Luna Shadows
After releasing several singles and EPs over the past few years Luna Shadow's debut record 'Digital Pacific' likely feels like a long time coming for her fans (and she feels the aforementioned).
Known for her introspective lyrics and atmospheric sounds, Luna Shadows has garnered a loyal following since her first release in 2022. Since then, every release has been the catalyst to Luna Shadows' debut tape 'Digital Pacific' which was released a few weeks agone. Although some critics have commented on her use of onetime songs mixed with new, the ever-thoughtful and artistic Luna Shadows gives listeners a new soundscape to delve into; giving an entirely new context to some of the previously released tracks when paired with new songs. Too Luna Shadows herself, the two biggest characters in 'Digital Pacific' are her 2 homes: the very real California and the very digitized online space. Although she takes listeners on a trip through her home of California, taking united states on winding roads from Palm Springs to Malibu and back again, some of the most relatable songs post-2020 are the ones that focus on the 'digital' aspect of the record and learning about who your digital self is.
1883 spoke with Luna Shadows virtually 'Digital Pacific', her life in California, and struggling with balancing who you lot are and who your digital self is.
Digital Pacific is your debut record and it feels similar a long time coming since your first release 'Cry Wolf' in 2022. How does it feel to finally have this trunk of piece of work released into the world?
It has been a big journey to get hither but the reasons are all outside of me, so that's why it feels similar more than of a relief than annihilation else to get this trunk of piece of work out there. Since I'yard a really fast writer and I produce my work as well, I've had to hold on to a lot. My first EP came out in 2022, my second ane in 2017, and so I signed with a characterization in 2018. We were hoping to put information technology out in 2022 or early 2020… and so the pandemic happened. My characterization wanted me to have an opportunity to tour so we decided to push it back. Here we are, five years later. I've had a lot of music ready to become since 2022 but I'm the kind of artist who wants to be very organized and curated; I didn't desire to just throw stuff on the internet. Since information technology'southward taken a bit of time, it'southward evolved since then; songs take been added and removed and changed. Now I'1000 halfway through writing my second album.
How do you remember your writing has inverse?
I would say ii things: as a producer, I've grown a lot. When I started writing the music on 'Digital Pacific' I was a more intermediate producer. I believe I've become a much more advanced engineer and producer and I feel that will naturally evidence in my music in the futurity. Second, my songwriting has become a lot more conversational; a piddling more direct and I started writing 'Digital Pacific' I was a more intermediate producer and I think, since and then, I've go a much more advanced engineer and producer. I experience that's naturally going to bear witness in the future of my music. The second thing I would say is that my songwriting has get more conversational. A trivial more direct and less big concepts, a song like 'night swim' is very concept-oriented and a lot of the music I write now is more me speaking directly to the audience.
Have you gone back to songs y'all wrote a few years back and tweaked them to give them the perspective and growth that yous have at present in 2021?
I had to do that for 'Digital Pacific' a lilliputian flake but it's more me getting rid of songs. I write a lot. I come from a school of training where you lot don't wait for inspiration, you treat songwriting as a discipline. Treat songwriting like going to the gym. So, because I write so much, I have trouble going dorsum into the mindset I was in when I showtime wrote them. I similar to move forward with something else. With 'Digital Pacific' I went back and revised a lot of the production more than I did with the songs. It would be like me saying get back to your live periodical entry from 2012 and edit it! [Laughs]
On this record, you included songs from a few years back, like 'Hallelujah California'. Why was information technology important to you to blend songs from a few years prior with more recent tracks?
