Luke Frees is a singer/songwriter who lives in Chicago, IL, and is currently releasing music one single (and b-side!) a month. 'Most Of The Time' is about the worst part of a breakup: when you realize all the memories, all the inside jokes, all the lights-out-in-bed conversations, are going to fade away over time. And it's about how, in those first few months after a breakup, you try your hardest to NOT let them go, because you don't want to see those memories disappear.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Luke Frees, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Hey Kamil! Nice to chat with you too. I think the first thing that got me into music must've been seeing an Elton John concert my parents taped on VHS as a kid. I wore that video out and started dressing like him and pretending the ottoman was a piano, so my parents decided I could probably use some piano lessons, so that started when I was around 4.
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
Honestly that's a really good question that I haven't quite figured out yet. I'm very much a workaholic when it comes to creating things. I guess I try to structure my day so that I'm generally free in the mornings to do my creative work, and I can spend the rest of the day doing other things like socializing, teaching lessons, or whatever.
Your latest song is 'Most Of The Time'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
For sure. It's a breakup ballad, and to get the emotion just right for it, I enlisted the help of my friend Corwin, who plays violin. Their playing really elevated the ending section to a whole new level, and we had a lot of fun overdubbing different layers and textures to it. The lyrics of this song are really personal too--they're about a real relationship of mine, and the last time I'm repeating the title of the song right before that ending section starts, I actually started choking up when I was doing the vocal track. Instead of going back and fixing it, I kept it like that, so if you listen to that last refrain that's me actually starting to cry.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Do one thing--it doesn't even have to be big--creative a day. Find something that scratches your itch and do it. It doesn't matter what people think about it, it doesn't matter how "good" it is. Just do one creative thing a day.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
Shit. I don't know. I'd probably be dead or depressed. Or both.
How do you know when a work is finished?
I know a work's finished when I can take a step back and enjoy it as a music consumer. When I can look at the thing as a whole and not think of any tiny details I need to add. It's sorta like when you make a cocktail for a friend. Like you get the idea in your head, ah my friend's never had a gin gimlet. I'm going to make them a gin gimlet. Okay, so you get the gin out, get out your simple syrup, lime juice, throw it all in the shaker with some ice, great. Then you chill a glass (it's the details), slice a lime, pour the shaker into the glass, put the garnish on the lip, but then are you done? No. Naturally you wanna try it first to make sure it's okay, so you grab a spoon or straw or whatever and check, and then tweak it a bit, then you hand it over. Once you're sure that there isn't any question in your mind that you crossed all your i's and dotted your t's, then you're done. Otherwise--and I've done this with songs before--you'll have a nagging feeling that you could've done better if you just fixed that one thing.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
For sure! I love painting and drawing and photography, although I'm not really great at any of that, and I love reading books and watching films. I've recently been on a big David Lynch kick and started reading this beautiful book by Maggie Nelson called Bluets.
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
I think there's something to how I learned music at the same time as English, and how sometimes I feel like I can express my emotions better through sounds rather than words. And the beautiful thing about music is that the lyrics then, being words, can be informed by the sounds you're creating--and then vice versa--the music you're making can be influenced by the words.
Who is your favourite musician?
David Bowie's number one and he always will be. His artistic integrity and fearlessness to create and not care what anybody else thinks (okay except for Tonight and Never Let Me Down, fine) is a huge inspiration.
What are your plans for the future?
For the future, I'm going to continue this a-side and b-side monthly single series. I have December's already mixed and mastered, and I'm finishing up January's right now. Basically just trying to keep things moving and stay creatively fulfilled.