INTERVIEW: LARI LUKE on new single 'Out Of This Town': "This song is about not giving a damn about what people say and that it’s absolutely fine to be proud of your talents and achievements."
Germany’s LARI LUKE is one of her home country’s most successful artists with a long list of talents to her name that include not only DJ, producer, performer, songwriter and remixer but also actress, radio host and comedian. Across her musical career, she has remixed tracks for artists such as Rita Ora and Julia Michaels and attracted praise from Diplo. In May this year she released the single ‘Out Of This Town’, a subtle electro banger which switches between chilled out verses and a thumping chorus that slowly takes you over. Featuring vocals from Norway’s Alida, who also appeared on the Robin Schulz hit ‘In Your Eyes’, the single is LARI’s first release on a major label after she signed with RCA/Sony Music. With music this good, It is sure to be the first step towards a successful international career and we recently spoke to LARI to find out more.
Hey LARI! How has life been for you in lockdown?!
I’ve been absolutely fine. I have no problem with being alone for a while and I like to work from home. It was also a nice break from sitting in a full train or plane all the time. I always try to see the positive side of the story.
Congratulations on the release of your latest single ‘Out Of This Town’ it is a brilliant song! Can you tell us a little bit more about the inspiration behind the track?
Thank you very much! Well, sometimes people are afraid to speak openly about themselves being good at something. Being proud or confident is perceived as being arrogant sometimes. And this song is about not giving a damn about what people say and that it’s absolutely fine to be proud of your talents and achievements.
How did the collaboration with Alida come about?
I loved the song she did with Robin Schulz, called ‘In Your Eyes’, and told my manager that I want to work with her, no matter what! She is a beautiful singer, writer and person.
What was the creative process for this track? How did you get from conception to release?
The funny thing is that the song was a ballad at first, but the message is so positive and inspiring that I wanted the song to be a song people can dance to and celebrate themselves.
You’ve done remixes for some amazing artists including Rita Ora and Julia Michaels. It must feel pretty incredible to be asked to work with such big artists?
It is! I never would have thought that when you go on Rita Ora’s Spotify or Facebook page, you would see my name on it. It’s surreal, I’ll tell you when it’s sunk in, because to this point it still hasn’t.
What artists are on your dream list of collaborators?
Valentino Khan! He is absolutely amazing - as a producer and performer he inspired me a lot throughout my career. Another artist that I also adore is Ekali. He has such a sensitive way of producing music, some of his tracks still give me goosebumps, even after listening to them for years.
If we take it back to the beginning, can you tell us about the role music played in your life when you were growing up?
My mum is from Argentina, so it was normal for me to wake up to her playing music from South America and dancing and singing to it all day. I started writing poems and songs as soon as I learned how to write in school.
What was the ‘thing’ that convinced you to pursue music as a career? Was there a ‘light bulb’ moment or was it just something that happened organically?
It all happened very organically. I never had the goal to become the most famous musician alive, I have just liked to do music all my life. It started with me singing and playing the guitar for my family and friends, then I performed in little bars back when I lived in Barcelona and now I’m playing at big festivals, only with turntables instead of my guitar. It all just came about naturally and organically.
What’s up next for LARI LUKE?
New music and new remixes!
‘Out Of This Town’ is out now. You can download on iTunes and stream on Spotify and Apple Music.
To keep up with all things LARI LUKE you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube
