LUCAA | Transparent Soul, Soundbox of the Voiceless

Soulful sound evokes a rallying cry, at once haunting and heartbreaking. Originally from Western North Carolina, and now based in Richmond, Virginia, Lucaa is moreso a patron of the globe than planted in the mid-south of America, flitting from coast at the demand of an intensive modeling-turned-music schedule. Her demeanor mimics the seed of a dandelion carried by the breeze: light (both suggesting weightlessness and in the sense of sunshine), elegant, and full of hope (both of one’s own, and as the custodian of others’). Lucaa’s succinct and intelligent insights on the intricacies of endemic indigenous issues are delivered in a princess-honeyed tenor and punctuated by coquettish laughter that could trick the untrained ear into believing she means anything but business. In reality, the gifted musician would otherwise be seeking justice for marginalized populations on Capitol Hill, were she not doing so lyrically on stages across the country. Face the young maestro toward any trial, and she’ll likely beam back— teeth wound into a confident, warming grin— her signature response (which doubles as confirmation she’s eager to begin our conversation): “Heck yes, I’m ready!” And Lucaa, we could not be more ready for you.

Let’s start from the beginning. Where did you begin and what brought you to where you are today?

I started playing music when I was 11, on the piano. I’d play when I came home from school, but it wasn’t a serious thing. I never thought it would end up being my career path. In my teens, I modeled in New York. While doing that, I was asked to do a song for a drag documentary. I was like, ‘Oh, heck yes!’ That was just for fun, in 2016. I was messing around, but that became ‘Sabrina’s Segment’, the first song I put out. From there, I realized, ‘Oh my gosh! Maybe I can actually do this seriously.’ But I still wasn’t certain. It wasn’t until a year and a half ago that I actually started as a solo artist doing this full-time, traveling, having crazy experiences.

Tell me more about your travels and these experiences. What have the past two years looked like as you embark headfirst on this journey?

I’m Afro-Indigenous, and I wanted to get more involved in community work on different reservations. That was almost exactly a year ago. I started working with 4Kinship, an Indigenous-owned brand based in Santa Fe. I did a photoshoot for a Leica campaign, then South by Southwest, a huge festival in Austin, when I had only been doing music for a couple of months. I’ve been traveling between Santa Fe, Los Angeles, and New York. I haven’t been home that often this year (laughs). 

You never necessarily thought music would be your endgame. What inspired you to chase that passion and what careers, if any, did you pursue prior to this one?

Directly before pursuing music, I was modeling, so I thought I would do that until I finished school. I went to college for political science, with the goal of going to law school and getting involved in politics to advocate for underrepresented women’s groups. My main focus was MMIWG2S: Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, or Two Spirits. That’s primarily what I was wanting to do. It’s interesting, because I’m finding a way to meld that into my music. I definitely still want to represent those factions and be an advocate for the cause while making music. It’s so crazy to be able to make this difference creatively, rather than analytically.

What informs your sound? You’ve taken an artistic approach to activism. How does that process take shape?

I feel like this is the question that is always so hard for me to answer, because my creative process can be pretty indescribable. Personally, music subconsciously comes to me. It depends on what I’m feeling, as well as what I’m caring about. The songwriting and the melody come about simultaneously. It’s truly, deeply what I’m feeling. I have a song called “Alone” and at the beginning I’m essentially howling. The chorus is just noises, and the entire piece is quintessentially the embodiment of my frustrations, my needing to make sounds, needing to know that I exist. My process is feral, guttural, therapeutic. It’s sound therapy.

As far as what inspires me, I grew up listening to Sam Cooke, Radiohead. I love listening to Billie Eilish’s voice and what she does with the music. Growing up, my mom was an opera singer and my dad was a background singer for Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind, and Fire, and Rick James. Definitely, my parents inspire me musically. From a young age, my dad tried to push my sisters and I into a girl group (laughs), so I was definitely fated for a musical future. Father Knows Best, that’s a good album name!

What’s next for you?

I have a single coming out soon, with multiple collabs and singles being released throughout the spring. My EP drops this summer— my first, so I’m super excited about that. I’m doing a few festivals during the season, as well. 

Do you have any desire to branch out from music?

Oh, heck yes! I definitely want to do more community work. At my core, I want to help raise awareness for MMIW. I think that there are so many things about my identity that are important to represent at the moment. I’m a queer, indigenous artist. There are so many things going on that I’d like to get my hands into. It’s a lot. 

As far as creatively, fashion remains one of my sole passions. I’m manifesting a melding of fashion and music in my career. I got to do a bit of this last year, but I am ready to take it to the next level. It would be a dream to perform at a fashion week. Why not have a show at the MET? I think FKA Twigs and I could do a show together.

So much of my identity is under attack by this country. I am two-spirit, Afro-Indigenous, autistic. I don’t shy away from any of these things. So much of my identity and so much of what makes me an artist is being native, being Black, being autistic, being two-spirit, being gay. That is what makes my creativity what it is, as well. It’s taken a while to come to terms with some of these things, but these things are such a large part of my creative process. I think it is wonderful to be included in something and to be able to express those things openly as an artist. But, I am really curious how things will be moving forward. This country is telling me at large that my existence is taboo, which makes me thumb my nose at them. It makes me prouder and more motivated than I would otherwise be. Anybody who is queer, anyone who is othered, who is different and interesting, I hope you are able to see my journey and we can lift each other up. I want you to realize, through me, ‘Fuck that, this is fucking dope.’ I’m here. I’m doing this for you. Let’s go through this together.

Written by Delaney Willet | @dpwillet

Photographed by Zach Larraz | @zachlarraz

Styled by Jules Wood | @juleswstylist_

Hair and Makeup by Barbara Lamelza | @barbaralamelzamakeup