Joseph Luca on the Conclusion of His Three-Part EP

INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW ✦

In the impressive realm of indie-pop, singer-songwriter Joseph Luca has spent the past few years embarking on a journey to become a beacon of hope and empowerment for listeners. And with a discernable sound that seamlessly blends elements of pop, folk, rock, and even electronic music, Luca is taking each of the necessary steps to attain his goals, while still carving out a unique sonic space with emotional depth and experimental flair. But more importantly, he’s maintaining his sense of individuality along the way.

Now, with the conclusion of his three-part EP titled Ouroboros, the promising artist has generated a collection of tracks that reflects his authentic desires as an artist — and he’s breaking it all down for us.

Photo Credit: Ryan Berry

Your EP PART 3: Ouroboros (Rebirth) is described as a musical narrative touching on themes of faith, resilience, and self-discovery. How did your personal life experiences influence the creation of this transformative body of work? 

Joseph Luca: Ultimately Faith, resilience, and self-discovery were things I didn’t think I would need at the beginning of this Journey. The first EP PART 1: Ouroboros (Life) is a body of work that tells the story of a self-assured and potentially even arrogant individual that put himself in many precarious situations that throughout the trilogy demanded a newfound understanding of faith and self-discovery beyond any preconceived ideas of who I truly was. Long story short… you can’t calculate who you truly are and through the deconstruction process of the ego the gift you ultimately receive is just that… who you are really are. It doesn’t come wrapped in a bow or with any celebratory gestures. You get to decide how through your own eyes how beautiful you really are. I found that faith and resilience were the most important factors in getting to know your most authentic self. 

The trilogy concludes with an emphasis on letting go and celebrating perseverance. How does this message resonate with you on a personal level? 

Joseph Luca: Perseverance is ultimately what it takes to recognize exactly what it is you are letting go of to transcend any false sense of self into an evolved actualization of self. Ouroboros represents just that… the infinite cycle we all face in this life time of life, death, and rebirth. Without perseverance that three-step process would be either severely delayed or completely paused for good. 

Ouroboros (Rebirth) encourages listeners to find miracles in the midst of life's darkest moments. Did you already know that this three-part album was going to end up with this hopeful and inspirational message? Or did that organically come together during the creative process? 

Joseph Luca: Beyond the music this concept of miracles existing in our peripherals has always been my guiding light through all of my darkest moments. I calculated that life would be cruel if there weren’t miracles all around us to pull us out of whatever darkness we encounter. I think it was inevitably going to be one of the most important concepts in the narrative of this trilogy whether I wanted it to be or not. Therein lies the miracle. 

Ouroboros (Rebirth) also celebrates the idea of finding strength in vulnerability and embracing the journey towards self-discovery. How has this journey evolved for you throughout the trilogy, and in what ways has it shaped your identity? 

Joseph Luca: I’ve really had to get rid of any idea that there was ever a musical identity separate from my actual identity. I’ve found that music is at its best an extension and expression of my true identity. Any time I find myself cosplaying genres I tend to lose myself in the envy of wanting to be anything other than myself. My true identity is the foundation for all of my musical forms of expression. As the trilogy comes closer to an end I find myself closer to the most authentic version of myself I’ve ever known. The goal is for the music to reflect just that!

As a constant source of enlightenment and encouragement to listeners, what kind of emotional impact do you aim to leave them with through your music? 

Joseph Luca: I simply hope the music acts as evidence that you can pull yourself out of the darkest of places. That there’s no too far gone and that even in the darkest of moments there is always something worth celebrating to bring you a little closer to the light. 

"One Last Dance" is a fun track that delves deep into the complexities of relationships teetering on the edge of collapse. Can you share more about the creative process behind the song and the decision to feature The Pocket Queen on this track? 

Joseph Luca: The song wouldn’t exist without The Pocket Queen! We were jamming and it just flowed effortlessly out of us. I was on bass, she was on drums, and our producer Smile High was on keys. The concept came to me later as I reflected on a past relationship and found that the song perfectly depicted this push pull dynamic that came with wondering if letting go of the relationship was truly the right call or if “one last dance could’ve figured it out”. We’ll never know and therein lies the beauty. 

The music video for "One Last Dance" adds a visual layer to the emotional depth of the song. How did you approach translating its themes onto the screen, and what message do you hope viewers take away from this visual representation of the song? 

Joseph Luca: We wanted the video to capture elements of isolation with enough space for true internal reflection and release. Thus we chose the desert to capture this essence. I hope the video gives the audience permission to find that same environment to process whatever they need to to move past the end of whatever destructive relationship they’re facing.