Q&A: Luís Fernandes Talks Musical Inspiration and Expressing Vulnerability in Recent EP ‘Breaking Point’
MUSIC HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF WHO — Luís Fernandes is. Originally from Portugal and now residing in London, from a young age Fernandes found himself surrounded by a rich culture of musical inspiration. There he discovered a passion for writing, singing, and producing.
His most recent EP, Breaking Point, serves as a way for Fernandes to share part of himself with the world: a window into the life of a twenty-something freshly stepping out of university and challenging the real world for the first time. Fernandes charms listeners with velvety vocals that comfort like a warm hug from a long-time friend.
Many of his fans were gained through posting covers and song snippets on TikTok, where the singer-songwriter now has over 67K followers. Some of Fernandes’ most popular videos stem from his “What if this song…” series, which includes covers of songs in various genres and styles: “What if Taylor Swift’s ‘Bejeweled’ was on folklore?” or “What if ‘Vampire’ by Olivia Rodrigo was a jazz track?”
Fernandes’ continuous creative liberties and dedication to experimentation have helped him grow his platform and expand his audience base for his own music. And it’s clear that he’s very good at it.
Read below to learn more about Fernandes’ musical inspirations, recent releases, and how his presence online has helped him continue to pursue what he loves.
Photo by Madalena Brederode
LUNA: Let's start off at the very beginning: What first inspired you to pursue music and start releasing your own songs?
FERNANDES: I mean, as cheesy as it sounds, music has always been a big part of my life because my parents were part of this traditional folk Portuguese band. I'm from this really small island off the coast of Portugal. They would go around to remote areas of the island and gather traditional folk songs that would be passed down from generation to generation; they would record those and put it on albums and tour around Portugal. So that was my first experience with music.
And then I went into classical piano at age six. That's when I started writing my own songs and producing, and when I was 16 I was like, “I could actually make something out of this,” because I don’t see myself doing anything besides music. That's when I started putting out songs on SoundCloud and sharing it with friends.
LUNA: Wow, that's a really cool way that you got into that. A few months ago, you released Breaking Point, which is your first EP that you’ve released on platforms — congrats on that.
FERNANDES: Thank you.
LUNA: What was the process that went into creating that EP, and what made you decide that you wanted to put your work into this collective group?
FERNANDES: I started writing it at the end of 2022, as I was approaching the end of my first year out of university. I was feeling a bit lost in my personal life and in my career. You sort of have this image when you're younger of where you're going to be when you're 22, or 25, or 30, and I was feeling really, really lost.
So I just started writing these songs about stepping into adulthood and having this existential crisis. It just clicked to me that that was going to be my next project — it would be a collection of songs about being in your early twenties, and not having anything figured out and how that's totally fine.
LUNA: I love it. I listened to the whole EP, I'm a really big fan. And it's also very relatable, especially to a lot of people going through that right now.
FERNANDES: Yeah, and after I released it [I was] getting all these messages from people who are saying, “This is exactly how I feel.” You just realize how not isolating those feelings are and how everyone is experiencing the same thing.
LUNA: Yeah, it's great to see that you're not alone in that.
FERNANDES: Exactly.
LUNA: It's something that can comfort you and also probably comfort all of your listeners, that someone also understands what that feels like, which is awesome. I've seen that you not only sing your music but you also write and produce all your songs yourself. What is that process like? Are there certain aspects of being a writer, producer, or singer that you enjoy most?
FERNANDES: I definitely like songwriting the most… I write about my own life — it’s almost like writing a diary. You get these really strong emotions and feelings and you don't know what to do with them. So for me, writing it down and making them into songs is a way of letting those feelings go. I also love producing — that's a big part of music for me. But songwriting just comes more naturally.
LUNA: Is there a favorite released song that you've written so far?
FERNANDES: I have to say “Twenty Two,” which is on the Breaking Point EP, just because it was the most vulnerable I've been in a song, and it just felt really good to let it all out into that particular [track].
