What is your name?
Lumane
What is your genre of music?
Pop
Give us a little bio about you.
Just talking to Lumane you would never know she was born and raised in Switzerland, only here and there her accent slips through. At the tender age of 18 she left her home country and family with a heart full of passion and moved to New York City to pursue her dreams. Having gone to film and musical theatre school she had to work on getting a perfect American accent. After finishing her two year program she moved to Boston to study Songwriting and Vocal Performance at the Berklee College of Music. Only one year into her studies she moved to Nashville, TN to act on her dream and not just study how to reach her goal. She wrote and recorded her debut album “Me + You” within two years while finishing her degree online. In her music she talks about the struggles of leaving her home country and trying to migrate to the US in this current day as well as pursuing a forbidden love. With the richness of her lower register in her first single “Taboo” she is pulling people in, leaving them wanting more. The good news is, more singles and the full album are on the horizon. cent 6;\lsd
What made you go in to music?
I don’t remember a time that music wasn’t in my life. For me it was always clear that I was going to pursue music and I was fortunate enough to have such supportive parents to actually be able to do just that. So I can’t really say that there was one thing that made me go in to music, I just never thought of doing anything else ever.
Are you a signed?
No.
You released your new single ‘Letters’, tell us more about the single.
Yes! “Letters” is my second single off of my debut album “Me + You” after “Taboo”. “Taboo” and “Letters” are quite different but I love both so much. “Letters” is almost like a power ballad with a lot of synths behind it. I wrote and recorded the song in Nashville, TN about two years ago. I wanted it to be an empowering song to everyone going through a break up. riority52
What is the meaning behind the single?
The song is about the time after a breakup when one person wants to get back together but the other knows they’re better off without them. Someone that broke your heart really bad shouldn’t come back into your life so you can’t give them the chance to do it again. The song takes you on a journey, from being sad that it came this far to realizing that I don’t need this person to be happy. It should empower people to believe in themselves and that they can be happy on their own and not depending on another person for happiness.
Describe the track in two words.
Clapback, powerful
What was the writing process like?
When I started writing songs for my album I wanted to have cool song titles to grab the listeners’ attention even before they heard any of the songs. “Letters” was actually supposed to be “Burned Letters” but because of the way the words fell in the chorus we would have had to name it “Burned All Your Letters” and that was a little too long so we just shortened it to “Letters”. So I had the song title, or at least a close version of it, as well as the story behind the song before I got together with my cowriters. Within 4 hours we had the song written and a demo recorded.
What was the recording process like?
I actually didn’t record the finished vocals until almost a year later. I wanted to work on what makes my voice unique just a little more before recording my songs. We actually recorded two songs in a day because we recorded all the songs off of my album together. So I really had to make sure I was vocally in the right spot because recording for like 4 hours a day is a lot. But we did it and I’m so happy with how it turned out! And now a year after recording the finished song it’s finally out!
Who did you work with on the single?
Ethan Hulse was my cowriter and Matt Bronleewe produced the song.
Will we see a music video for the single?
Right now I have a lyric video on YouTube that I’m super happy with. I would love to make a music video for this song down the line sometime though.
Do you have any shows coming up?
I currently only play local shows. The goal would be to put together a little tour for 2020!
If so where will you be heading?
I will either go back to my roots, to Switzerland and Europe for a tour or then stay in the US and go to either of the costs. Who knows, maybe I get to do it all!
What else can we expect in 2019?
Well, I still have 6 unreleased songs ready to go. I will definitely release at least one more single (if not two) and then the full album after that. I am not sure yet about any exact release dates but the music is coming your way!
Do you have any collaborations coming up with any up coming artists?
I don’t have anything scheduled currently. I would love to collaborate with some Swiss artists though. I think it would be a lot of fun since I’ve done all my music in the US.
Would you be up for collaborations if other musicians wanted one with you? and who would they have to contact?
Definitely! Obviously it has to be a good match but I’d love to collaborate with other artists! Anyone interested can contact my manager Jason Davis at jdavis@oneone7.com.
Do you play any instruments?
I do! The first instrument I learned was the recorder in second grade. Now I haven’t played it in years but it will always have a special place in my heart. But I do play piano, I was classically trained for 8 years, and some campfire chords on the guitar.
Who are your influences?
