What’s better than starting October with a themed new song? Danish singer-songwriter Stephanie Meincke, known simply as steph, opens the month with “October 31st,” a haunting indie-pop track that turns a familiar Halloween tradition into a bittersweet story about toxic love.
Released Friday, October 2, “October 31st” introduces Stephanie in a new way after her 2025 EP Never Not Thinking. The project featured “Full-Time Driver,” her internationally acclaimed lead single, but the new release marks the first time she is stepping forward under the name steph while also presenting a more defined version of her soulful, reflective sound.
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The timing could hardly be more fitting. “October 31st” centers on a woman who has created her own destructive Halloween ritual: every year, she returns to the same toxic ex for one more night. With gravestones, skeletons and ghosts filling the streets, the song plays with the idea that there may be no better night to resurrect someone who is supposed to be dead and gone.
“I’m very inspired by how, as humans, we keep throwing ourselves headfirst into relationships and into life, even when the chances of getting hurt are so incredibly high,” steph explains. That idea becomes the emotional foundation of the song, where the protagonist recognizes that her annual reunion is doomed but still allows herself to repeat the cycle.
The concept gives “October 31st” a playful surface without taking away from its darker emotional core. Steph describes the character as someone who convinces herself that returning to an unhealthy relationship can somehow be justified “in the name of love,” turning Halloween imagery into a metaphor for the ways people rationalize decisions they already know will hurt them.
Musically, the track starts with dusty piano chords before gradually expanding into distorted guitars. Steph’s velvety vocals rise above the increasingly atmospheric arrangement, creating a contrast between the intimacy of the opening and the larger emotional release that follows. The production gives the song a distinctly nocturnal quality without turning it into a conventional Halloween novelty.
That balance reflects the broader musical identity steph has been developing. Her work draws from folk-pop, soul and singer-songwriter traditions, combining intimate storytelling with a polished indie-pop sensibility. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus and has continued developing her forthcoming material alongside producer Nikolaj Lippert.
“October 31st” also gives steph a chance to introduce herself again after building an audience around her previous releases. The decision to use her full name in the introduction before returning to the simpler steph identity mirrors the song itself: familiar at first, but revealing more underneath with every listen.
Stream “October 31st” now and let steph soundtrack the start of October.
Photo: Sebastian Fjord Grenz
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