LUNA: I love that song. Are there any artists who served as your main inspiration for this EP or your sound in general?
FERNANDES: Yeah, I was listening to a lot of Sven, he's a producer from the UK. He's one of my favorite producers just because of how he blends acoustic elements with electronic elements. He was a big inspiration for the production side of the EP. Also, I just have to say Taylor Swift — big songwriting inspiration for me. Just [because] of how conversational and vulnerable the lyrics are. Also Adam Melchor. He is also a big inspiration for me in terms of production. So it's a big mixture of different stuff. Fleetwood Mac, as well.
LUNA: That's a great mixture of inspiration. Do you have a favorite Taylor Swift song of all time, if you're able to choose?
FERNANDES: That's the hardest question ever. But I think “Style,” just because that was the first song I listened to and I was like, “This woman is insane. This song is the best pop song I've ever heard.”
LUNA: That is a great pick. Speaking of Taylor Swift, there's a series of videos on your TikTok that really blew up, and it's where you sing Taylor Swift songs as if they were on different albums or in different eras, like “Midnight Rain” if it was on RED. How did this idea come about, and did you know it was going to blow up and get the attention that it did?
FERNANDES: I did not think it would blow up at all. The idea for it came through because when Midnights was being released there was a lot of talk about her other two albums, folklore and evermore. Because they were so acoustic and folky, people weren't so sure if they liked the new production, although I'm a big fan of the Midnights production. I love a good pop moment. So I just thought, “What if these songs were on other albums? How would they sound?” And as soon as I posted those first videos, they blew up and I was like, “Oh, people seem to really enjoy this.”
LUNA: I also saw — speaking of your online presence — that ABBA duetted a video of yours a few years back. How does that feel?
FERNANDES: It still does not feel real at all. But I do point it out five seconds into every conversation that I have with anyone I meet. Just because I have to. It's insane. ABBA is also one of my biggest inspirations, since I was a little kid listening to ABBA around the house. So having that sort of head nod from ABBA has been a real confidence booster for me.
LUNA: If that happened to me, I would put it in every conversation too — that is so, so cool. Do you think that TikTok has been a useful platform for you to help grow your audience base and get people's attention to your music?
FERNANDES: Yeah, definitely. I feel like the music industry nowadays is so oversaturated, especially after the pandemic — it's really hard to make your voice heard. And TikTok, for me, it's been a great platform for me to connect with other people that love music as much as I do. I love posting videos and having people comment; it's also a great way to just talk to your fans and just be as creative as you can.
LUNA: I know you said that music inspired you from when you were very young, but do you remember a certain point in your life when you were like, “This is what I have to pursue, this is what my dreams are”?
FERNANDES: When I was younger, I was a really big Marina and the Diamonds fan. She was my biggest inspiration when I was younger. And I remember as soon as I heard her first album, which is called The Family Jewels, I listened to that album and I was like, “This is exactly how I feel,” even as a 13-year-old. I saw how her fans connected with her music and I was thinking to myself, “This is actually what I want to do with my life, connect with other people through my music.”
LUNA: I love that, and that's a great message to send out, too. Is there anything specific from you that people can expect in the next few months, or anything fun that you have planned?
FERNANDES: Yeah, I'm currently writing as much as I can. I've been making music by myself since I started making music, so now I want to head into a more collaborative phase of my life. I want to see the different facets of myself that I haven't discovered yet and that I can put into my music. I think that having other collaborators on board will help out in discovering myself and my music.
I also want to play more shows, hopefully, by the end of the year. I have some shows lined up here in London. The goal is just to make as much music as I can and hopefully release some of it by the end of the year.
LUNA: Do you have any dream collaborations?
FERNANDES: I really want to write a song with Maisie Peters, because I think she'd be the best person to be in a studio with. I just love her songwriting so much. So she's definitely up there. Also Jack Antonoff, one of my favorite producers ever. Yeah, I would love to collaborate with him. Hopefully one day, fingers crossed.
