Hailing from North Carolina, the exceptionally talented LUCI announces her debut album ‘They Say They Love You’ set for release 02 February 2024. Alongside the news, the artist announces her latest single ‘Martyr,’ complemented by a visually raw official music video out now. The track promises to be a notable addition to the cutting-edge Brixton-based record label, Don’t Sleep. LISTEN HERE
The 10-track ‘They Say They Love You’ was recorded in Ambridge, Pennsylvania as well as LA, and explores themes of love, loneliness, perseverance amid uncertainty, self-care, and coming of age. The album includes production from William J Sullivan (Kid Cudi, Kanye West, 070shake, Paris Texas), Louallday (Doja Cat, Tyler The Creator, Outkast, Khelani, Dckwrth), Elias Abid and Edmund Irwinsinger (Glass Animals), and others. She says she wants ‘They Say They Love You’, like all of her music, to “touch all the senses. My inspiration comes from the fact that great art exists in the world. And if I can touch people, move people, and it makes people want to do things for the better. I want to be the example of doing what you love, and being relentless about it.”
[‘THEY SAY THEY LOVE YOU’ CREDIT: GIA AZEVEDO]
The follow-up track to the more poppier offering ,‘11:11’, ‘Martyr’ leans on the sounds of late 90s and early 2000s jams, inspired by the likes of Missy Elliot and Busta Rhymes. With a seamless blend of rap and soulful singing, LUCI exhibits her striking lyrical dexterity, effortlessly showcasing an unmistakable flow that sets her apart. Supported by the arresting, hard-hitting beats expertly produced by Elias Abid, her singular voice and delivery guide listeners on an unforgettable journey. LUCI adds: “I wanted to give the people lyrics, it’s a song for the ego, something for my people to chant. I’m on my lil rap jug. Power, pressure, hard and loud but melodic.” With ‘11:11’ receiving plaudits across the media – including Nylon, Flood, The Observer, Them and more – the heights that LUCI is reaching shows no limits.
An artist who ‘bleeds creativity’ (The Quietus), her multifarious and electric sound blends genres from hip hop and R&B to psych-punk, means she can’t be pigeonholed. Finding inspiration everywhere – from line, colour, and cinema, to her friends who took her to punk shows where she fell in love with the chaos of mosh pits – there is no linear approach to how or why she makes music. Growing with each release, she wants to shake up the algorithm and wash any preconceptions away, evolving in a new era and sound that is unmistakably LUCI but also one that cannot be stereotyped and put into a box, as she adds: “I want to go ahead and break down any imaginary walls that have been built and move freely in this world.” Releasing her debut EP at the tail end of 2022 to critical acclaim – with support spanning The Quietus, Consequence, Clash, Flood, Line of Best Fit and more – LUCI readies her new music marking a sonic change of pace and emotion as she laments feeling in a place of contentedness. Showcasing some of her latest material to entranced crowds across her UK dates, the beauty of her artistry lies in the performance with her training in movement (from ballet to traditional African dance) leading to raw and often visceral experiences.
After graduating from Charlotte’s Northwest School of The Arts in 2014, she moved to nearby Asheville and immersed herself in the local music scene. It was there that she formed a band called Defbeat. LUCI says that Defbeat had psychedelic and hip-hop leanings, but went in myriad sonic directions because of the eclectic group’s vast influences. She honed her craft as a vocalist with Defbeat during a period when she says she began to take her music goals more seriously. By the time Defbeat disbanded, LUCI was ready to make moves on her own. She made her way to upstate New York in 2019, where she learned how to produce on Ableton music production software and filled multiple notebooks with songs. Some of those ended up on 2022’s Juvenilia, including her formal debut “Ash & Dust” single, which music outlet Consequence called “a wildly original statement that points towards the future of hip-hop. 2023 is set to be another gamechasing year for this ‘future of hip hop’ talent.
‘MARTYR’ TRACK CREDITS:
Producer: Elias Abid
Composition: Elias Abid, Edmund Irwin-Singer, LUCI
Lyrics: LUCI
VIDEO CREDITS:
Director – Luci
Videographer/ Editor – Brighton Kil
TRACKLIST
01 – Martyr
02 – 11:11
03 – Lips
04 – Rockwitchu
05 – Thunder Calling
06 – Inside
07 – Spins
08 – Stay Steady
09 – Call Jane
10 – Morning Wine