Q&A WITH LUNA MAY
Melbourne’s own Emma Carn has brought to life her artistic side through alter-ego Luna May - an electropop ballad queen with dynamic songwriting abilities. After releasing the track ‘Heartbreak’ back in October, we caught up with the talented artist for a sweet little Q&A which you can read below.
Talk to us about how you first got into music and what constantly inspires you to create.
I’ve always had a love for music, and started playing the cello at the age of 8. But the decision to pursue music as a career didn’t really start until I was 17, when I was gifted my first guitar. I couldn't play it or sing back then, but for some reason decided to post a YouTube video of myself singing and playing "Don't Fight It" by The Panics, after owning my guitar for like 3 days. It was obviously a pretty terrible cover haha but I kept at it and continued to post covers for the next year or so.
Around the age of 18, I posted my first cover on SoundCloud, which caught the attention of a producer duo named BUNT. They asked me to lend my vocals to a folk house track called "Journey”, which to my surprise went on to accumulate millions of plays on SoundCloud and YouTube. This then lead me to become a featured vocalist on various projects. The Luna May project then naturally emerged a few years later as I started to explore my own sound and independently release music.
The highs, the lows, the people I meet, and the places I go all serve as a source of inspiration. There's something really magical about capturing those moments, emotions, and stories through music.
What is the meaning behind your track ‘Heartbeat’ and how did you go about bringing it to life?
Heartbeat" started as a very rough demo on my computer. I had this vision, and I knew there was something special there, so I sent it over to Sam Phay, who co-wrote and produced the track with me. At the time, I was consuming a lot of drum and bass, and Sam and I were both excited about exploring this direction. He really brought my initial idea to life in a way I couldn't have imagined, and when he added the vocoder to the chorus I think I produced a little happy tear haha.
Originally the first demo of Heartbeat had entirely different lyrics that were kind of on the toxic and sad side, centered around the idea of self-sabotaging a good relationship. However, Sam and I sat on the demo for about 12 months, and found ourselves revisiting those lyrics and decided to flip them on their head. The song transformed into a narrative about anxiety taking control and sabotaging beautiful moments. It's all about the struggle to relax into something good and not letting your anxiety trick you into thinking it's bad.
What initially got you interested in the world of Electro-pop and who are your biggest influences when it comes to the genre?
Electronic music has always played a significant part of my life, from consuming it to starting as a feature vocalist and now DJing. Artists like Flume and ODESZA really got me excited about the genre. BANKS and her emotive infusion into electronic music have been a big influence on my work, and Lennon Stella inspires my songwriting.
What has been your biggest achievement in your music career so far?
There have been several notable moments in my music career, but I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride for getting this particular song out into the world. I sat on it for what has felt like an eternity, and I kept hitting roadblocks every time I thought I was going to put it out.
Independently releasing music always feels incredibly rewarding. It's a significant effort to bring a song to life and share it with the world, and I couldn't be more excited to finally have Heartbeat out there.
What do you like to do outside of music and what does a day in your life look like?
Outside of creating music, I love going to the beach or attending gigs. l really love the Melbourne music scene, and I spend a big chunk of my time immersed in it. I also work full-time as a graphic designer, so on a usual day in my life I’m at work 9-5, and then go home to work on my music 6-10. It’s a bit of a balancing act at the moment haha
You have an upcoming EP coming out next year, can you tell us any more about it?
My upcoming EP is a collection of songs that I've held onto for the past two years, with "Heartbeat" being the lead track. I'm hoping to release the next track from the EP in the coming months. This EP marks the beginning of what feels like a new sonic direction for Luna May, and I can't wait for everyone to experience it. So, keep your eyes peeled for 2024 ;)