Hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah, Hadley and Logan Nelson began creating music together in 2019, blending an indie pop sound inspired by the music they grew up listening to. As the members that makeup Silver Cup, the duo’s lyrical content ranges from themes of suburban upbringing to existential contemplation, capturing the essence of coming-of-age experiences. Through their collaborative efforts, Silver Cup has successfully cultivated a highly dedicated fan base, and by joining their community, one can expect to discover a strong sense of togetherness and music that is welcoming and inclusive.
Silver Cup’s latest single, “No Longer Love,” is a powerful exploration of the emotional turmoil within a troubled relationship. The lyrics capture the agonizing cycle of longing and the urgent need to escape a toxic, abusive dynamic. Themes of loneliness, uncertainty, and self-reflection permeate the track as it grapples with the struggle to let go of someone who causes harm.
In crafting this impactful song, Silver Cup drew inspiration from a collaborator, Jean Philip-Grobler of the band St. Lucia. Additionally, the track was mixed by Chris Zane, known for his work with acclaimed acts like Passion Pit and Sleigh Bells.”
I really love the band’s name. Where did it come from?
Hadley (H): “Silver Cup” is the name of the company our great-great-grandfather founded. It was a fish feed plant that has been part of our family for generations. He passed it down to our grandpa, and then to our dad, who sold it a few years ago. We wanted to honor that legacy by naming our sibling band after it. It’s a way of keeping our family history alive and carrying forward a piece of our heritage in our music.
The lyrics of “No Longer Love” delve into the complex emotional terrain of a troubled relationship. What personal experiences or observations inspired you to explore this theme, and how did you aim to capture the nuances of that internal conflict in your songwriting?
H: I wrote this song from a deeply personal experience, but it also reflects some of my inherent tendencies as a person. I’m very passive and forgiving, often letting things happen to me while clinging to the good moments to understand, empathize, and take the high road. While these traits make me happy-go-lucky and empathetic, they also put me in difficult situations. This song highlights a toxic relationship where the speaker tolerates hardship due to emotional dependence on their lover, but it’s also self-critical. The speaker procrastinates the breakup they know they need to initiate because they selfishly cling to the good moments, despite the bad ones being really bad. When I wrote these lyrics, I was coping with resentment towards the subject, but also being self-critical and describing the fear of speaking up, which is ultimately quite harmful to the people around me. The song captures the struggle of recognizing a harmful situation yet feeling paralyzed by the fear of letting go.
You mentioned collaborating with Jean Philip-Grobler of St. Lucia, an artist you’ve long admired. What drew you to work with him, and how did his creative influence and production techniques shape the final sound of “No Longer Love“?
H: Where to start? We’ve both been fans of St. Lucia, along with the rest of our family, since their album “When The Night” in 2013. This has always been a dream collaboration for us. When we noticed they followed us last summer, we had to shoot a DM and plan something for when Jean was in New York. We love his work for how big, powerful, and beautiful it is. We’ve always admired him as a vocalist and felt like his skill set would really bring a fresh texture to our music and elevate it to a new level.
Logan (L): I’m pretty sure I made out with my first girlfriend to “When The Night”. Also, in my high school band, people always drew comparisons to our voices. We had a demo of “No Longer Love” that I had worked on with our longtime collaborator Carl Bespolka on a writing trip to Teasdale, UT. The beat/tone was pretty much done once we had left that trip, but we thought it just needed some more organic textures/elements that we knew Jean would nail. When we got the bounces back, it totally brought a “massive” feeling to it that we were missing. His guidance helped transform the track into what it will be upon release. It’s bigger, better, and has a hint of that signature St. Lucia touch that we’ve always loved.
H: This is the first song we have made with him, so more on that in the coming months!
What things do you rely on each other for when it comes to the band’s dynamics?
H: When it comes to the technical stuff, Logan is our producer, so I (Hadley) really rely on him to both initiate a sonic idea and bring it to completion. While we write together and Logan is also a talented topliner and songwriter, I think my contribution lies in concept ideation. I’m an English nerd who loves poetry, literature, and analyzing subtext and literary techniques to deliver meaning and illustrate powerful concepts. Additionally, I serve as Logan’s second opinion. He’s incredibly talented but can sometimes get in his head, so having me in the room to offer my perspective or throw out ideas really helps solidify our songs, even if it’s just giving a thumbs up or a confidence boost to follow a specific direction.
L: I just write by “feel.” In my experience with music, everything is secondary. So if the room doesn’t feel anything, what’s the point of sharing? I’ll never make anything that doesn’t raise the hairs on my neck, but I want everyone, especially my sister, to have that feeling as well. I think you can get anything you make there with the right collaborators in the room. I’m lucky to have my sister as one of them.
H: My brother is the fireball, type-A, passionate initiator, and I am the chill, introspective, validating people’s feelings. This balance allows us to complement each other and create music that resonates on multiple levels.
Do you like the same music generally speaking, or do you have somewhat different tastes informing what you end up sounding like?
H: To be honest, we both listen to a lot of the same music and always have. As the adoring little sister, I (Hadley) have always wanted to listen to the same things my brother was listening to because I really trusted his taste and opinion. Though I have my own opinions now, we still share a lot of favorites. That being said, our influences come from all over the place, and we certainly don’t stick to one genre. We both appreciate a little bit of everything. Our music specifically takes on pop songwriting qualities, as we are both lovers of pop, with an electronic-driven production vibe.
