical lyricism strikes me, but I’m equally moved by the danceable synth melody running beneath it. It’s exactly that hard-hitting juxtaposition that sends me diving into the rest of Primer’s discography.

Over coffee, I sit with Alyssa Midcalf– the brains behind the tracks presented under her creative alias, Primer. Blending ‘80s-inspired synth with powerful dance rhythms that are still relevant enough to make you move today, Primer brings dream-pop exuberance into an array of EPs and albums. Her song “Feel The Way I Do” hit over 4 million streams after being featured in the viral superhero comedy video game Dispatch, bringing in a whole new wave of listeners to its parent album, Incubator. Many shows and streaming milestones later, Primer is back with a new single– “A New Paradigm” –and a new sonic boldness that pushes beyond the boundaries of her previous projects.

Over a lively electronic beat, “A New Paradigm” opens with the lyrics: “I am the antichrist/I play the victim well when it suits me right.” Pessimism set to a propulsive drum beat is something Primer does well– there is a particular vulnerability in setting introspective turmoil to dance. I ask Alyssa about the stakes of this bold sonic contrast, and she explains the natural formation of what she creates. “A lot of Primer’s songs are basically me thinking, I feel weird about myself, or I’m having all these feelings that I need to express. But they’re also pop songs. You can still dance to it. You can still enjoy it, and not really think about the words. And if you’re really paying attention to them, you can– and that’s the vulnerability part of it.”

Photography by Rik Horoky (IG: @rikhoroky)

This polarity comes to life through what Alyssa calls “abject pop.” “I just thought of that as a good word to describe the lyrics,” she tells me. “I don’t know how intentional that contrast was– it’s just the two things that I’m expressing at once.” When I ask about any inspirations for this stylistic duality, she points to Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own.” “That song is amazing, and it feels very abject– it’s just so vulnerable.”

The pull of the dance floor is central to Primer’s discography. Many of her songs have the pure ability to get listeners on their feet. I imagine the collective energy of Primer’s crowd and ask whether audiences enhance her performance in return. “You create this environment in your music, which seemingly urges people to dance,” I say. “Does the audience come to life in ways that enhance your performance?”

Alyssa laughs, reminiscing. “Yeah, that’s funny– because when we were on tour last summer, we were supporting, so I wasn’t really expecting people to be super familiar with us. But I like to do a little bit of choreography, and I was actually surprised that people were following along. There’s a bit of a dance during ‘Round and Round,’ which is a song from my EP, and people were actually joining in. That was really cool to see.”

Photography by Rik Horoky (IG: @rikhoroky)

In spring 2024, Primer toured major cities along the West Coast. One particularly memorable show was the Whistle Stop in San Diego. “Nothing super out of the ordinary happened overall,” she recalls, “but every time we play in San Diego, we play the Whistle Stop. There’s no stage. I don’t know why it’s my favorite place, but I love it. We played this tiny bar, basically floor-level, and we actually got asked to do an encore.” We talk for a moment about the unique community within the San Diego show scene. It seems that loyalty to certain venues brings people together across age groups and tastes.

“In the middle of our [San Diego] set, someone bought merch– which has never really happened to me before. It was the sweetest older woman. She had a $20 bill in her hand while I was playing, just kind of waiting. Then she left, came back with a shirt while I was still singing, and put the $20 on my synth. And I was like– wow. In a venue like [the Whistle Stop], without a stage, someone can just walk up to you like that.” That breaking the fourth wall between artist and audience is something that Alyssa cherishes– it confirms a strong community that is often fostered within unique fan bases and music scenes. “You get a wide range of people in San Diego. I do feel like people really show up there. There’s just a different energy. I love playing there, it’s always so fun.”

Photography by Rik Horoky (IG: @rikhoroky)

On the topic of live performance, I bring up a recent show Primer played– a fundraiser organized by heaven2nite benefiting families affected by ICE, in partnership with CHIRLA. The lineup included artists such as Catherine Moan, Choir Boy, and Sextile. Performing for a cause carries a different weight, and I ask Alyssa about the gravity of her experience. “That was an awesome show,” she smiles. “I’m so proud of the promoter for putting it together– they sold it out, which was incredible. It reminded me that sometimes, the one thing we can do as people is come together and share a collective experience.”

Togetherness is always a constant in Alyssa’s creative intentions. “[heaven2nite’s show] felt special. People weren’t just there for the music. CHIRLA spoke during the event, and you could really feel that everyone understood why we were there. There was something unifying us beyond just the performance.”

Heaven2nite’s show happened right in the midst of Minneapolis turmoil, when protests were erupting in cities across the U.S. “At that time, a lot was happening– it felt very present and immediate. Sometimes you have to remind yourself that we’re all experiencing these things together. That night really felt like that reminder.”

