Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Luna Li on her new album ‘When a Thought Grows Wings’ : NPR

Flute solos, jazz harp, and “baroque pop” sounds abound on Luna Li’s new album, “When a Thought Grows Wings.” She says the challenge explores how concepts “take flight and turn into tangible.”



(SOUNDBITE OF LUNA LI SONG, “I WOULD LET YOU”)

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

Luna Li makes music to make sense of life.

LUNA LI: It’s extremely therapeutic for me to get out all my emotions and have an outlet for every part that I expertise.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “I WOULD LET YOU”)

LI: (Singing) If you wish to take a little bit piece of me for your self, I’d allow you to. If you wish to style a little bit sweetness, attempt it out. I’d come to you.

RASCOE: Luna Li’s new album is titled “When A Thought Grows Wings.” Her tune “I Would Let You” explores private boundaries.

LI: I feel it is one of the crucial trustworthy songs that I’ve written. I am at all times difficult myself to be extra weak, and particularly I cut up with my accomplice of eight years. After which I additionally determined to make the transfer from Toronto to Los Angeles. All of that change got here collectively on this album that basically grew to be about change and transition.

(SOUNDBITE OF LUNA LI SONG, “I WOULD LET YOU”)

LI: I wrote it based mostly off of a poem that I had in my Notes app on my cellphone simply sort of outlining my boundaries, what I am keen to sacrifice, what I am not keen to sacrifice, and all of it sort of got here collectively into lyrics for the tune. A few the lyrics that basically sum up how I felt had been I’d alternate take care of respect, which means I’ve to prioritize myself and my well-being earlier than I can convey myself to someone else.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “I WOULD LET YOU”)

LI: (Singing) I’d alternate take care of respect. I’d do something to be equally addressed.

I simply bear in mind sitting in my bed room, simply sort of fascinated with melodies and determining how the phrases had been going to suit. I feel simply the second after I put the lyrics and the melodies along with the backing instrumental, it actually felt like a clicking sort of second. And realizing, that is the path for the album. I am actually enthusiastic about this sound. The album title, “When A Thought Grows Wings,” was really taken from a lyric from my tune “Bon Voyage” that asks the query, can a thought develop wings? “When A Thought Grows Wings” refers to permitting your innermost ideas and wishes to take form, take flight, and turn into tangible and actual.

And in the course of the interval of my life whereas scripting this album, I used to be assembly new folks and falling in love once more for the primary time. And so it was actually a time of realizing, you realize, I can take my life into my very own fingers. I can create change in my life that can profit me and profit folks round me. I can step into my very own energy.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “I WOULD LET YOU”)

LI: (Singing) Present me your life and I will fill it with mine, oh…

I nonetheless discover it difficult to be weak, however I feel the extra I do it, the simpler it will get. What I actually needed to do with this new album was to create music that feels actually comforting as a result of that was one thing I wanted. I felt like an outsider at many factors in my life. And I would like everyone to really feel welcome into the world of Luna Li, irrespective of who they’re or the place they arrive from.

(SOUNDBITE OF LUNA LI SONG, “I WOULD LET YOU”)

RASCOE: That was Luna Li discussing her new album, “When A Thought Grows Wings.”

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “I WOULD LET YOU”)

LI: (Singing) If you wish to change up your life…

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