Interview: Luna Keller - No Man's Land

Luna Keller starts 2022 with “No Man’s Land” a hopeful anthem about finding your place and growing after a year full of adventures and uncertainties. Luna released the 7th single of her debut album on the 1st of January 2022. The 20 year old singer-songwriter travelled a lot in 2021 - moving to Germany and couch surfing through England and Switzerland for over a month. On her journey she reconnected with “No Man’s Land” a song she wrote when she was 15. In her words “Being a young artist in the current global situation is filled with uncertainties.

By Kamil Bobin

Discovered via Musosoup

Kamil) Hey Luna Keller, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?

So lovely to be here, thank you for having me! I think it’s safe to say that my parents did, they are both very musical and I started singing with them from a young age. The thing that truly connected me with my own musicality is definitely songwriting though. When I discovered that I can create songs and connect with myself and others through them, I knew this would be an important part of my life from there on.

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

I always fail at giving a straight answer here, and it’s often a different one every day. The list is long! Some of my heroes are on it for sure, such as Coldplay, The Lumineers, Lisa Hannigan, James Blunt… But also some of my favourite indie artists and friends, some of which I already have or am collaborating with. A few I would love to work with are Thomas LaVine, Clouds And Thorns, Dom Malin, IZHAV, Pacific K, Kalden Berg… aaaaand the list goes on.

Your latest song is 'No Man's Land'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?

I guess the most unusual thing about it is that I wrote it when I was 15, and revisited it several times since. I’m 20 now and a lot has changed. This song kept evolving while recording it too, I rewrote part of a verse just before singing it. I guess that’s really fitting since it is a song about accepting change and being ok with being where you are. It’s ok to not have it all figured out already.

What are you focussing on right now?

Right now I’m focusing on the release of my debut album in March. It’s called “Prophecies and Silver Linings“ and “No Man’s Land” is one of the singles. I’m currently recording the last song before completing the album and finishing the artwork and logistics. I’m really excited about releasing this collection of songs I wrote in my transition to adulthood.

What is the biggest challenge of being an artist?

Finding balance. There are so many things you can potentially do, from marketing to recording… 24 hours a day are not enough! I’ve often found myself getting lost in one thing, then having to catch up with the others and overworking. Doing what you love as a job is a wonderful privilege, but it makes it harder to set boundaries to avoid giving too much of yourself.

How do you structure your day?

It really depends, when I’m touring this is completely different. But when I am home, my mornings start around 10am (I’m not a morning person, and I don’t need to be) with either studio work and recording or marketing work in front of the camera or computer. This usually goes up to lunchtime and the afternoons and evenings are left for songwriting, streaming, gigs - and of course my social life and sofa time. I often song-write/stream until midnight, hence why my mornings don’t start earlier haha.

Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?

I do! I love magic and collect playing cards, I also play tennis and love going for walks and hikes in nature. I’m also a big fan of good books and films, I try to go to the cinema at least once a month when possible. I used to collect comics, but money and time reasons have moved my geekiness to watching marvel and DC films and series. I love boardgames and puzzles too! I’m getting carried away here haha, but to sum it up, yes I have other hobbies and I think that’s an important to keep that balance I talked about earlier.

Do you sing in the shower? What songs?

I definitely do! When it comes to songs, I often put on one of my playlists so there’s no clean cut answer. Whatever song I’m obsessed with at the time.

What are your plans for the future?

After releasing my debut album I would love to travel again and maybe play a couple more gigs in the UK. I’m also already working on my second album that is going into a new direction for me, I’m really excited about that one! Collaborations are definitely coming up too, I’m working on some really cool ones! In general my plan is to keep creating and giving as much of myself as I can to my music and the people I love.