Photography by Rik Horoky (IG: @rikhoroky)

For Alyssa, “A New Paradigm” embodies that same urgency for connection. Whether through song, shared space, or online community, she hopes listeners feel less alone. Through her lyrics, she hopes to provide a relative consensus to listeners– that we are all connected, despite the polarizing tactics of modern forces. “Whenever I’m feeling really pessimistic about the world, my instinct is to think, Well, at least there’s a collective experience. At least we’re not alone in it. That’s how I feel about music, too. If you can get people on a dance floor or bring them into a room where you can share this collective moment, at least we have that. So I wanted to bring those two things together– the darkness and that shared, communal release.”

“In [‘A New Paradigm’], I’m speaking from the first-person perspective of, like, evil personified– or these forces of darkness, chaos, and unsettling feelings. The song is kind of facetious, but also serious.” Again, the push-and-pull between sonic brightness and lyrical weight comes into focus. “I wanted to create something driving and anthemic, almost like we could commiserate about the darkness in the world. Maybe it could be a little danceable– maybe even a little happy. I don’t know if ‘fun’ is the right word, but there’s that energy to it.”

Primer approaches dance empathetically, fully aware of how her music moves a crowd. The consideration of a live audience is present in the studio when crafting a record. Inspirations, innovations, and experimental mixing come together whenever Alyssa has her hands on a new project. “A lot of my inspiration comes from the ’80s music I was discovering when I was younger– like Kate Bush –or when I was really into Beach House and bands like that. Even now, with more contemporary artists, I think Magdalena Bay’s production is incredible. They’re one of those bands where I can listen to a song and just enjoy it, but I can also sit down and try to find every little piece and detail.” Breaking apart the music of her inspirations, Alyssa agrees, helps her craft her own sound.

“That’s what I love about production– when you can hear the details someone has sewn in. It takes a certain type of person to be hunched over a computer, stitching things together. It’s very tedious– repetitive, detailed work.”

Photography by Rik Horoky (IG: @rikhoroky)

“I remember hearing– I think it might have been Björk –say that production is very feminine in that way. It’s like sewing or knitting. You spend your time on this really meticulous, repetitive craft, building something piece by piece. And honestly, I kind of stick to that idea.” We talk for a moment about the need for more female producers across the industry. With home studios and production being so accessible to artists, more have been popping up across genres.

Alyssa is the starring figure in Primer’s production, working mostly in solitude to write, program, and present to listeners. She does not have any background in recording arts education, and instead figured it all out on her own. “It kind of became a necessity for me, because I started to feel like I wasn’t getting the results I wanted. I wasn’t really able to fully communicate what I was hearing in my head, and I was like, I guess I just have to learn how to do it myself.”

“I program the drums, program the synths, record my vocals, and put together a rough mix. Then I send it to the mix engineer– Trey Frye. He’s in a band called Korine, which has a very ’80s vibe. He’ll polish everything up, do some editing, and then handle the final mix and master.”

Photography by Rik Horoky (IG: @rikhoroky)

With “A New Paradigm” freshly released on February 20th, Primer steps into a slightly different era. In comparison to her past work, this single is less introspective. It seems that the world has changed within the time that’s passed since Primer’s last record– and for Alyssa, that change is exactly what “A New Paradigm” comments on. “Sonically, it’s pretty classic for me,” she states. “It’s still synths, bass, drum machine– that’s always my foundation. I did experiment with some different layering, but overall, the production really feels like my vibe.”

“However, lyrically, this one is a little more outward-facing. Usually, I write from a more internal place– about my personal life and how I’m feeling. But this song takes on a broader view of things. The material itself is different. I was considering putting it on a record, but it feels more standalone. Everything else has felt part of a larger narrative about my own life, and this one feels like its own separate moment.”

Alyssa’s growth as an artist is evident in this song. The world has shifted, and so has Primer– subtly, but intentionally. “A New Paradigm” exists between outward pessimism and optimism. Sometimes you need an optimistic beat to handle the heavy truths. Sometimes, you just want to dance through it.

At its core, Primer’s intention circles back to togetherness– the understanding that pain and darkness are collective experiences, and maybe the best response is to gather, move, and feel them side by side.

Photography by Rik Horoky (IG: @rikhoroky)

As for the future, Alyssa is pretty excited about Primer’s upcoming projects. “We’re working on an LP right now. This one won’t be self-produced. Sometimes I get into this mindset of trying to prove to myself that I can self-produce, which I’ve done, and now I know I can. We’ve already finished one song that’s coming out soon, and we’re planning to finish the rest of the record shortly after.”

If you’re craving an upbeat track with a glittery dance beat wrapped around tender, heavy lyricism, “A New Paradigm” delivers. Alyssa defines it best: “I love a song where you can be on the dance floor with a tear rolling down your face. That’s just my vibe.”