Elijah Woods isn’t here to play it safe. His songwriting smells like summer rain, his 3025 alter ego is named Larry Mildew, and his boss battles involve fighting himself at level 100. Between unhinged DMs (“this song made me cheat on my boyfriend”) and rom-com rewrites, Woods is flipping heartbreak into hooks and chaos into charm. With his new single “Ghost on the Radio” about to drop, we sat down to talk eras, video games, and why recycled fungus might just be the future of tour fashion.
If your songwriting process had a smell, what would it be and why?
Elijah Woods: The smell of summer rain on a hot pavement. Optimistic and fresh, with notes of melancholy.
You wake up one day and you’re in the year 3025. What’s your stage name and what are you wearing on tour?
My stage name is Larry Mildew, and I only wear clothes made of recycled fungus. The music is really alt but always has a wild hook.
What’s the most unhinged DM you’ve received after releasing a sad song?
“this song made me cheat on my boyfriend”
Let’s say heartbreak was a video game. What level are you currently on, and what’s the boss battle like?
I am currently level 99, fully maxed out specs. Doing my third replay of the game for prestige points. The final boss is fighting a level 100 version of myself.
You get to replace the soundtrack of any rom-com with your own discography. Which movie are you claiming and why?
“How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days”. I feel like the playfulness and honesty of that movie still hits today.
You have to swap lives with one of your songs for 24 hours. Which one are you choosing and how chaotic is it going to get?
“last girl.” Zero chaos, zero stress, just out on the lake with the love of my life while we enjoy a perfect sunset.
Everyone talks about eras. What Elijah Woods era are you in right now, and how would you describe it?
I’m currently in a heavvvvvyyyy communication skills era. I feel like the last few years have brought some of the most rewarding and the most difficult conversations I’ve had in my life. It resulted in incredibly tough chats leading to really honest songs, so that’s a plus. The new album is very much rooted in this concept.
Your new single “Ghost on the Radio” dropped recently, what’s the story behind it, and how does it hint at what’s coming on the album?
“Ghost On The Radio” is about how someone can still haunt your life long after they’re gone, in songs, in places, and even in the quiet moments. It sets the tone for the rest of the album, which is basically me trying to make sense of the conversations I never got to finish.
What can fans expect from the new album that might totally surprise them?
There’s more bite and more substance. It’s still emotional, but less afraid to be mad or messy or hopeful. Also, I may have hidden a voice note in one of the songs, but you didn’t hear that from me.
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