Luke Yeoward's new single, Always In Your Heart, is out now! We chat to the musician about the release and more.
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Fresh off the release of his latest single, Always In Your Heart, we caught up with Melbourne musician Luke Yeoward to chat about the track, his forthcoming sophomore album MARIGOLD AVENUE, creating within a band environment vs solo, and so much more!
Always In Your Heart is out now. Read our interview with Luke Yeoward below.
Could you tell us a bit about how you began your musical journey, and your background in music?
I started performing as a busker when I was still in Primary School as soon as I could hold down a few guitar chords and sing a tune. From there, punk rock got its hooks in and that took me through my teens and early twenties.
Always In Your Heart is the first taste of your new album. What prompted you to explore these themes in the song and inspired the conceptual nature of the track?
The title of the track is something that I would say to my kids after their mother and I separated. We didn’t see each other as much anymore, so that was my way to comfort them. When it came time to start working on this record, the kids and I would muck around on instruments at home, and the first spark of this song came from my daughter and I sitting at the piano.
How did you arrive at the style of music and sonics we hear on the track?
When I grew up in New Zealand, Jamaican music was popular with working class people everywhere and also went hand in hand with the punk rock scene. This style of music (reggae) has been in my veins and on my stereo since I can remember. Rocksteady, early reggae, roots reggae, dub, dancehall etc have always been favourites of mine, I’ve just never made an LP’s worth of tunes like this before, so I thought it was about time I did.
What messages do you hope listeners take away from the track?
Stay strong. Love each other.
You’re set to release your sophomore record, MARIGOLD AVENUE, this year. What new knowledge and experience are you bringing into the sessions working on the new record, that differs from creating your previous releases?
I guess the more you make records, the more you learn. From songwriting to audio. You always wish you did something differently or better with previous works. This was the only record that I’ve taken a lot of time with and just chipped away at over a long period of time at home. It’s all self engineered and produced. Apart from the drums (played by Plutonic Lab) and some other parts, this is me playing everything. So it took a little while.
Which song off the record are you most excited for fans to hear and why?
All of them. They’ll all have something to offer someone.
Could you tell us a bit about your creative process when writing and recording songs?
When I'm creating something new, I usually just faff about on an instrument, hum a melody and everything else stems from there. With this batch of reggae though, most of the music was recorded before I put any vocals down. It’s simple, rhythm based music, so it was really about getting the right tempo, a bass line that felt solid and some other interesting lead/melody parts, as opposed to “writing a song” as I would usually with other genres.
How do you find it differs writing and recording in a band environment with your former band King Cannons vs solo where you’re completely in charge of the process and outcome?
There’s no one else to bounce my ideas off, and no other players to perform with me. This makes things super challenging, and hard to be productive some days. It’s easy to second guess yourself, or to lose energy when it’s just me in the room. You kinda get used to it though, and it does allow for me to take a bit more time to get things the way I want them.
If you had to pick one song off MARIGOLD AVENUE to play to someone who had never heard your music to make them an instant fan, which would it be and why?
Maybe ENERGY, only because I think that’s a super heavy tune, and is a pretty raw expression vocally and lyrically from me.
Australia has a diverse and vibrant music scene, who are some of your favourite Aussie acts and why?
Hmmm. If I’m honest. I just listen to old stuff mainly from overseas. I’m pretty lame like that. I don’t have any favourite Australian acts right now, sorry!
With restrictions easing and borders having opened, will we be seeing you hit the road with national dates anytime soon?
Maybe! No promises though - It’s tough out there!
RAPID FIRE
Biggest influences?
Trees.
Dream collaboration?
Lee “Scratch” Perry. LOL.
Album that has had the most impact on you?
Rancid - Life Won’t Wait
How do you define your musical style in 3 words?
Truth music
Best song of 2021 so far?
Always In Your Heart
If you could create the soundtrack for any film, which one would it be?
Star Wars
Album you would listen to on repeat on a road trip?
Joe Strummer - Global A Go Go
Best concert you have been to?
Bruce Springsteen - Frankfurt, Germany
First concert you went to?
Some shitty punk show, I can’t remember
First album you ever bought?
Micheal Jackson - Dangerous
Guilty music pleasure?
Shaggy
An artist you think has had the most influence on the music industry.
All of them?
What advice would your current self, give your future self, for a year from now?
Don’t do it, man!
The moment you knew you wanted to be a musician?
When I heard my Mum play the guitar and sing for the first time.
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