Behind the Video: Lia Pappas-Kemps Takes Us into Her New Video “Reservations”

Lia Pappas‑Kemps is turning heads as “Toronto’s next breakout songwriter,” and her latest release, “Reservations”, only amplifies that reputation. Released on August 29, 2025, via Coalition Music Records, the single unfolds as a wistful reflection on how longing can cloud judgment in love – choosing to ignore warning signs rather than confront them directly.

Penned in solitude inside her Montreal apartment, “Reservations” was brought to life through a live-off-the-floor recording session in Toronto surrounded by some of her favorite musicians. This approach gives the track an immediacy and authenticity – Lia’s voice crackles with intimacy over lush yet restrained instrumentation from Dylan Burchell (guitar), Julian Psihogios (drums), Melissa Paju (bass), and Lia herself on guitar.

The song occupies a space where ’90s alt‑rock grit meets the vulnerability of modern indie folk, shaped by Lia’s distinct phrasing and emotional delivery. Critics have noted echoes of Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, Alanis Morissette, and Luna Li, yet the song remains unmistakably her own.

With “Reservations”, Lia continues a compelling coming‑of‑age narrative already visible in her debut EP Gleam, praised by Tom Power of CBC for “perfectly captur[ing] teen angst” and noted for its genre-blending sophistication.

This video offers a deeper look into the creating of a song that balances raw vulnerability with musical restraint – and invites us to sit with her in that emotionally charged space. Below, Lia Pappas-Kemps invites us even deeper into that space with an exclusive interview about what inspired the video, the production process behind it, and more in the newest installment of our “Behind The Video” Series.

What’s the concept behind the video? Help us to understand the video’s concept in more detail and how it ties into the lyrics.

Lia Pappas-Kemps: “This song is about misconstruing bad omens and signs of trouble because of infatuation, and also being willfully ignorant with the hopes of preserving a relationship. With the video, I wanted to personify the red flags with a masked character that trails me. There’s also a cyclical quality in the song: returning to old habits and patterns. The last shot, having us both be masked, just marks this sort of continued delusion and the loss of sense of self that can happen in relationships.”

Did the band have a concept in mind based on the song or was the video creator given full reign to come up with a suitable visual companion?

“I worked in tandem with the director Paige Foskett who’s a friend of mine prior to working together on this. We just sat around and ideated the most far-fetched things we saw for the visuals, and then whittled it down to something that was somewhat doable. But the song itself existed as a completely singular entity to me before we got together to work on it. It was exciting to start with a clean slate and build something from the ground up with a collaborator, especially someone as creatively teeming as Paige.”

Lia Pappas-Kemps “Reservations” artwork

What was your favourite part behind the creation of the video?

“The whole day of filming was so much fun, but I think the first scenes with the car were the most exciting because the setting and the car were exactly how I had pictured them, so I was feeling incredibly energized and creatively fulfilled seeing it all come to life.”

What are some of your favourite music videos? What about when you were growing up?

“Jess Williamson has a music video for her song “Time Ain’t Accidental” that is so beautiful. It’s just one shot, she looks gorgeous and there’s lightning striking behind her as she sings and dances down the highway. I love a one shot. Growing up though, I feel like I was just obsessed with all of the pop girl videos. The one that’s randomly coming to mind right now is “Teenage Dream”. Iconic.”

What should a music video set out to accomplish? Do you feel like yours did that?

“Generally, I think a music video should primarily set a tone or mood for the song. But with this one, I also wanted to introduce a deeper or slightly different interpretation, to bring out layers in the lyrics that might not be immediately obvious. I think we were able to achieve both. The tone of the video is very specific, and it adds a new perspective to the song’s meaning.”

Is there any part of the process you’d do differently now?

“Honestly no, I loved everything about this process!”

How does the music inform the video in terms of visuals matching sound?

“We really wanted to create a dichotomy between the visuals and the sonics. I think that contrast is what made the process so exciting. We leaned much more into the darkness of the lyrics than the sweetness of the music. So I guess maybe the video informs the music by leading the listener to the darker aspects of the lyricism.”

Have you ever had such a great idea for a music video that you’ve written music for it?

“This has never happened to me sadly, but I hope someday it might! That sounds like a fun jumping off point for a song.”