Luna Li soars sonically in her sophomore album "When a Thought Grows Wings"
by Annie Wu || photographed at Boston’s Cafe 939 on Sept. 21
Immersing listeners with her signature ethereal sound crafted with dreamy instrumentals, Luna Li opens her sophomore album “When a Thought Grows Wings” with the track “Confusion Song,” starting in a place of wandering and uncertainty. Released in August 2024, Luna Li takes the listener through emotional ups and downs, closing the album with the hopeful “Bon Voyage,” which asks her audience to continue to look forward and embrace the rocky journey to what the lyrics call a “sweet conclusion.” A deeply personal album that exemplifies Li's change and discovery while creating it, “When a Thought Grows Wings” illustrates a clarity of vision in conjunction with resonant and complex instrumentals.
At her performance in Boston on September 21 at Cafe 939, Luna Li showcased her versatility as a multi-instrumentalist, playing violin, flute, guitar, and harp to dazzle the crowd and take them on a sonic adventure with her. Engaging the audience in a fantastical and whimsical journey with her stunning vocals, instrumentals, and supporting band, she shined on stage. Finishing her United States tour on October 15, Luna Li brings listeners to new places while speaking to relatable experiences. Rice & Spice recently had the chance to talk more with Luna Li about creating “When a Thought Grows Wings.”
In 2022, you told Rice & Spice, "Writing about identity made me realize that I could carve out my own path, my own space for myself in the world, and not have to wait for others' acceptance. It made me realize being different is something to be celebrated." How have you seen that manifest in the two years since your last interview with R&S?
Personally, I feel more self-assured and confident than ever before; I’ve been able to connect more deeply with my friends and family over the last couple of years and play my music around the world with my friends! It’s always an ongoing journey, though; of course, I still struggle sometimes and have my moments.
Was there a lightbulb moment behind the concept of this album? Or did it come together gradually?
The album concept came together gradually — since my writing is quite diaristic, it took some time and perspective to figure out what exactly tied all of these songs together. I spent hours talking through potential album titles with my best friend & bassist, Sabrina, and it took months before I landed on something.
What have you learned from the creation of this album?
With every new collaborator I work with, I learn something new. Working with Andrew and Scott on this record, I learned so much about production, getting to observe how they come up with ideas, shape songs, and create arrangements. Songwriting-wise, I challenged myself to be more vulnerable on this album, and I’ve learned how freeing and cathartic that can be.
Broadly, who is this album for?
This album is such a personal one for me; I was actually trying not to think too much about the audience when making it so that I could try to achieve something as authentic and true to myself as I could. Now that I’m sharing it, it’s for anyone who is going through big changes in their life, wants to connect with themselves, or wants to tap into their inner creative spirit.
What are you excited for listeners to hear on this album?
There are lots of things I’m proud of about this record. Something new for me is the use of woodwinds, and there’s a lot of flute on this album, which I’m really excited about. In general, though, I’m just really curious to know what people will connect with on this album [and] if any songs or lyrics in particular will stand out to them.
You've said before on Instagram (July 23) that "releasing singles is funny [to me] because they're just little fragments floating without a home." Can you tell us about why you picked "Golden Hour," "Confusion Song," and "Bon Voyage" to be released as singles? What parts of this album's story do they tell us?
“Confusion Song” was the first single because it’s the first track on the record, the beginning of the story. The album starts from a place of feeling really lost. Throughout the record, I’m working through feelings, ups, and downs — “Golden Hour” is warm and sensual, and I thought that would be a nice contrasting energy to bring to the table next. “Bon Voyage” is the album closer, and I wanted it to have its own moment as a single so that it wouldn’t get lost at the end of the album. I come to the realization — “I’ll want to know just where to start until the sweet conclusion.” I’ll never have all the answers; humans are flawed, and those flaws are what can make life so beautiful.
Are there any memories from creating this album that jump out at you?
Getting to bring my friends into the studio and have them be a part of this story was so beautiful and important to me. I had my younger brother play cello on “Take Me There,” had my friends sing backgrounds on “Minnie Says” and “Bon Voyage,” had my drummer Vania play on a bunch of songs, my friend Aaron played bass on “Fantasy”… the list goes on. Making music with friends is the most fulfilling thing.
As a multi-instrumentalist, do you consider yourself an artist, composer, or songwriter? None of the above? Or do you use all these titles interchangeably? Does it matter to you?
It doesn't matter so much to me, but I guess I primarily call myself an artist since it feels like the most broad of the titles; it can kind of encompass everything I do.
Has your classical training influenced you more in this album compared to your debut album?
My classical training has always been an inherent part of the way I think about music and make music. For “Confusion Song,” we interpolated a classical piano piece I’d learned as a kid — “Prelude in Db major” by Glière, so that was one way it came through more directly.
