On Wednesday, Luna Shadows — a former touring-member of the New Zealand-based synth-pop group, The Naked and Famous — released her newest single “millennia.”
Videos by American Songwriter
The product of a writing collaboration between Shadows and Chelsea Jade, “millennia” was produced by Bradley Hale of Now Now and Thomas Powers of The Naked & Famous in Shadows’ Echo Park home studio. The single is expected to be on Shadows’ debut record, due sometime later this year.
The track is an immersive journey through a mesmerizing landscape of drums, synth arpeggios, and dream-like vocals. Shadows’ performance captures the blend of charisma, charm and disillusionment that is embodied by so many in the now-maturing Internet generation (The “Zoomers” as some refer to them).
“I was having a great writing day with my friends Brad Hale (of Now, Now) and Chelsea Jade. I had written down the word ‘millennia’ on my iPhone notepad prior to the session, so that was the starting point,” Shadows told American Songwriter. “I had the word before I had the meaning. It’s the plural of ‘millennium,’ so in my head, I began to hear it as another way to say ‘forever.’ There are so many songs called ‘forever’ or that play with the concept of ‘forever,’ so I thought it was interesting and original to use a new word to describe an old feeling. I’m always looking for a new way to say things. Anyway, this song wasn’t the classic romanticized lightning strike of inspiration as seen on TV but rather the result of hard work and good company.”
While not exactly entirely in the “bedroom pop” camp — Shadows’ music blends many elements of many strains of modern pop — “millennia” was recorded with the traditional DIY ethos.
“I mostly recorded this song at my home studio in Echo Park, Los Angeles,” Shadows said. “I like recording at home — I get as many tries as I need to get it right. Fortunately, I didn’t have to record this particular song too many times. I actually had a good singing day, for once! Think I got it pretty much on the first try. That doesn’t always happen.”
With millions of streams already racked up with no album released yet, Shadows is certainly positioned to have an exciting 2020 — one that any pop fan should keep their eye on.
Listen to Luna Shadows’ new single “millennia” below:
