Rising star LUCA talks background, inspiration, new single “Altar” and more.
19 year-old rising star LUCA made waves across the blogosphere and editorial playlists with his captivating debut single “Serotonin” towards the end of 2021. He’s back with another stunning single, “Altar” is a smooth alternative R&B track with soulful vibes about falling out of love with a person who can’t accept that things need to end. In the end, it leaves you resenting the person you once loved the most.
A compelling artist to listen to, there’s something special about LUCA. He makes music that sounds wise beyond his years, and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to talk to him before he becomes a superstar.
Read our conversation below:
How are you doing LUCA?
I’m doing great DNÜ fam.
Where are you from?
I’m born and raised in the best city in the world of course, New York, NY baby. More specifically Harlem, NY.
Nice! How long have you been making music?
I started piano lessons when I was three and played it for 8 years. I was playing classical and hated playing so I ended up transitioning into choirs through middle school and high school. I eventually ended up teaching myself guitar towards the end of high school. I only really knew how to use garageband for recording and I couldn’t ever really record anything meaningful. During COVID, around October of 2020, I became friends and a close collaborator of another artist Araya. I became a part of his band and started recording guitar with him. After sharpening my skills as a producer for Araya, I found my voice through my own music. Though I’ve been making music for my entire life I only began to officially record music in the last fall of 2021!
Wow, that’s amazing! What artists inspired you to pursue a career in music?
I’d say the artists that have inspired me the most are Prince, Sade, Alicia Keys, Frank Ocean and Brent Faiyaz.
Your new single is amazing, beautifully-written and you deliver a breathtaking vocal performance. Talk us through the creative process.
My producer, co-writer, and close collaborator Will Catucci and I worked closely to create the track. We start with just guitar chords and see where the vibes take us. If there’s a chord progression that we like we sit down and make a beat for it. Will and I switch off of instruments and come up with bass lines or guitar solos. For this song we worked closely in and out of the booth to create lyrics, melodies and soundscapes.
You’re singing about a subject that we the listeners can relate to, is this something you’ve been through yourself?
Absolutely, this was written about an exact situation in my life and this was my way of processing and releasing it.
“Serotonin” did pretty well on DSP’s as well as the blog world, what are your expectations for “Altar”?
I expect for Altar to do well and receive a lot of support across the community, but more than anything I just want to create a piece of art that is always better than the last. The LUCA project to me is about creating timeless songs that could’ve been listened to 20 years ago and that will be listened to in 20 years. I always looking to create the music of tomorrow.
Sounds good to me. By the way, how long have you been singing for?
I’ve been singing for fun basically my whole life, but got into choir singing around middle school. I didn’t really start finding my voice and singing for my own music until about a year ago!
When we first heard your music last year, you reminded us of Frank Ocean. How often do you get compared to him?
I get compared to him pretty often. Less in the vocal aspect but more in the production, I definitely do see the similarities.
What’s next? What are your plans for 2022?
For 2022 I’m looking forward to releasing my third single, and then the debut EP! Definitely expecting to take off this year.
Stream “Altar” below:
