Swiss alt-pop quartet Luce have just released their whimsical and introspective new album, 'Blue Star Soft Eyes', via Red Brick Records. Expanding from Tiziana Greco's solo project to a full band featuring Aline Stadler (drums), Mirko Geiger (bass, vocals) and Beda Mächler (guitar, vocals), Luce's sound has blossomed into a rich tapestry of acoustic simplicity and playful curiosity. The album dives into themes of change, self-reflection, and navigating life's ups and downs with a gentle yet observant touch.
From the frustration of repetitive mistakes in 'Backwards' to the bittersweet nostalgia of 'Holidays' and the embracing of change in 'Humming Wires', 'Blue Star Soft Eyes' offers a captivating journey through the human experience. With influences ranging from folk and Americana to quirky synth sounds, Luce create a unique sonic landscape that is both comforting and thought-provoking. We caught up with Tiziana to dive deeper into new single ‘Dried Up’, the band's evolution, and their creative process.
It’s great to chat with you today! Thanks so much for taking the time. How did you first start making music? Where did it all begin?
“I remember singing a lot in our family and getting a mini-keyboard as a four-year-old, playing around on it and giving my stuffed animals little concerts. As a kid, I then joined the local choir and began playing keyboard. My keyboard teacher encouraged me to improvise and to combine my singing and playing. At 10 years old I wrote my first song and never stopped since then - expanding onto the guitar and piano as a teen.”
How would you describe your sound?
“I would say it’s defined by an acoustic simplicity paired with whimsical curiosity. The lyrics tell of bygone realities and illustrate observations from everyday life, responding to them with gentleness and care. While our melodies are quite nimble and the song structures can be surprising, the lead voice and backing choirs seem quite soft and embracing.”
What influences most define your music?
“Musically it’s influenced by Folk and Americana, but I also love quirky synth-sounds. Artists that I truly adore and feel connected with in this project are Aldous Harding or Cate le Bon, also Wilco or Elliott Smith.”
The new album is out now, and ‘Dried Up’ features as one of the standout moments. Can you tell us a bit more about the song?
“In the summer of 2022 I went through some depressive episodes, during which I couldn’t get out of my bed and constantly felt stuck. When it came to writing a song, I wanted to share those frustrations and at the same time lift myself up a bit and almost ironically “make it a happy song”. Those uplifting harmonies encouraged me to start moving again, to get my energy back. It felt like I was transforming lethargy into lust for life through the joy of playing music (together).”
What is your songwriting process? How does it all come together?
“Most of the time I start with some chords, humming a melody. Sometimes I just sing in gibberish, to get a feel of where I would need the vowels to take their place, and record everything. While experimenting with chord progressions and melodies, I get some sort of notion of what the song might be about. In some instances, though rarely, it’s very clear and I immediately start writing down the lyrics - that’s when I have to get something very specific off my chest. But most of the time I’ve got a vague feeling and I kind of try to find out what the song is telling me. I also like to use songwriting exercises and talk a lot with my bandmates and friends about the songs in progress.”
What’s the most important thing for you when you’re writing a song?
“I try to stay curious where the song wants to lead me. I believe there’s a “place”, where playing a song truly feels “right” and I somehow try to get there. Sometimes it feels quite magical when I manage to get to that point and it can touch me deeply. But a lot of attempts don’t succeed, and I think that’s also part of the process. So for me, it’s also truly important to stay kind to myself if it doesn’t work out as I wished for.”
What would your dream collaboration be?
“I would love to write and produce with Caroline Polachek - although her music is very different from my own, I feel super inspired by her songwriting and her whole musical universe. I think she is unafraid of shattering genre conventions and experimenting with weird sounds and that’s something I greatly admire.”
What has been your best moment as a band so far?
"It’s difficult to pick out one single moment since there are a lot of “first times” for us. We only started playing together in May 2023, and in the time since, there have been lots of precious moments. In such a short time, we quickly began growing together like a family, more so than “just” a band. So, just hanging out and playing music together (at the studio, rehearsals or concerts) is the best thing to me."
What's next for Luce? Any exciting plans on the horizon?
“We would love to play some festivals in the summer and begin to tour abroad from Switzerland. Also, I’m starting to write new songs again and am very curious how our sound will develop after this album release. But for now, our new album ‘Blue Star Soft Eyes’ is out now!”
The album marks an expansion of the project – both in terms of personnel and musically. The quartet has been playing together on stage and in the studio since spring 2023. Acoustic simplicity paired with whimsical curiosity characterise the new formation. Together, the four musicians extend and deepen Luce's playful poetry with nimble melodies, surprising song structures and polyphonic singing. Hinting at Folk and Americana, refined by synthesiser sounds.
The album overall explores by-gone realities and illustrates observations from everyday life, responding to them with ease and care. The music addresses topics such as change and finiteness - every farewell foreshadowing a reunion. Low moods and one's own path back to the surface are recurring motifs on the album.
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