Over these last few years, Glasgow’s Luchi has been crafting a distinctive direction to call his own. And after finding huge praise and acclaim for his recent outing ‘Web Of Lies’, he is back once again to deliver his heartfelt new single ‘Like This’.
So with the new single now out and doing the rounds, we wanted to find out more about his background and experiences, as well as what else he has planned for the future too.
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Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in music?
So I am Luchi, and I was born and raised in Glasgow. I always find it hard to answer how I got started in music because I feel like I was born with music in me and it just came natural to me. When I was younger, I knew that music was going to be a big part of my life and hoped that I would be able to do it as my job. I started off singing in talent shows and at family parties and then it was around 13 that I started writing my own songs in my bedroom. To start with it was just a way of getting out my feelings and emotions but I discovered that it again was really natural and that lyrics and melodies just flew out of me. Then it was when I was 17/18 that I started going into the studio and working on my craft. To hear songs start to come alive and hear my voice back in a recording, that was when I started to believe that I could do this.
Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
My musical influences are so wide and varied. Growing up, it was very pop influenced as it was what was big at the time. From Spice Girls to S Club 7 and all the pop bands of that time, that kind of music really taught me in a way how to write a catchy song. Then as I got older it’s been artists like P!nk and Kelly Clarkson who were able to write great pop songs but also have the ability to be truthful and authentic telling their stories so it showed me how too mix the two, catchy pop songs with more deep and emotional lyrics. Also I am inspired and influenced by songwriters, people like Diane Warren, Ryan Tedder, Toby Gad, Max Martin, they all have had such amazing careers and as songwriting is my biggest passion, I love to study how they come up with such varied and powerful songs.
Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to pursue music seriously?
There was a dark time in my life mentally where it was a turning point for my whole life to be honest. I was suffering from mental illness, spent some time in a psychiatric hospital and when I came out for there, I decided that I needed to pursue the things that made me happy and that was music. So that was when I moved to London and started networking and getting involved in the industry leading onto releasing my own music.
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
Again, every time it is different so I don’t really have a typical songwriting process but I usually start with an idea in mind of what I want to write about lyrically and then it can either be a melody that I’ve got in my head or a chord progression that gets me into the mood and I will usually put that down in Logic and then build around that and get a demo started of where I want the song to go. I have set up a home studio in my flat so that is where I spend most of my time writing and getting creative.
How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?
Life is my biggest inspiration. I have had a lot of experiences in my life that I draw on for inspiration and I like to write about what I know as I feel it is more authentic. Anything that happens to me whether it be falling in love, out of love, trauma, issues with friends, it all goes into songs. I always give people that disclaimer that if you are in my life and something happens, I am sign to write about it. Also my songwriting friend Mark Cawley once told me, you should always have your songwriting antenna up when you are out and listening for things that would make great lyrics or inspire you from conversations, movies, tv shows, nature. It has really served me well as it’s the advice I always give to other songwriters.
What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?
I want people to feel not so alone in their experiences when they listen to my music and be able to relate. Life is hard but even though our situations may be different, underneath it all, we all feel the same emotions. Music is magical and I have used it in the past to heal from situations and I love to do the same for others.
What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?
I think the hardest thing now is being heard as there is so much music out there and with the rise of social media, it can feel very saturated and there is constant music being released but I do believe that “the cream always rises to the top” so if you consistently release great songs and slowly build your fanbase then thats the way to do it.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?
For me it’s always when I get messages from people saying that my music has touched them or helped them through something. That is the best part of it all.
How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?
I have fallen down the pit holes before of doing things that done feel authentic and I have learned from that experience that anything that I do needs to feel true to me so if it doesn’t, then I don’t do it anymore. I think it is easy to get caught in the trends or what is “hot right now” especially with the evolution of social media but I always think that a listener can tell if something is authentic and gravitate towards that. For me, it’s now about trusting thy gut instinct.
What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours?
Well I do have more music ready to go and that will be coming soon. I’m excited about this next chapter in my career and experimenting more with different sounds. There’s a lot of plans and ideas in the pipeline but the only thing I can guarantee at the moment is that there will be a lot of new music coming to you this year.
Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?
To be honest, it’s hard to say as things change so quickly in this industry but I would like to think I would still be releasing music and on tour playing shows. I love writing for others too as writing is my main passion so doing more of that and collaborating with new artists. I love seeing new artists emerge and find their voice.
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Listen to Luchi’s new single ‘Like This’ below.
