chasing luma
chasing luma has just dropped his debut single “bittersweet” and I’m proud to feature such a great talent on my blog. “bittersweet” is refreshing, catchy and promising. He’s not only a great singer/songwriter, he is also a solid producer. I really cannot wait to hear more music.
Thank you so much for this conversation and congrats on your first single !
“bittersweet” is now available worldwide :)
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
It’s a long one! I grew up in a very isolated small town on the east coast of canada. I got into music when I was 8 years old and it’s pretty much been all I’ve known since then - I don’t remember a life without music!
It started with a band, and we parted ways in grade 8, and that was about the same time I discovered electronic music - and that was really exciting for me. The thought of having endless sonic possibilities and not having to divide my ideas by other people was fascinating, so I dove very deep into the land of music production and just started posting beats and songs on Soundcloud under a different moniker and saw a fair level of success through that. But that leads us to the present ! I took a 2 year break off of posting on social media for the most part, and retired my old alias while I was working every day on forming the chasing luma world. The new project really feels like coming full circle and combining all of my influences from the vast pool of music I enjoy. I couldn’t be more excited to finally share it, it’s been such a long time of holding it in.
What did you grow up listening to? When did you start writing songs?
I started writing songs as soon as I got a guitar when I was 8, I even remember some of them still! The first band that really got me into music was Billy Talent - the music was so raw and expressive! As time went I got really into pop punk, bands like Paramore were really formative my songwriting. But on the flip side of things, after that era of my life I got really into dubstep - the halftime, headbang-friendly tempo was very familiar because it mirrored a metal break down, but instead of guitars it was these crazy growls and synth patches. When I first heard Scary Monsters and nice Sprites by Skrillex I freaked out and immediately became obsessed with figuring out how to achieve sounds like that.
At what point did you know music was more than just a hobby? What made you want to be an artist and release your original music?
Once i learned how to play a song on guitar, it quickly became all I ever thought about. The music just started flowing through me at all times and I constantly have a melody or rhythm stuck in my head - being an artist to me is just so I can get it out of my head and make it exist in the real world!
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
My parents! They’ve been nothing but supportive through all of the trials and tribulations of navigating a career in music. I wouldn’t be able to be doing anything I do without their belief in me, so i’m forever indebted to them.
"bittersweet" is your new single - what's the inspiration behind this song?
Without being too revealing, “bittersweet” is about being at a crossroads in the world, and struggling to find your truth. It's about asking yourself if it's worth it to abandon everything you know, or to stay in your comfort zone; knowing you want more out of life, but not knowing quite how to get it yet - being aware that you'll probably be happier if you follow your heart and ambition, but being a bit timid of the cost of that. “bittersweet” was the first song I made after a very long spout of writers block that really made something click in my head for how I wanted my music to feel going forward. It was the song that set the foundation for chasing luma; so it felt appropriate for this to be the first song I released!
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this single? Who helped you create it?
The process was LONG. the first version ever made was august 27th, 2019, I just looked it up on my hard drive the other day while I was reminiscing. The old demo had really bad like, punchy edm drums, but the idea has remained relatively true to its first version even through years of chiseling away at it. I wrote and produced the whole thing and played all the guitar/bass, but I couldn’t have done it without the patience of all of my friends, who I bothered with asking for feedback on so many new versions, and they provided a lot of confidence and reassurance that it actually didn’t completely suck.
What did you feel when writing this song?
I most certainly recall a moment when I first got the chorus written that i was just jumping around my room singing the chorus on loop. I knew right then and there that it was the start of something a lot bigger.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
The photos were shot by the absolutely brilliant Tessa Paisan! My manager introduced us and we met up near the end of my 2 month stay in LA. They brought along some old film camera and expired film and those photos definitely ended up being my favourites. I love the happy accidents that can happen with film. After I got the photos back from Tessa, I got prints done of all the photos. I’ve always loved collages, so I cut them up, burned them, distressed them in different ways and scanned them. I originally experimented with adding text but the photos feel like they’re powerful enough on their own.
What made you want to release "bittersweet" as your first single?
To me it just made way too much sense chronologically for this to be the first one, since it was the birth of the project. It would have felt wrong for it to come out later, and I feel like it’s the perfect introduction to the palette that you’ll be hearing more of in the future.
What do you want to accomplish with this debut single?
Most of what I want to accomplish is to just simply reach people. My favourite music has helped me through so much, and if i can be that for even just a small handful of people, that’s the greatest gift I could ever ask for.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
The devaluation of art over the years is a bit scary. I’m not sure the answers on how to bring back value to music, and I think a lot of artists are in the same boat. Once you introduce streaming platforms for $10 a month, how do you expect people to go back to paying per song/album? It’s a really complicated question that I’ve thought about a lot. It seems like things are at a giant boiling point in that regard and I’m hoping things will change soon. Also I think there’s still a long way to go with gender equality and systemic discrimination in general in the industry, but slowly it seems like things are shifting in a better direction.
Besides music, what are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about my relationships with family and friends - I’ve been through some extreme existential dread and loops of thought, pondering what the meaning of life is. And I’ve decided that nothing feels more human than the feeling of love. Giving love, relieving love. It feels like home. I’ve made a serious effort in the past while to spend more time in the present moment with loved ones, it’s so important!
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
Any form of art or creation makes the world a better place! Nothing makes me happier than seeing people just... make something exist that didn't before. That’s the coolest thing ever.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
The biggest lessons I’ve learned is to just be unapologetic about what you love. Don’t hide who you are to impress other people, it’s not worth it! You’ll lose yourself along the way if you live like that.
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