Budapest-born, Brooklyn-based songwriter Atticus Kane turns political irritation into fast-moving indie rock on Love Me Not, a track from his album News From Delphi.
Inspired by anti-immigration robocalls from a Florida politician, the song reframes a familiar romantic phrase around belonging, rejection and the contradictions of American identity.
Ramones-style momentum, no shortcuts; true to the album’s “analogue love” ethos: human-played instrumentation only, no synths, no loops, no samples. Even the pedal steel breaks free of its country roots.
In this FM PRO 10Q, Kane discusses dissent as patriotism, writing through the immigrant experience, the mythology behind News From Delphi, and preserving human imperfection in an increasingly digital music culture.
Q1. Love Me Not began with anti-immigration robocalls from a Florida politician. When did that irritation become a song rather than simply a political reaction?
In the immediate aftermath of receiving that fundraising robocall, the phrase ‘love me, love me not’ popped into my head. Looking back now, I think there were several emotions bubbling up in me at once.
There was the sheer irony of being targeted by an anti-immigrant message as an immigrant, anger at the venomous lies contained in the message, disappointment that such rhetoric would actually resonate with someone, and perhaps even a bit of mirth at the over-the-top caricature of the ‘evil immigrant’ it depicted.
The lyrics kind of just poured out of me based on all those conflicting and competing emotions, which is why the song ultimately turned out to be cheeky rather than serious.
Q2. The title turns a familiar romantic phrase into a conflict between belonging and rejection; how did you translate that push and pull into the song’s narrative?
The idea of contrasting illogical romantic love with illogical patriotic love seemed like an interesting juxtaposition to explore. It’s a tension that everyone can relate to on some level, which allows the listener to naturally connect with that basic idea of push and pull expressed throughout the lyrics.
Q3. You describe dissent as the highest form of patriotism. How do you write critically about America while preserving the affection and hope that make the criticism meaningful?
I think everyone, regardless of their background or profession, has a duty to be honest about any injustices or hypocrisies they see and observe; whether from a loved one, a corporation or a government. I’m just a simple song-and-dance man; I don’t have any concrete solutions for our societal ailments.
But I can hold up a mirror and reflect certain injustices or hypocrisies I experience. Hopefully, these reflections make people think, or at least provide them with a perspective that is different from their own.
Q4. The lyrics move between the personal and the political without becoming a slogan. What helped you maintain that balance?
To be honest, I wasn’t planning on writing a song with a specific political message. I tend to think of each song as a short story, and I always look for an intriguing narrative hook or anchor to explore in a new and interesting way.
Playing around with the concept of being loved (and not being loved) seemed like a highly relatable and common concept that everyone experiences. Grounding the lyrics through personal rather then societal lens is probably what helped the song avoid becoming too preachy.
Q5. FM PRO TECH Q: Love Me Not has a fast-paced, rocking energy; which arrangement and production choices were essential to creating that momentum without overwhelming the lyrical detail?
When I first wrote the song, I imagined it almost as a Ramones track. In my head, it has the same exact drive as I Wanna Be Sedated. So, when we started recording the song for the album, the primary goal was to capture that raw, kinetic energy but firmly ground it within the wider sonic landscape of the record.
Q6. Born in Budapest and now based in Brooklyn, how have migration and movement shaped your perspective as a songwriter beyond this particular track?
I believe that you gain profound perspective through travel. Experiencing different cultures, customs, and people doesn’t just help you understand how other people live in other parts of the world; it also forces you to compare and contrast how you live, what you value, and what you do or don’t like.
You don’t have to be a songwriter to appreciate the insights you gain from migrating or traveling; it helps anyone become more confident and educated in their own opinions and beliefs.
Q7. The line “cure me with what makes me ill” captures the song’s central contradiction with real precision; did that lyric unlock the wider composition for you?
Yes, exactly. Because the chorus of the song is pretty simple, essentially just repeating the title phrase, it is actually the pre-chorus that unlocks the deeper meaning of the song and puts two opposing emotions in direct contrast with each other.
The phrases “One day lover, the next day friend,” “Loving you is like a crime,” and “You cure me with what makes me ill” are the real crux of expressing the illogical nature of love that I think we can all relate to.
Q8. Courtney Barnett, Sam Fender and Declan McKenna each connect direct storytelling with larger social questions. What have you taken from that tradition while establishing your own voice?
All of the artists you listed are entirely distinct and unique in their own right. They come from different walks of life and carry their own philosophies, sounds, and perspectives. But the one thing they all share is that they are fearless in expressing who they are, what they believe in, and what they stand for.
What I’ve learned from them is that if you want to create your own lane and distinguish yourself as an artist, you cannot be afraid to embrace your own truths: who you are, where you come from, and what you believe in.
As long as you are honest about your identity, you will naturally differentiate yourself, because absolutely no one else thinks, speaks, or writes exactly the way you do.
Q9. How does Love Me Not function within the broader world of News From Delphi, both thematically and in the album’s emotional arc?
The title of the album comes from a line in Ode To Minerva that says: “Beware your naked nemesis […] / He says he brought you news from Delphi as he gives you solid gold / But as you take it he smiles at you and cries ‘your soul has been sold.’”
I’ve always been fascinated by stories about the Oracle of Delphi. Most are cautionary tales about human hubris, unintended consequences, and wishful thinking.
The idea that you can receive news from Delphi that you interpret as a comforting assurance of the outcome you desperately want when it is actually a dire warning against the exact action you are about to take is a central theme I explored on this album.
Love Me Not expresses the human desire to know something that is inherently unknowable: Do you love me or not? Are you the cure, or the thing that makes me ill? Why does loving you feel like a crime?
As people, we crave certainty and assurance, but realistically, nothing is certain in life (except, I guess, death and taxes). How can we be our best selves in spite of, or perhaps because of, the news we receive from Delphi? While I certainly don’t know the answer myself, I do believe that it’s a question worth asking and exploring.
Q10. FM PRO TECH Q: Your work is framed around making human, analogue music in an increasingly disconnected world. What recording methods, instruments or studio limitations help you preserve that sense of humanity in the finished production?
I was fortunate enough to work with two amazing musicians, Lucas Murray and Simon Thomas George, who helped produce the album. We spent a lot of time crafting the sonic landscape in order to ground it in what we ended up calling ‘analogue love.’
A huge inspiration were records I used to listen to as a young child in Budapest, specifically records by Judit Halász. I have such fond memories of putting on those vinyl records and listening to the mesmerizing blend of folk, rock, and country elements.
Inspired by those records, everything you hear on the album is an instrument played by a human; there are no synths, loops or samples. I also knew I wanted to feature the pedal steel throughout the album. To me, it is such a beautifully versatile, evocative, and deeply human instrument.
We had the pleasure of working with Nate Lueck, an incredibly talented musician, to highlight and utilize the pedal steel in a context that is different from the way most people are used to hearing it in traditional country music.
Once we added it to the tracks, the whole sound and direction of the production came together. I think when you listen to the album, you can instantly sense the honesty and humanity it brought to each song.
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