When I was younger and just started out with singing I always wanted to sound like Christina Aguilera. She’s such a phenomenal singer, so much vocal control, power and range! Then I got introduced to Lady Gaga and my music world kind of changed. She is by far my favorite artist. Her music is so raw and truthful and she’s obviously hyper talented. Another singer I absolutely love is Jessie J. Her music is completely different but again, she is singing her truth with her crazy acrobatic vocals that inspire me.
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
I like to have the song titles first. So whenever I see something that grabs my attention I write it down. I am a very visual person so I take inspiration from things around me. Once I have a song title I either connect it to a story out of my life or I just make one up. All the songs on my album are real stories out of my life though.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
In 5 years I will hopefully have my second album released and working on a third under a label. I would love to headline my own little tour and go on a bigger tour with a bigger artist as a supporting act.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
I love cooking! Healthy and tasty foods are so important to me. Now that doesn’t mean I don’t ever eat pizza or french fries (I’m actually a sucker for french fires) but when I cook at home I try to make it healthy. I make THE best vegetarian lasagna. You can ask anyone that has had my lasagna, they will tell you it’s the best they’ve ever had haha! When I need some downtime you will definitely find my snuggling my two cats Kaiyo and Navi. They are the sweetest little boys.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more in to the music scene?
That is a tough question. I am super weird when it comes to listening to music. When I find a song that I absolutely love then I will listen to that song on repeat for like a week or longer. Currently that song is “The Joke” by Brandi Carlile, which is weird because pop is basically all I listen to and then there’s Brandi dropping this amazing tune that I can’t get enough of right now! So I can’t really say there was one song that really made me take the leap and do this music thing. But I guess my closest answer would be anything off of Lady Gaga’s Joanne album. That album came out when I was living in Boston and studying music at the Berklee College of Music. I listened to that album every day I walked to school and back, which was like a 15 minute walk one way. Technically by then I’ve already known I was going to pursue music for like 5 years at least but I think that album made me want to be a bad ass like Lady Gaga and just go for it. I decided to leave Boston and move to Nashville to write and record my music and not just study about how to do it. So I guess Lady Gaga was really the kick in my butt to get me started.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
Stick with it. Sounds boring, I know, but it’s so true! When it came to choosing a name I wanted to give up way to early and just choose one. But my manager pushed me to write more names down, at least 200-300, till I find the perfect one. It paid off, I love my name now. I can apply that advice to anything in my life. I am a very passionate person and I get excited about new stuff all the time. But when something doesn’t work out immediately, I want to just throw it in a corner and move on to the next thing. Now, you can’t really achieve anything in life if that’s how you live, so I really took this advice in and I try to live by it every day now.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
Put down your phone and listen to your thoughts. It’s crazy, every time we have just 1 minute that we’re either waiting for the bus or even on the toilet (!!) we take out our phones so we don’t have to listen to what we’re feeling and what thoughts are forming in our brain. I truly believe that this kills creativity. Look at what’s around you. Even in the bathroom stall! There might be something scribbled on the door or wall that might inspire you. It will also help with your mental health. Listen to what your body is trying to tell you.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
“Be kind, no exceptions”. My mom says that pretty much every day. This world needs more kindness. I’m tired of watching or reading the news because there’s too much negativity and violence in this world. We need to treat other people the way we want to be treated and make it a better place. It sounds so cliché but it is the truth.
Where in your hometown is a must go to visit?
Oh my goodness, have you ever been to Switzerland? It’s gorgeous, everywhere is a must go to visit! The town that I grew up in is tiny, only 1,200 people live there. I only had 14 classmates in my school. So I’m going to expand the radius a little bit to the area that I grew up in. I would say Blausee is a must see. It’s like 20 minutes from my house that I grew up in (my parents still live there) and it’s absolutely stunning. The water is so clear that you can see all the fish swimming in there and the ground of the lake. You can walk/hike around the lake (it’s tiny so that’s something pretty much everyone can do) and just enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful view.
Your coming off tour;
1/ Where do you go first? Home
2/ Who do you see first? My partner and cats.
3/What do you eat first? Veggie sushi because I can’t afford that on tour.
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
Warming up my voice & body, my water bottle, my instruments (duh), to puff up my curls and remembering this: “You is kind, you is smart, you is important” & fierce ;-).
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Yes, I do!
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Jack Klein
May 10, 2020 at 12:28 am
Lumane sounds similar to artist Rylee van Oyen of “Wish It Never Happened”. Maybe they should collab on something.