Ahead of their upcoming EP, BESTFRIEND HAS AN IDENTITY CRISIS, Stacy Kim (vocals/instrumentals) and Kaelan Geoffrey (vocals/production) sit down with RANGE to break down the making of “HEADSTART,” its introspective lyrics, and the inspiration behind its vibrant visuals. 

The duo reflect on navigating the messiness of adulthood—grappling with self-doubt, uncertainty, and the tension between feeling lost and moving forward. Through it all, they embrace the chaos, turning their own identity crisis into a creative spark.

Who are you?

Stacy Kim: I must be in a mood because this question has me feeling existential— I’ll keep it simple for now, though. I’m Stacy. I’m ½ of the duo Bestfriend with my good friend from work named Kaelan.

Kaelan Geoffrey: I’m Kaelan. I’m ½ of the duo Bestfriend with my good friend from work named Stacy.

Immediately after listening to “HEADSTART,” I can’t get that hook out of my head. What inspired the chant-y vocal delivery?

SK: I think this one was Kaelan and Aidan (Hogg), if I remember correctly; Kaelan and I have always loved a good crowd chant (see: Good To See You from our first EP, places i’ve lived). I love them because it can make a song sound so full and full of life and people in a way instruments can’t necessarily.

KG: Sometimes you’re just sick of the same thoughts circling around your head to no audience and it just gets to the point where you wanna yell at them, right? So we did.

The title, “HEADSTART,” actually comes from the bridge rather than the chorus. Why did you guys feel like this was the title of the track?

SK: This was one of those songs where we needed a title and couldn’t think of one, and then we we looked through the lyrics and tried to figure it out from there, and HEADSTART felt the most fitting; the entire beginning of the song sounds like it’s just this big slam in the face right from the beginning without giving you much time to catch up. Headstart. 

KG: At the heart of this one is really just a person who wants to get going on all the romantic parts of life with a person they’re head over heels with. Sure it’s a bit too early, sure we might be judged. Who cares! Let’s get a headstart on it all.

The video takes place at a theme park, how did you two find that the setting plays on the energy of the song?

SK: I was desperate to film this at some kind of amusement park from day 1, because this song just FEELS like you’re on a rollercoaster– specifically that part where you’re dropping down from one.

KG: I cannot tell you how many times Stacy has asked to film a music video at a theme park. Don’t let her tell you this was just about this song. This has been a battle she’s been rightfully fighting for several years and I’m glad it broke through.

You two describe “HEADSTART” as a confession of infatuation. What was the most challenging part of channeling such vulnerability into the song?

SK: Honestly, for me, it was a challenge keeping it as simple as possible— we wanted this to be a really frank song and I tend to be wildly wordy when it comes to songwriting. There were a lot of moments where Kaelan and Aidan had to be, like, “OK let’s rein it in here a little”. I think there were actually two entire verses cut from it because we wanted to keep the song tight. I felt like I was saying goodbye to my children.

Your upcoming EP is called BESTFRIEND HAS AN IDENTITY CRISIS, can you please talk about what that means to both of you?

SK: It means I get existential when asked questions like “who are you” by interviewers— in sincerity, I think the both of us have been grappling with a lot of the questions that come naturally with adulthood– this weird sense that we should know who we are by now because when we were kids, adults who were our age seemed like they knew exactly who they were. Turns out they were all faking it like we are. What now? 

KG: Literally who are we? Can you tell us? We have no idea. Maybe a bit better of an idea since writing this, but only incrementally. Which it does seem is going to be the trend moving forward in life.

Your previous singles “YOU LOOK JUST LIKE ME” and “WHY DO WE DO THIS?” reflect a lot of introspection. What are you hoping listeners will take away from BESTFRIEND HAS AN IDENTITY CRISIS in terms of self-discovery and connection?

SK: A lot of this EP comes down to Kaelan and I wanting to really lean into honest writing and embracing the fact that we just have no idea who we are at any given time; some days I feel a little more secure in who I am, and other days I feel completely untethered and like I could be anything or anyone, which can be incredibly overwhelming. More than anything, I want people to come out of this with an understanding that self-discovery is probably going to be a lifelong process, and that it’s fine if you don’t figure it out today.