Q&A: little luna is Transporting Listeners Through a Journey of Self-Exploration and Meditation in New EP ‘the wildflower woman’
YOU MIGHT BE TAKEN BACK TO THE ’70S WHEN YOU LISTEN TO — Los Angeles songwriter and artist little luna. A proud yoga instructor and wellness advocate, she just released her sophomore EP, the wildflower woman. To celebrate, little luna performed at her first-ever headline show in LA, at El Cid. Previously, she’s opened for artists such as 5 Seconds of Summer, Jagwar Twin, and Steve Miller Band and is excited to soon embark on her first headlining tour.
The wildflower woman is a beautiful continuation of storytelling when it comes to self-discovery and vulnerability, following little luna’s debut 2022 EP, through the self. With tones of modern rock and alternative music, little luna hopes to connect with her listeners about the beauties and obstacles of growing, even during the harshest conditions — just like wildflowers.
We sat down with little luna to learn more about her own journey of rediscovering her truest self, her inspirations behind the wildflower woman, her love for yoga, and more. Read the interview below.
LUNA: What has your journey with music looked like since you started? How did you decide that you wanted to become a songwriter/artist?
LITTLE LUNA: For a very long time, I didn’t allow myself to make music or write songs. I have no formal training in songwriting and I don’t play instruments, so for a while I just didn’t think I could take up space in the music industry. It got to a point where I just needed to make this change, a shift, hence my first song, “shift and go.” I just couldn’t not allow myself to do it anymore — it was this inner yearning that needed to be fed. I am rediscovering my true self as I allow myself to actually build the life that I want to have.
LUNA: What does the wildflower woman mean to you? For those who haven’t listened yet, can you give a preview of what they should expect to hear?
LITTLE LUNA: My first EP, through the self, lyrically and sonically goes through a journey of self-exploration. The wildflower woman, my sophomore EP, is a nod to some of the qualities I found about myself while releasing through the self. This is a continuation of the journey, but more focused on some statements versus open-ended questions.
For me, the wildflower woman was born out of needing to know that no matter where I am, I can make myself home there. I don’t need anyone to understand me or what I’m doing, I just need to be true to myself. That sentiment through the song — whoever is listening — is my nod to being a wildflower person. Being a wildflower person is an analogy to wildflowers growing on the side of the highway in trash, with cars passing … They’re so resilient. They’re beautiful, but [they] go through harsh conditions, and I think that’s all of humanity.
LUNA: Were there any ways in which you stayed the same since through the self was released while other parts of you were growing or changing?
LITTLE LUNA: What hasn’t changed is where I draw my inspiration from. I’m inspired by the culture and fashion of the late ’60s and early ’70s. I also draw my inspiration from rock stars like Laurel Canyon. My own practice of yoga and meditation has also not changed.
LUNA: What did the songwriting process look like when writing the wildflower woman?
LITTLE LUNA: A little less than a year ago, I sat down with the songs that I knew I was going to release this year. A lot of the time when I’m writing music, I’ll see a color or specific shot of the music video, something visual. From there, I just sat down and mapped out what song felt like what color to me. Then I started researching wildflowers and flowers that were popular in the ’70s, and that’s how I assigned each song of the wildflower woman to a specific wildflower and color.
LUNA: Do you have a favorite song or one that you resonate the most with right now?
LITTLE LUNA: It’s like picking your favorite child. It’s challenging because you love each one for different reasons. But “the wildflower woman” is probably my favorite song I’ve ever written just because I wrote it while going through an extremely hard time and I chose to show up for myself.
LUNA: Who are some of your biggest inspirations for this EP, artist-wise?
LITTLE LUNA: Someone who has been influential to this EP is Sharon Van Etten. Another inspiration to this EP sonically has been Jefferson Airplane.
LUNA: If you could collaborate with any artist, dead or alive, who would you collaborate with and why?
LITTLE LUNA: I would collaborate with Stevie Nicks because of her solo career and Fleetwood Mac. She’s one of my biggest inspirations for my sounds. I’ve grown up listening to her, and I think our voices would sound amazing together.
LUNA: What has been your favorite experience or project since your music career started?
LITTLE LUNA: I only made the pivot and started making music three years ago, but so much has happened in those three years. I really enjoy looking at life’s synchronicities and being grateful for the steps along the way. But if I had to pick, I would say the most memorable and impactful was opening two nights in LA for 5 Seconds of Summer. It showed me I was able to prove to myself that I could do it. When you’re an independent artist, you’re funding yourself and pulling the show together on your own, you’re hiring the band, you’re doing the visuals. I do have a small team that I couldn’t do any of this without, but being able to pull off a show like that is a huge feat.
I had my first headlining show this week, too, and proving to myself that I could go and do it was huge because I hadn’t sang in front of people since I was 13. It’s also been so fun and a blessing to be part of the 5SOS community — their fans are some of the best I’ve ever met.
LUNA: Tell me more about your journey with yoga and how you incorporate that into your music.
LITTLE LUNA: I started back in 2015. I was continually taking hot yoga, and a few of my favorite teachers told me they think I could be a great teacher too because I love people and I’m not afraid to speak in front of crowds. At first, I didn’t think I would be able to because I’m not athletic. Now it’s something that I cannot picture my life without. I’ve been teaching ever since.
Meditation is deeply tied to music — they’re not separate. It only makes sense in my brain for my music and art that I put into the world to be tied together. Through the self, the wildflower woman, and every EP and album moving forward will end with a guided meditation. The one from the wildflower woman is called “Garden.” On YouTube, I create a yoga flow that goes to the exact length of my songs. The beautiful thing to me about yoga is that it doesn’t matter if you’ve taken it before or meditated — you just try it out and see if it resonates with you. They’re not about doing anything right or wrong, it’s just carving out some time to do something for yourself.
LUNA: Any future plans you’re excited about that you can share?
LITTLE LUNA: I just put on my first ever headlining show in LA, and that was to celebrate the EP releasing. Hopefully in the near future I’ll be opening for someone on tour, so my current plans are doing everything I can to get out on the road and meet my fans that don’t live in LA.
