Luna Li: Shedding the the Past
Luna Li, born Hannah Bussiere Kim, didn't choose music; it chose her. Growing up amidst the vibrant melodies of her mother's Toronto conservatory, she was immersed in a world of sound. The piano was her first love, but soon, the violin, guitar, and the siren call of songwriting beckoned. Yet, her path wasn't linear. A brief, disillusioning stint at McGill University, where the structured environment felt stifling, led to a necessary detour. "Even though I was studying music," she admits, "it didn't really feel creative."
This period of self-discovery proved crucial. Back in Toronto, she embraced the city's DIY music scene, trading the confines of academia for the exhilarating freedom of live performance. "I started playing shows, teaching at my mom's school," she recalls. "It all kind of grew from there." This organic growth, nurtured by the vibrant energy of the local scene, laid the foundation for her unique sound.
Initially, Li sought to distance herself from her classical roots. "I had just dropped out of school for doing violin, and when I came back it felt like playing the violin wasn't very cool," she confesses. But the allure of those classical techniques, the intricate fingerwork, the emotional depth they unlocked, proved irresistible. She began experimenting, layering violin melodies over intricate guitar patterns, creating soundscapes that were both ethereal and deeply personal.
The pandemic, a period of enforced introspection for many, became a fertile ground for Li's creativity. Armed with a loop pedal, she began crafting intricate soundscapes, capturing her musical explorations on video and sharing them with the world. The response was immediate. Songs like "Afterglow" and "2516" – shimmering tapestries woven from delicate piano, soaring vocals, and haunting violin – captivated audiences, establishing Li as a rising star in the indie music scene.
However, Li's evolution transcended the merely musical. "Silver Into Rain," a collaboration with Beabadoobee, marked a significant turning point. This track, while retaining the core of her dreamy aesthetic, injected a newfound confidence, a hint of edge into her sound. The delicate guitar riffs were now underpinned by a driving rhythm, her vocals imbued with a newfound assertiveness.
This transformation continued with her sophomore album, When a Thought Grows Wings. Following the whirlwind of touring that accompanied her debut, Li embarked on a period of deliberate introspection. "The process for this album was different from anything I’d done before," she explains. Collaborations with producers like Andrew Lappin and Scott Zhang, both renowned for their distinct sonic signatures, pushed her beyond her comfort zone.
"Working with Lappin and Zhang was like a challenge for myself," she reflects. "The culture of sessions in L.A. is very collaborative, and that was new to me." These collaborative sessions, however, proved invaluable. They encouraged experimentation, pushing Li to explore new sonic territories, to embrace the unexpected.
When a Thought Grows Wings reflects this evolution. Deeper basslines, textured rhythms, and a newfound emotional depth permeate the album. Tracks like "That's Life" showcase a newfound maturity, while "Confusion Song," though rooted in her signature ethereal sounds, grapples with profound themes of loss and introspection.
The album artwork, a striking image of Li wielding an axe, serves as a powerful metaphor for this period of transformation. "It was like me chopping down that stability and comfort to make room for new growth and new beginnings," she explains, referencing her reading of Richard Powers' The Overstory. This act of symbolic destruction, of shedding the old to embrace the new, resonates deeply with the album's core themes of growth, resilience, and the constant state of becoming.
Luna Li's journey is a testament to the power of self-discovery, the courage to break free from expectations, and the enduring power of artistic expression. Her music, a reflection of her own personal evolution, invites listeners on a journey of introspection, encouraging them to embrace the unknown and to cultivate their own unique voices.