L: The older I get, the more my taste becomes more mature. It’s pretty tough to listen to something nowadays that’s truly bad. I’ve been blown away at the level of talent in the pop space in the last few years. I can’t cuff my slacks, wear Doc Martens, and berate music anymore. It’s shallow; there’s too much great stuff out there nowadays. Pop music is good. It’s pretentious if you think otherwise. Growing up, I was one of those guys. So sorry, Hadley, for making fun of Bridget Mendler in “Lemonade Mouth.”
How was the process of filming the video?
H: Filming the video was a deeply creative journey for me. I went back to my roots to find inspiration, starting with mood boarding on Pinterest. I created a little creative deck with a color palette that I felt matched the song’s vibe—it’s dark, moody, and cool. I also wanted the video to feel somewhat apocalyptic to reflect the concept of the song, which deals with a toxic and impossible situation that feels like the end of the world.
L: Once we had the general visual idea together, I persuaded Hadley to go along with an idea I have had for a while: Having Hadley dance in a video.
H: I grew up dancing, but it’s been many years, and I was never really that good despite the hours and hard work I put in. So, I was hesitant at first, but I saw the vision and was convinced. We called our friend and talented dancer/choreographer Cali Lloyd. I met with her a few times to get my dancing feet back. She choreographed something wonderful that I think captured the tortured feelings of the song perfectly. I was able to pull from my own experiences to pour emotion into it, making the process both challenging and incredibly rewarding.
L: We were able to work with an amazing crew on this. The first step was finding a Director of Photography who could execute the creative vision Hadley and I thought up. A mutual friend recommended that I call Bradley Virshup. He made the creative/direction work so well through his cinematography. Very grateful to him, Cali Lloyd, Jack Kelly, and Tom Hohle for their efforts on this one. Couldn’t have done it without them.
What made you want to tackle these heavier emotional themes, and how do you hope the song will resonate with listeners who may be navigating similar relational challenges?
H: My absolute favorite songs that have the most impact on me are the ones where I can really tell that the artist came from a place of great vulnerability and personal experience. It makes it feel so much more real and genuine and stirs up much more of an emotional response. If you don’t relate, you can still sympathize because you can literally feel the artist pouring their heart out. If you do relate, even better, because feeling seen or heard by a good song is one of the most impactful things. It doesn’t even need to offer hope or resolution necessarily; just feeling understood by something is so powerful. There’s nothing better than thinking in your head, “Man, how the heck did this artist know exactly what I’m going through right now?” That’s the effect I want all of my music to have.
As a sibling duo, how does your close-knit family dynamic inform the way you approach writing and recording songs that explore such personal themes of heartbreak and emotional turmoil?
H: Honestly, it’s really hard. I would definitely be super honest and say that both of us have written our most personal lyrics in solitude. While we do work together to complete and tweak things, recently we’ve both written on our own a lot more as well. I am personally an extremely private person, so it’s tricky to approach getting really vulnerable about something with anyone, dare I say, especially my own big brother who I grew up with teasing me. Not that he does that now, but it definitely adds a unique spin/challenge to the writing process. I don’t think it’s necessarily an obstacle always, but it’s definitely something to acknowledge and something I’m sure we’ll continue to explore the dynamic of.
L: The key is we trust each other. We will never discredit our personal experiences, only elevate them. Lyrics won’t be heard by the masses unless they’re true. Also, we aren’t dumb. We have a good idea of what these personal songs are about because we are with each other four times a week. We know what’s going on in each other’s lives. There isn’t a need to pry, only a need to elevate the song.
As you continue to evolve as artists, how does “No Longer Love” fit into the broader narrative and thematic exploration of your discography? What new insights does it offer into the growth and development of Silver Cup‘s artistic vision?
H: I think that every new Silver Cup release is a step-up. “No Longer Love” is by far the most well-made and professional song yet. It feels like a unique evolution from what we have put out before, blending elements from our previous projects like “Song From a Broken Laptop” with a new low-key, four-on-the-floor beat that carries a moodier energy reminiscent of some of our earliest releases. It offers a glimpse into our growth and development as artists, showcasing our ability to blend electronic elements with fresh, pop melodies while staying true to our signature sound. We’re simply writing from our hearts without too much pressure on any specific direction or intention with the sound, and what is coming out is really fresh.
L: We can’t wait to share the other songs we have been working on soon—things are only going to get better from here.
Looking ahead, what’s next for Silver Cup?
H: First, our focus is on releasing “No Longer Love” along with its music video, which is our proudest yet. In the video, I (Hadley) took a leap by incorporating some choreography, blending pop elements with a moody, apocalyptic vibe. We’re super excited to share that on 6/7. Beyond that, we’re committed to continuing to push out new music.
L: We want to maintain a steady stream of fresh releases throughout the rest of the year because we’re eager to share what we’ve been working on. The industry has been tough on us the last few years, so sticking to making music is the goal. Additionally, we’re planning to play live this summer in New York, and we’re thrilled to have recently announced our involvement in the music festival “Love Letters” in our hometown of Salt Lake City this September. It should be a great return for our fans. We can’t wait.
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