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What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.

I grew up playing the piano and singing at home, and I’ve always been a performer. It wasn’t until I started going to rock shows by myself in high school that the dream of writing hits and playing live with a band began to really take hold. After graduating university and went all in on the dream. Luego’s live ensemble always varied, but centered around a classic rock set up – drums, bass, guitar, keys. For all 4 of my records I’ve recorded with the same group of friends in North Carolina. I’ve lived in Los Angeles for five years now, and while my influences and surroundings have changed, the band that I record with has stayed the same. I’m so thankful to make records with my best friends, and we had a lot of fun making our upcoming record, VISTA.

Provide us with some info about your latest release…

This is the first record I’ve made as a resident of Los Angeles, and it feels really fresh. I wrote the songs after a messy breakup, which, for a songwriter, is pure gold for inspiration. And as a man, it’s pure gold for growth as a human. The sound of VISTA is extremely visual, just as being in California is an extremely powerful and visual experience. And hence the vibey title.

Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?

o Musically:

– Kendrick Lamar and the entire Black Panther Soundtrack, specifically the drum sounds and techniques on that record

– the Bahamas record Earthtones, specifically the song simplicity, guitar sounds, and overall warmth

– Bob Dylan’s Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid

– keyboard sounds on Kanye’s Late Registration

– The song “Ojala” by Silvio Rodriguez

o Non-Musically:

– Marie Kondo’s Spark Joy

– Coelho’s The Alchemist

– Palm Springs and the healing power of the desert, cacti and succulents

– Bouganvilla flowers

– Vipassana – 10 day silent meditation

– Sound Baths

– The Brick Phone Free Movement (look up the company)

In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?

I would describe Luego’s sound as Serengeti Cinematic—that is to say the album VISTA is a trip that begins as a birds eye view of galloping megafauna on a Safari. It’s a triumphant sound and a warm sound, and closes out as the sunset washes over cosmic country, on horseback in a fertile valley

Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…

Is This It: The Strokes

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot: Wilco

Late Registration: Kanye

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Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?

Gosh I love them both for different reasons. I love making new material with my band in the studio, but when you play live you can reinvent and rearrange the songs and that is equally as fun and provoking.

Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?

I made up my own record label when I first released Luego’s first record. I wanted to seem so legit and now I’ve released all of my albums of Arbor Ridge Studios Records, or ARS records. I don’t really know what it means to be signed, or to be on a record label because I’ve always just put out my own stuff all under my publishing company Kodiak At Last (ASCAP) and my released the music under my invented record label, ARS Records! Ha!

Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?

Oh gosh this is so hard. I think the last two songs on VISTA are my most unique because of the instrumentation and the string and horn arrangements. They don’t come out till February so I can’t tell you the names of them but I cannot wait for you to hear them!

Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?

I’m in the process of putting together a band out here in LA, and will be playing with the band locally this year. I’m also continuing to write and I hope to fly back out to North Carolina midway through the year and ake another record!

Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…

What’s your favorite Color?

Turquoise

What book are you currently reading?

All the Light We Cannot See By Anthony Doerrr

Curated by: Christos Doukakis

Recommended listening:

Connect with Luego:

www.instagram.com/luego

http://luego.bandcamp.com

www.soundcloud.com/luegomusic

https://twitter.com/luegomusic