Two reasons: one, considering from the time I wrote 'Hallelujah California' I know I wanted to put information technology on my anthology. My original plan was to put out a few EPs and and so an album that would include the best songs from my EPs but with a label then I would have the opportunity to showcase it to a larger audience. My EPs did well on an independent scale but that was just me, I didn't take any support. I hoped to take some of those songs and work with a team to get them heard and reach a wider audition. That'south the very logistic, non-romantic perspective! Secondly, from an artist'south betoken of view, 'Digital Pacific' is a very thematic record. It'south nearly my life in California and how information technology intersects with my life online. Information technology would feel weird to me to leave a song that was a staple. Some publications are commenting on how former some of the songs are which I become, only I wanted those tracks to be part of my large debut collection. The style we swallow music today is and so fast; nosotros finish things and motion on so apace. I felt like rebelling confronting that in my style. I've taken some criticism for information technology merely I felt similar information technology was important.
I remember that's admirable. Correct now, in a streaming environs, it's so saturated and people are simply trying to churn out singles every other week to see what sticks. I experience similar the artistry of information technology gets lost a bit.
Yeah! On that note, critics and journalists will say ane thing merely my fans will say something completely different. I did a listening party and the coolest part was the feedback I was getting from them. They kept maxim that they had a newfound appreciation for some of the older songs in a dissimilar context in a bigger body of work. I paid a lot of attention to the sequencing and each transition from one song to the next. I needed to do something ambitious in a way, fifty-fifty if some of the content is older. I guess I am kind of challenging the streaming environs a little bit.
Information technology sounds like you're doing something authentic to yous — every bit y'all said, things are just going and then quickly and growing up, listening to total CDs from start to end, you appreciate the placement of certain songs. You get a total picture of someone's story. I felt like doing something authentic to me and, as I said, things are but beingness consumed so fast.
Cheers for proverb that. It was going to be effectually 13 tracks before, just because it got pushed back I added all of these other songs along the fashion. It was important to me to deliver new songs to the people who take been listening and post-obit for years. I didn't want them to call back information technology was merely recycled content. I too put out 7 music videos which I don't think people realize how difficult and expensive they are! It'southward a huge undertaking. I directed, edited, and styled everything myself. I hope those serve as another part of this movie for people to see and experience, whether the songs are new or older.
You come from a DIY background and you produce your music. It's beauteous, particularly seeing as there aren't a lot of female producers.
I appreciate that. I would never want to ignominy my team or collaborators but I practise a lot and I like it that way. A lot of artists go "Oh, I have a manager now! Oh, I have a team now!" and they kinda take a step back. The point of entry has never been so low which is peachy because it ways more than artists become the opportunity to be heard. But, with that comes to the territory of it existence extremely competitive. If yous don't accept a manus in everything you adventure your voice getting lost. I'thou too broken-hearted to handle that. I like being involved. I like existence hands-on.
In the video for 'trash tv,' you lot juxtapose the 'Digital' and 'Pacific' themes and the album as a whole analyzes feelings of anxiety and unhealthy relationships to social media. I love the line 'Got 10 perfect fingers/But we only ever use two'. Did you discover that song and video therapeutic to write and motion picture?
The song came together really apace. I wrote that song with my friend In.Drip. who is a producer and artist himself. Nosotros were just together one day in January of last twelvemonth right before the pandemic, which is funny because it sounds like I manifested everything that was to come! I was thinking about how I was feeling helpless; sometimes the digital world tin be this whole separate thing. Some days, I don't know what to do other than retweet something or share a petition or website to a donation page. There's so much wrong in the world sometimes and all I can practice is refresh my page. I'm so glad you similar that line because information technology always stood out to me. I remember writing it and feeling like I dropped the punchline. I hope it'due south relatable to other millennials and Gen-Z who as well feel like all they can do is refresh the page and look for something to practise. Every bit far as the video existence therapeutic… filming it was very stressful! Due to covid, we had a very closed-off set which meant I had and so many responsibilities and sometimes it felt like I couldn't focus on the photographic camera. We finished it two days before it came out.
It looks amazing but I can only imagine how stressful that must've been! In general, the visuals you've created for the record and the globe around information technology are all incredible — are visuals something you're actively thinking about when you're songwriting or is it something you effigy out after?
