We Talk To UK Artist LUTFIA Ahead of Her Debut EP Release 'So Much For The Summer'
Ahead of her sparkling debut EP release on 4th December, we speak to emerging talent Lutfia.
‘So Much For Summer’ is Lutfia’s debut EP which incorporates a variety of different styles, including alternative pop, pop-rock, funk and dance. Each song is unique but Lutfia's powerful mezzo-soprano voice and deeply personal lyrics make the project seamlessly cohesive. The unforgettable ‘Prism' and ‘Last Night', which were previously released as singles, are part of this EP along with four additional unheard tracks. Let's hear from the artist herself...
As So Much For Summer is your debut EP, how are you feeling about its release? Are you more excited or more nervous?
I’m so excited for people to hear the EP! I suppose there is a little bit of nervousness because the songs are all really personal, so it’s a bit like showing my diary to the world but mostly I’m just looking forward to getting feedback on the project.
You touch on themes of teenage love, mental health struggles, vulnerability but self-confidence and empowerment too in your EP - how important was it for you to get these kinds of messages across in your music?
I’ve always been drawn to music with relatable lyrics. There’s something so magical about finding a song that describes the exact thing you’re going through. As an artist, talking about things that I think will resonate with people has always been important because I want them to feel what I feel when I listen to other people’s music.
You have mentioned previously that you write all your songs by starting with the piano – but is there a particular method you go about when writing your lyrics?
I normally sit at the piano and start writing with a topic in mind. Sometimes it’ll be a very specific event in my life that I want to document and other times it’ll just be a lyric idea, maybe even two words that I think sound good together. For example, ‘Heart Of Stone And Bones Of Steel’ started out with the title. It randomly came into my mind when I was at college and even though I didn’t know what I wanted it to mean just yet, I loved the way it sounded in my head so I quickly wrote it down and started the song on the same day. On the other hand, ‘City Of Angels’ was a song that began with a concept: I’d just come back from Los Angeles and felt the need to write a song about how I’d felt there. Either way, I don’t have a specific technique or method when it comes to writing lyrics. It’s more about what feels natural and important at the time.
How did you go about the production of 'So Much For Summer'? Were there any other collaborators on the project who helped?
The EP was produced by my mum, Virginie Lacour-Puiboube who is an insanely talented musician. She writes and produces the music for her own band called Laughing With The Raindrops and I always knew that I wanted to work with her on my EP because we get on so well and we have similar tastes in music. Working with her on this project was amazing because she had incredible production ideas that I could never have come up with and she always took the time to listen to my ideas and bring them to life as well. It was honestly such a great experience!
Where did the idea for the EP title come about?
As I was deciding on the EP track list, I realised that each song had a sense of melancholy to it and I wanted this sentiment to be represented in the title as well. ‘So Much For Summer’ to me conveys nostalgia, maybe even a little disappointment. It’s also just a very summery project to me, I spent the summer months of 2021 working on it, so it just felt like a very fitting title!
How long have you been working on 'So Much For Summer'?
Some of the songs were actually written back in 2019 but the main chunk of the work started in June 2021 and I think we ended up completely finishing the project in September 2021.
If there was one word to describe your musical sound, what would it be and why?
I think it has to be ‘eclectic’. I have such a wide range of musical influences and I think that definitely comes across in my sound.
You have your launch gig coming up in February next year, is there a specific song off the EP that you are most excited to look forward to performing? Why?
I’m so excited to perform ‘Prism’! It’s such a fun and high-energy song and it’s one that my audience is already familiar with so they’ll be able to sing along with me.
Are you working on any other projects up on the lead until Christmas?
I’m working on a couple more lyric videos and hopefully a music video as well.
What are your plans for 2022?
I’m going to start working on my debut album. If all goes well, it’ll be out by the end of 2022. I also really want to do as many live shows as possible!