Hi Luchi and thanks for taking some time to spend with us today. How have you been?
Hey, thanks for having me. I’ve actually been really good, thank you. It’s been a busy week with the single release but exciting too. I hope you are having a great week too.
Your new single “You’ll Hurt More” just came out last week is very upbeat and full of energy, especially for a breakup song. Can you tell us about the new track?
The day I wrote this song, I got a message from my ex, years after we had split up, wanting to meet up for a coffee and a chat. I am a firm believer in not going backwards when it comes to relationships because there was a reason it didn’t work out in the first place so instead of replying to him, I wrote this song. It’s everything that I would have wanted to hear all those years ago. When you go through a break up, it can often be the case that one person struggles more than the other and if you’re anything like I used to be, you sit at home crying, stalking their social media then getting angry with seeing them out living their “best life” or how fast they move on so this was my way of addressing that. It can become a game, that no-one knows they are playing, of “who won the break up.”
When I wrote the song last year, it started out with just a vocal and guitar but I could hear it being a big pop anthem in my head. I felt that this song was a really empowering break up anthem and I wanted to reflect that in the production. So me and my producer Chris Stagg got to work and I love that it’s quite different to the other stuff I have released recently in terms of it’s sound and it has a bit of sass in it. There’s still vulnerability in it like all my songs have but it’s one to listen to with the windows of the car down, up full blast and singing at the top of your lungs.
You grew up in Glasgow and started writing at the age of 13. What was that experience like? Do you feel like Glasgow has had an influence on your writing and sound?
Yeah I was about 13, before that I had been writing poetry and free writing my feelings but I was about 13 when I started forming them into lyrics. I had bought Kelly Clarkson’s album Breakaway and the song “Because Of You” came on and I was floored. It had a massive emotional reaction on me and when I found out she had written it herself as a teenager, something just clicked inside of me to think that I could do the same. I’d always sang from a young age but this was the start of me falling in love with being a songwriter. I studied songs and learnt about structure and melody but because I didn’t play any instruments at that time, they stayed in a very raw form. A few years ago I looked back at these songs as I had all my old songwriting folders, until someone stole them from me, and they were actually quite good off the bat, if I do say so myself. Hopefully the person who has them will return them to me at some point as they were really nice to look back on. It wasn’t until I was 16ish that I started going into studios and making them into full songs.
Did you grow up in a musical family? What are some of your earliest musical memories and who were some of your influences as a kid?
No I didn’t, my family didn’t have any musical roots… or talent haha. Me and my cousins would all get up at family parties and perform so that was my earliest performances… thankfully all video footage of that time has been lost. I sang “Perfect Moment” by Martine McCutcheon at a family party one time and went down a treat. I did some bits and bobs in school but it was a very academic school. In my primary school talent show I performed “Reach” by S Club 7 and when the teacher told me I needed more people on stage with me because it was a group number, I said “I got this” and done all it solo with full choreography. To be that confident again would be fab. I grew up on the charts so late 90s/00s radio was my influence. People like Spice Girls, Steps, S Club 7, Girls Aloud were what I was listening to so I think that is part of the reason I just love doing pop music.
You’ve spent the last 2 years working out in Los Angeles. How has that experience been and was there any culture shock between there and Glasgow?
To start with it was mostly online because of the pandemic but I’ve been out a few times to write and it is lovely. I love how positive the people are in LA and it’s a town full of dreamers so lots of like minded people around. Also you can’t beat the weather and I love being in Santa Monica by the beach. I’m actually away again next week so I can’t wait. The only thing is the accent, the Americans really struggle and the only American accent I can do is a Kardashian one so I’ve found myself having to go all Kim K on people and then they understand me. Compared to Glasgow it’s like night and day but both city’s have a lot of heart and good people. If only Glasgow could get the sunshine as much. I am a bit of traveler heart so I love different cultures and just embrace where I am.
You started working in recording studios when you were 16. Was there a producer on this new single or was that something you handled yourself?
Yeah, Chris Stagg has been producing my music for quite a few years now. I had written the lyrics, melody and chords and the guitar riff and had a basic track together as a demo but I then send everything to Chris and he brings the songs to life much better than I could. It’s a collaborative effect as I am really hands on with my music and like to be involved in all aspects of the creative process but my production skills just aren’t up to par yet. I have a very short attention span so it takes a lot of patience and fiddling about to be a full time producer and I just don’t have that brain or patience but I do like being able to do demos at home and I have a home studio. It’s always good to be able to give direction and Chris has kept some of my production on a few of the projects which is cool.
Is it true you wrote “You’ll Hurt More” originally with another artist in mind? How do you determine which songs you’ll keep for yourself and which you’ll share with other artists?
Yeah I was channeling a female artist when I was writing the song because it is quite different to my usual singles. I’m the king of the sallads (sad ballads) but I just felt like I loved the song too much to give it away. I think that you just know when a song is for you, usually it’s the more personal ones like my last single “Things He Handed Down.” That one was so much my story that I just couldn’t give it away although another artist did want it for them when they heard the demo. I know for me, if I can hear another artist singing it and feel quite comfortable with that, then it’s not a Luchi song, it’s a pitching song.
Speaking of collaborators, how do you typically find the artists you end up writing with? Are there any dream collaborators (whether artists or producers) you’d like to work with in the future?
It really depends. I’ve had writing sessions set up for me, I’ve contacted artists directly to work with them, I’ve been to various songwriting camps and met people through them, networking, it’s all different. I have a core group of people that I work with a lot but I’m really open to collaborating with anyone and seeing if it works.
How did the pandemic impact you as an artist?
For the first two weeks, I was like everyone else, eating the contents of their house and binge watching the entirety of Netflix but then I got itchy feet. It was about a month into the first lockdown where I started writing over zoom and I enrolled in a few production courses to get my skills up. That time did gave me the space to think about what I wanted as an artist as I had got a little lost. Lots of voices from the industry trying to push me in different directions musically and I had recorded a few songs in the January of 2020 so I had material ready to go. After that was all released, I took some time away from my artist career and just focused on writing for others and that’s when I got the Stargate mentorship in LA. It was just lucky timing that came along as I needed a bit to time off being an artist and then I came back earlier this year refreshed and ready to go again with a refreshed passion and determination. It was a really tough time for up and coming artists and very uncertain but hopefully we’re on the other side now.
What’s next for Luchi and where can people go to find out more about you?
Well the most active place I am is on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/luchi.music) but I am also on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@luchi.music.tiktok) so give me a follow to hear more and get a look into my life. Next for me is that there are a few more versions of this song to come so I’m excited for everyone to hear, there js something for everyone, that’s all I’ll say on that for now and then I have got music ready to go and the next few singles are planned which is exciting. Thanks so much for having me and a lovely interview. Hopefully chat again soon