I think nigh information technology. I'g e'er thinking about the bigger moving-picture show, but not necessarily how I fit in that world. I don't always have a treatment in front of me, but there will ever be certain colours or images or bigger concepts. For 'Palm Springs' nosotros walked into the studio and I knew how nosotros were going to shoot all the visuals while we were writing and recording. That was but straightforward. Information technology's really important to me that both aspects—audio and visual—work together.
This brings back to your need to be in control of your art and image. Yous know what each song represents, no ane else could emulate that.
Yeah, exactly. I wanted there to exist a through-line through everything. I think what runs through everything is a nighttime sense of humour, so I incorporate that throughout each video. I felt like I needed to be the managing director of everything to make sure they all fit together as me! It sounds cheesy, but information technology'south really hard to exist yourself on photographic camera. In that location's a lot of people who accept an idea of where to go and how they should exist and I experience like I'm putting in a lot of work to be me. A lot of artists have trouble with that because they don't desire to put in the fourth dimension or they experience similar they should merely be themselves and that should exist something that comes naturally but, for me, being myself has been an incredible corporeality of piece of work. It's been an incredible amount of self-examination and reflection. I cried when the 'trash Telly' video came out because I had a total mental breakdown thinking it wasn't a practiced representation of me and that happens all the time. I'g a real perfectionist; I worry about how everything looks and fits together.
It's squeamish that you're being and then open almost that, though. I can simply imagine what information technology must exist like trying to act and show off who you are equally authentically as possible, specially when you're also trying to 'sell' yourself to an audience at the same time.
It's like choosing an outfit for a political party that dark. It took me a long fourth dimension to realize this tin all be me — whether I'm wearing a red wearing apparel or a blue dress. It'due south all nonetheless me.
The record is set up like a long California road trip — I know you moved from NYC a few years back. How has California inspired the style you write and record? Practise you remember your artistry would exist different if you stayed in NYC?
Oh, totally. I ever felt like I was in the wrong identify merely the second I got to LA it felt right. The 2d I got off the plane and I got to my hotel room—and I know it sounds weird—but it felt like I was born in the wrong place. I have seasonal low and then I struggled in New York. Living in LA has immune me to exist around other producers and collaborators, but it also gave me the ability to take control of my mental health and be the person I want to be. LA became something of a grapheme in my own story; I had to include this large part of my life that had such an touch on who I've get.
I can meet why y'all were then influenced by it—I went to California effectually this time terminal twelvemonth and I roughshod in dear with the place and the people.
I'chiliad and so glad you feel that way. I feel like the metropolis is what you make of information technology and can be different for everyone, especially in a place similar LA where everyone is so spread out. Information technology takes a bit of commitment and exploration to notice your own pockets that yous love and your people.
Lastly, what does this collection of songs mean or represent to yous and what do y'all hope people take away from them afterward listening?
This is a very personal story for me; it'south me trying my best to share a snapshot of my life. It would be amazing for other people to connect or reflect on their ain lives—the digital aspect and the cities they alive in. Information technology'due south about finding your identify, wherever that may exist in the world. Wherever you lot feel the freest, whatever environment helps you improve or has shaped you in a certain way. With the digital aspect of this record, when I started making this album I never actually saw whatsoever other artist making a practiced argument near the digital world. Yous have friends going through divorces because someone liked an Instagram photo and having people coming together in the strangest of ways on forums and apps. Digital activities tin have a real impact on our lives and people don't talk virtually or reflect on them. I'd love for people to listen and reflect and examine their digital earth and how it's impacted their mental health. On i mitt, the digital globe has enabled me to be an artist and the reason we are speaking right now, but on the other hand, I detect my mental health can take a huge dive when I spend also much time online. When people are washed listening, I hope they feel like they got some comfort. That's all any creative person could hope for.
interview past Kelsey Barnes
Listen to Luna Shadows debut record 'Digital Pacific' now!
0 Response to "Luna Shadows"
Post a Comment