Lonnie Gunn is an emerging indie singer-songwriter who has started attracting attention for a sound that is difficult to place in just one genre
Born in New Jersey and now based between Brighton and London, Gunn has built a growing reputation around emotionally direct songwriting, distorted guitars, unusual imagery and a playful approach to indie rock.
Her biggest introduction to a wider audience in 2026 came with the release of her debut EP 2013 horsemeat scandal.
The title is strange enough to make people stop and ask questions.
Why would an emerging singer name her first EP after a food scandal involving horse meat? The answer is more interesting than the title itself.
So who is Lonnie Gunn? She is an independent artist with a deliberately unusual identity and a growing catalog of emotionally complicated indie songs.
Her debut EP suggests that she is not interested in following a traditional path to becoming a musician.
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Table of Contents
Who Is Lonnie Gunn?
Lonnie Gunn is a New Jersey-born singer-songwriter who has made her home in the UK.1
She has lived between Brighton and London since moving to Britain in 2019.
Brighton has become an important part of her musical identity because of its active independent music scene. Gunn’s musical background began well before her debut EP.
According to her interview with Under the Radar, she was already performing in an indie rock band during her teenage years.
She also worked on music for short films after connecting with people online. Music was also part of her family environment.
Her father was a former new wave club DJ. Gunn has said that the music he introduced her to encouraged her to be more adventurous with what she listened to.
Her sister later became involved in music too and fronts the Leeds-based noise rock band Skintern. Gunn has said that watching her sister perform has influenced her own confidence on stage.
Before fully committing herself to music in the UK, Gunn spent time cutting hair in New York and living with her father. A trip to London eventually became much more permanent than she expected.
She applied to a UK university close to the deadline and was accepted. She has now spent several years developing her artistic career in Britain.
Her story is interesting because she did not follow the typical industry route. Gunn has spoken openly about once believing that someone from the music industry would simply discover her.
Over time she realized that being talented was not enough. She needed to approach music as a career and take more control over the process.
That change in attitude appears to have played an important role in the artist she is becoming today.
Lonnie Gunn’s Music and Style
One of the most interesting things about Gunn is the way she combines contrasting sounds.
Her music can move between sweet melodies and aggressive guitar textures. It can sound funny and uncomfortable at the same time.
Gunn has used the term “bubblegum grunge” to describe her style. Other descriptions have highlighted elements of indie pop, grunge, alternative rock and early-2000s pop-rock.
That combination helps explain why her songs stand out. Gunn does not seem interested in making music that is simply dark or simply upbeat.
Instead she puts emotional discomfort inside catchy structures. A song can have a memorable melody while dealing with dependence, grief or the fear of losing someone.
Her lyrics also use unusual images. Objects, bodies, decay and strange visual ideas appear throughout her writing. This gives her music a slightly surreal quality.
Her song “Taxidermy Swan” is a strong example. The track was influenced by A Zed & Two Noughts, a film by Peter Greenaway that features imagery connected to animal decay.
Gunn has also cited poet Richard Siken as an influence on the song. This mixture of emotional honesty and bizarre imagery has become one of the defining parts of her identity as an artist.
Stats Table
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Lonnie Gunn |
| Birthplace | New Jersey, United States |
| Current base | Brighton and London, UK |
| Profession | Singer-songwriter |
| Main genres/styles | Indie, alternative rock, indie pop, grunge |
| Self-described sound | Bubblegum grunge |
| Debut EP | 2013 horsemeat scandal |
| EP release | August 6, 2026 |
| Number of EP tracks | 7 |
| Notable song | “Babytooth” |
| Other songs | “Pink Butterfly Wing,” “Taxidermy Swan,” “Good Girls Go to Heaven” |
| EP themes | Anxiety, grief, nostalgia and impermanence |
| Key collaborator | Oscar Lang on “Babytooth” |
| Major 2026 opportunity | Supported Kim Gordon in London |
| Music scene | Brighton and London indie scene |
The Story Behind 2013 horsemeat scandal
The title of Gunn’s debut EP is perhaps the first thing most new listeners notice.2
2013 horsemeat scandal refers to the real horse meat scandal that affected beef products in the UK and Ireland in 2013. Horse meat was discovered in products that had been sold as beef which created widespread concern about food labeling and the supply chain.
Gunn was not directly connected to the original scandal. Instead the phrase came from a conversation years later.
An English friend mentioned the 2013 horse meat story. Someone then joked that the phrase sounded like something Gunn would use as a song title.
Gunn remembered the phrase and wrote it down. Eventually she kept returning to it until it became the title of her debut EP.
The title may sound random at first but Gunn eventually found deeper connections between the phrase and the songs.
The EP deals heavily with the body, vulnerability, weakness, decay and impermanence. The strange title therefore began to feel appropriate to the world she had created.
It also creates curiosity. Some listeners might think the name is hilarious. Others might find it disgusting.
Some might assume it has a serious meaning. Gunn herself has acknowledged that the title can produce all of these reactions.
That ambiguity fits her music.
What Is on Lonnie Gunn’s Debut EP?
The EP was written over approximately one year. Gunn’s main themes include anxiety, grief, nostalgia and the awareness that relationships and experiences eventually change or disappear.
The opening and closing of the EP are particularly personal. The project begins with a voice recording from Gunn’s best friend from high school.
It ends with a voice note featuring a song that her former partner used to sing to her. Those two moments give the EP the feeling of a personal letter rather than simply a collection of songs.
Gunn has described the project as being connected to the difficulty of letting go when something or someone matters deeply.
