Lùisa - The Enchantress of Hamburg

After enjoying the Hamburg artist's second record, we had the pleasure of interviewing her by email. Her answers explain very well her drive to work with such dedication and attention to detail, and the importance of getting help from friends she gets along with, both musically and personally.

When I listened to your songs, I immediately thought of the English band Daughter. That doesn't mean you're the same thing, but I think there are some similarities. Do you like them?

Thanks, I like Daughter, the work she does and they do is really beautiful, and I think her lyrics are strong and engaging! I imagine she, like me, loves diving into the deepest parts of the sea.

I read that you started performing on stage 10 years ago, when you were 12. How important is it to have stage experience and to work with other musicians before moving on to a solo project, as you did?

When I was 14 I sang in a band, my friends and I played punk-rock covers in small clubs and everyone would jump around; I experienced being in a band as something that helped me find myself during those teenage years, especially since the people I was singing with were my best friends. Later on, when I started writing my own songs and playing them with my guitar, I felt much more vulnerable on stage, without the support of my friends, but it taught me a lot about myself. It can make you grow, and it's wonderful to have the chance to be so spontaneous. I toured alone for quite a while, but at some point I felt the need to expand the arrangements again. Now two of my best friends are back in my band: Benni & Nils. We know we can lean on each other on many levels, not just in playing the right notes. I think that's an important feeling for the stage experience, whether you're a solo artist working with other musicians or the setup is that of a band.

Arrangements and rhythm play an important role in your songs, in the way they're recorded on the album. How do you build the sound? I read that the record was recorded with other musicians: are you open to their ideas, or do you not take suggestions?

Honestly, as far as music goes, I only listen to suggestions from very few people – my approach to music with this project is very personal, and I can't have others commenting or giving advice. I need a creative bubble around myself until I know where I see the songs going, until I've arranged them, at least roughly. But once the visions become clearer, working on the record with my friends Benni Pflüger and Filippo Cimatti was the best thing that could have happened to me. Not only are they friends I trust and share a real connection with, but they're also incredible artists. When I have a rough idea for a rhythmic part, Benni (drums) completes it and refines it brilliantly, right from the first time I come into the rehearsal room with a new song. The electronic and synth sound is also hugely inspiring. Filippo Cimatti (producer) and I would sit together in London, sometimes for hours, discussing images and soundscapes. When I talked about an image, he could immediately turn it into a sound wave. We also talked a lot about the experience behind each song. It also helped that all three of us are the same age and have gone through similar phases of life. It made producing everything together feel very natural.

Specifically, I like the fact that the songs are all in the same style, yet there's always something different in each one. How important is it for you that an album has variety while still maintaining a consistency of style?

Thank you! For me it's quite important that an album takes the listener on a journey and creates its own world, so that's a huge compliment. I thought a lot about how I wanted to lay out the tracklist, which experience should come after which, and how to tell the story behind the conclusion expressed by the title "Never Own".

It's also hard to pick one or more songs that are better than the others. Do you have a favourite song, or do you like them all equally?

It's hard for me too, even now. It really depends on my mood at the time. I feel very connected to "Under The Wild Skies", "All'inizio", "Lover" and "Vision".

A couple of songs are in French and Italian. How did that come about? Do you really speak that many languages?

I speak English, Italian, French and… obviously German. When I was working on "Never Own", I studied Italian and French literature and I also took some English literature courses. Foreign languages and literature in general are huge sources of inspiration for me. I think it's fantastic how literature represents human experiences throughout the centuries, and I love the different melodies of each language. When I wrote "L'Hiver en Juillet", I immediately understood it needed the French melody and sound, and for "All'inizio" I knew it would be in Italian, I couldn't have sung it in any other language.

When an artist looks back at their own work after some time, they often find something they'd change. Are you completely satisfied with the record right now, or would you change something if you could?

When I got back from the month we spent recording in London, I knew the record wasn't quite finished… Not so much because the songs couldn't have been released as they were, but more because I felt there were still experiences missing that were needed to complete them, and new songs that had yet to be written—basically the cycle wasn't fully over yet. And then yes, there were also a lot of changes of mind compared to what had been done in 2014 after the first studio sessions, which made me realize I still had to keep working on the album. That's why now, since I really took all the time I needed, I'm happy with how it turned out. As for the things I still want to try, I'll try them on the next record.

You have a lot of live dates coming up, and a few months ago you played in Milan. When you perform solo, the songs obviously sound very different from how they are on record, but when you play with the band, do they end up sounding more similar to the studio versions?

Yes, when I play with the band the songs sound very close to how they are on the record, and I really enjoy performing them that way with them! Still, I love the challenge of dressing the songs in new clothes, interpreting them differently, adapting them for the stage. That's also how I justify constantly buying beautiful new gear.

Have you already started gathering ideas for the future, or right now are you solely focused on these songs and playing them live?

I'm constantly working on new ideas and new songs, even just fragments, but I need the result to connect with what comes from the world. I'm also working on an electronic project on my own. It's very different from what I do as "Lùisa" – right now I'm really fascinated by the structures of electronic songs, and by the more technical side of producing music. The songs from "Never Own" still keep me busy with rehearsals and new interpretations, I want to take care of them.

Hamburg, your city, seems very active from a musical point of view. There are always lots of shows, and I have a group of good friends who live there, who I meet up with when we go to indie-pop festivals around Europe. On the other hand, I read a while back that the police have been given a stronger role in preventing security issues. What's your take on your city?

Yes, I think you've described it very well: on one hand Hamburg has a great independent scene, in terms of bands, labels and clubs alike. But gentrification and the priorities set by Parliament have threatened the alternative scene in the past, and they still do. While the more prestigious music scenes and tourist attractions like musicals have been funded, small clubs are dying out. But there's a will to resist, which is a good thing. A lot is still happening in Hamburg's music scene, and that's promising.

Ride the wave of great music

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