If up and coming pop star Lumane isn’t on your radar yet, tune in because the talented singer/songwriter is ready to make her mark. Hailing from Switzerland, Lumane has showed an unparalleled dedication to her craft. Last year, the artist released her single ‘Letters,’ which showcases her refreshing vocals and relatable lyrics that will be sure to resonate. We chatted with Lumane about her music and what she has planned for the coming year.
How does your Swiss heritage influence you as a musician?
My Swiss heritage greatly affects my experiences in life, which is what I write about in my music. I talk about the struggles of moving here as a non US citizen as well as other things I have experienced mostly because I am not from here. So being from Switzerland influences my storytelling but not so much my music. Even in Switzerland I grew up listening to the Top 40 radio station since I was never really drawn to Swiss music. I can yodel a little bit though, which is a very Swiss thing to do and I absolutely love it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJzJdH55fYc
What inspired your single ‘Letters’?
I was relaxing around a pool at a friend’s building one day and saw the building’s name in letters on a wall. The way the sun reflected in those letters it looked like they were on fire. That’s where I had the idea of burning letters from. “Letters” was actually supposed to be “Burned/Burning Letters” but because of the way the words fell in the chorus I shortened it to “Letters”. From there I just told a story out of my life. You know back in middle school when we wrote each other little love letters? I went all the way back to that time. My very first boyfriend and I wrote each other little love notes and I kept them all. We then eventually broke up and got back together again a couple of months later. Then we broke up again and he wanted to come back a third time and that’s where I finally was like enough is enough. I wrote the song in the studio and within half a day I had a demo done. I didn’t record the final vocals till about 6 months later but I really wanted to perfect the vocals before recording. I am now super happy with the outcome and I can’t wait to share more songs soon!
Listen to Letters Here
We love your aesthetic on Instagram, how involved were you with the creative of the photography on there?
Thank you! I am actually taking these by myself in the basement. I found this girl on Instagram @kihmberlie that takes her own pictures. She is so creative and super talented, that really inspired me. I realized that I don’t have to spend a lot of money to get some photos, I can do it by myself with my phone, one ring light and some good Lightroom presets. Let me tell you, I almost passed out when I was blowing up balloons for my last pictures,I got so dizzy! But I think the outcome was totally worth it.
How does that aesthetic correlate to your music?
My music is very much pop. When I think of pop music, there’s basically no limitations on what is “allowed”. To me, pop music is bright colors, weird, odd, out there, patterns, mysterious, etc. Those are all things I try to include into my pictures. Maybe you’ve realised that I’m always wearing glasses in the pictures but they are always covered with something that is already in the picture. This creates mystery because you don’t really know what I look like and at the same time it’s really weird! And I love weird.
Do you have any rituals or techniques for getting into a creative headspace?
Honestly, the more I work, the more creative I am. Once I am on a roll, I better take advantage of that time. I had a time, for about a year, where I was not creative (in a musical way) at all, meaning I didn’t write any songs. I was really hard to get back into it. So I tired to be creative in other ways outside of music. This really helped me open up my horizon and making sure I was ready and open to creativity hitting me. So now I am trying to always be creative in more than one field. For example now with the pictures, that’s my second creativity outlet but it benefits my music at the same time. So I wouldn’t say I have any rituals. I just try to be creative all the time so that way I’m always inspired.
If someone has never heard your music before, how would you describe yourself as an artist?
My passion definitely lies in pop music. Pop is quite a broad term these days which I think is very exciting. I’d say my music is a mix of Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga and maybe even a little bit of Demi Lovato. My music is raw, honest, empowering and fun. As an artist I want to inspire other people to live their truth and live life to the fullest. I am a very positive person and I want to spread that positivity with the people around me because we definitely need that now more than ever!
Were there any particular artists that made you passionate about music growing up?
I think I was always passionate about music even before I knew who all these artists were. My mom was always playing piano around the house and I wanted to be able to do that as well. But there are definitely some artists that really inspired me.I always wanted to be just like Christina Aguilera when I was little. Her vocal power and control really lured me in. A little bit later I discovered Jessie J. He runs aren’t like anything I’ve ever heard. She’s one of the best singers ever out there in my opinion. Now, I am really inspired by Lady Gaga and have been for years. I love how she evolved as not only a musician but also as an artist in general.
Can you tell us about some of your plans for your music in 2020?
I am so excited to finally release the rest of the album this year. I absolutely love every single song on that album and I couldn’t be more excited for you all to hear it. In addition to that I will hopefully go on my first ever tour so I can play my music live for everyone. If there’s one thing I learned about the music industry, it’s that you have to take it step by step. I always loved having a plan and get from one step to the next. But in music I realized that you have to take it step by step because I can’t anticipate how people are reacting to my music. So, we will see where this first album takes me this year.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received as an up and coming musician?
Don’t give up. I know, boring answer, but it is so true. Every time I was about to just give up and do something else with my life something amazing happened with my music. So now, giving up is just not an option anymore because you never know when the next amazing thing will peak its head out from around the corner.
What do you hope listeners will take away from your music?
I hope that my music makes my listeners feel heard, understood, empowered, inspired and happy. This world needs more happiness, self care and people who lift each other up and I am hoping to inspire that with my music.