2013 horsemeat scandal contains seven tracks:
| Track | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | I Miss Everything |
| 2 | Photocopy |
| 3 | Babytooth |
| 4 | Pink Butterfly Wing |
| 5 | Taxidermy Swan |
| 6 | Good Girls Go to Heaven |
| 7 | glow in the dark star |
“Babytooth” and Gunn’s Pop Side
One of the most notable tracks from the EP is “Babytooth.” The song was co-written with producer and musician Oscar Lang.
It moves Gunn toward a more polished pop-rock sound while keeping the emotional tension found elsewhere in her work.
The song explores dependence and the difficulty of separating from an emotionally intense relationship. Its central imagery turns the idea of losing someone into something almost childlike and frightening.
Gunn has said that the song came from thinking about a deeply enmeshed relationship. The idea of life without the other person can feel impossible when your identity has become closely connected to them.
Musically, “Babytooth” also shows that Gunn is comfortable moving beyond straight indie rock. Vocal effects and glitch-inspired production give it a more modern alternative-pop character.
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“Pink Butterfly Wing” and Relationships
Another important song from the EP is “Pink Butterfly Wing.”3
The track was inspired by the aftermath of a long relationship. Gunn described going to watch her former partner’s band perform after their relationship had ended.
She found herself surrounded by young fans who were singing along to songs about a relationship they knew nothing about.
For Gunn, the experience was both beautiful and surreal. She was connected to the story behind the songs but was now simply another person standing in the crowd.
The song eventually became less about that specific relationship and more about Gunn’s broader feelings about love. This is an important part of her songwriting.
Personal experiences often become starting points rather than the entire subject. A specific breakup can turn into a song about attachment, identity and the complicated nature of love.
“Taxidermy Swan” Shows Her Experimental Side
“Taxidermy Swan” may be one of the clearest examples of Gunn’s willingness to embrace strange ideas.
The song was partly inspired by Greenaway’s A Zed & Two Noughts. Gunn remembered the film’s disturbing time-lapse images of animals decomposing and insects feeding on remains.
The imagery stayed with her for years. She also connected the song with Richard Siken’s poetry.
The result is a track that fits perfectly into the unusual world of 2013 horsemeat scandal. It takes something unsettling and turns it into a form of emotional expression.
This kind of songwriting could become one of Gunn’s strongest qualities as her career develops. She is able to use uncomfortable images without making the music feel purely bleak.
Lonnie Gunn’s Live Career
Gunn’s growing reputation is not limited to recorded music. She has become part of the Brighton and London independent music scenes and has performed at events including The Great Escape.
A 2025 review of her Great Escape performance described a mixture of bubblegum pop and grungy rock. The performance included songs such as “Lucky Girl,” “Kiss You,” “Dog In A Hot Car” and “EX GF.”
Her 2026 schedule has also included major opportunities. Gunn supported Kim Gordon on the London date of her 2026 European tour and later appeared at Brighton Psych Fest.
These performances are important because live shows can help emerging artists build a loyal audience.
Gunn’s style is particularly suited to a live environment because her songs combine emotional vocals with louder guitar-driven sections.
Why Is Lonnie Gunn Getting Attention?
There are several reasons Gunn has started appearing on the radar of indie music listeners.
First, her music has a recognizable personality. There are plenty of emerging artists working in indie rock and alternative pop.
Gunn stands out because she combines catchy songwriting with strange images and emotionally complicated stories.
Second, her debut EP has an unforgettable title. 2013 horsemeat scandal is almost impossible to ignore. Even people who have never heard Gunn’s music may wonder what the title means.
Third, the songs are more serious than the title suggests. Behind the humor and weirdness is a record about loss and attachment.
Gunn writes about the fear that everything she loves will eventually change or disappear.
Finally, her live profile is growing. Performing in established UK venues and supporting artists such as Kim Gordon gives her an opportunity to reach audiences outside the smaller indie circuit.
What Makes Lonnie Gunn Different?
Gunn’s biggest strength may be her ability to balance opposites. Her music can be sweet but abrasive.
It can be funny but sad. It can sound accessible while using uncomfortable imagery.
That balance gives her work a distinct identity. She also appears willing to let her personality remain visible in the music.
Instead of hiding behind polished songwriting, she allows awkwardness and vulnerability to become part of the artistic experience. Her approach to songwriting has also evolved.
Gunn has said that many of her songs originally began as voice notes made while she was alone. As music became more serious as a career, she started developing more discipline around songwriting.
That combination of instinct and structure could become important as she moves beyond her debut EP.
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FAQ’s
Who is Lonnie Gunn?
Lonnie Gunn is a New Jersey-born singer-songwriter based between Brighton and London. She is known for her alternative indie sound and for describing her music as “bubblegum grunge.”
What is Lonnie Gunn’s debut EP called?
Her debut EP is called 2013 horsemeat scandal. It was released independently on August 6, 2026.
Why is Lonnie Gunn’s EP called 2013 horsemeat scandal?
The title came from a joke about the real 2013 horse meat scandal in the UK and Ireland. Gunn later connected the unusual phrase with themes of vulnerability, decay and impermanence in her songs.
How many songs are on 2013 horsemeat scandal?
The EP contains seven songs. They include “I Miss Everything,” “Photocopy,” “Babytooth,” “Pink Butterfly Wing,” “Taxidermy Swan,” “Good Girls Go to Heaven” and “glow in the dark star.”
Conclusion
Lonnie Gunn is an emerging artist who has found an unusual way to introduce herself to the indie music world. Her debut EP 2013 horsemeat scandal sounds like a joke before you hear the music.
Once you understand the record, however, the strange title starts to make more sense. The seven-track EP is built around anxiety, grief, nostalgia and the fear of losing what matters.
The attention surrounding 2013 horsemeat scandal could therefore be an important early milestone rather than a one-off moment.
With a distinctive sound, unusual songwriting and a growing live career, Lonnie Gunn is an artist worth watching as the next stage of her career develops.
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