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GED EXCLUSIVE

Luciana – Queen of Electro

By: Ernesto J. Higuera

Luciana’s electro new-wave style has flooded dance floors around the world, and she is cranking out top dance hits faster than we can count them; including “I Like That”, “Something for the Weekend” and “I’m Still Hot”, which also soared to YouTube fame with a mix featuring Betty White.  She has collaborated with some of the biggest names in dance music – new tracks with The Cataracs, Akon and Dave Aude; and she is a very good friend to the LGBT community.  The Queen of Electro sat down with us before her performance at Orange County Pride.

Thanks for speaking with us.  I’m sure you feel the love from your LGBT fans – what is your favorite thing about performing at Pride events?

 The amount of fun that happens, the colors, the energy of the people, the love that you get when you are on stage and everyone is singing your tracks and they know the songs.  For me it is like coming home.  It is a lovely feeling and I’m so happy to be here.

 You are talented in so many areas…. Music, acting, art… what is your “dream” percentage of time you would want to spend in these areas?

 100% music.  The acting thing is kind of funny.  I did some acting when I was about 21 for a small period of time.  I would say I was alright; I could do a bit of bit of everything okay.  But my Dad said to me you have to focus on one thing, so I really liked writing songs and I feel like I am always trying to create the ultimate pop song.  So that’s what I love to do… I get up in the morning and I write; that’s my most important thing.  I write for so many different artists as well, so when I do it for myself its lovely that people sing the tracks.

 How did your punk background influence your style and evolve you into becoming the “Queen of Electro”?

 I started listening to rap and punk when I got bored with what was expected of me and I was quite young and when you’re young you don’t really know who you are, you are just sort of pretending to do the moves and you are still discovering yourself.  So, I got into punk when I got dropped from Sony when I was 25… I thought my life had ended. [laughs]  The whole Bowie thing really inspired me in songwriting, the way he writes.  He used to carve up lyrics and words and then piece them all together and create strange ad hoc weird sentences, and that really inspired me. And obviously Blondie.  I started shouting on a track once – I shouted and then cried and fell to the floor.  I felt Iike a baby had just been born.  The producer said, ‘That’s what I wanted.’  That didn’t start until I was 27, so from that I was still singing a bit like someone else.  So that’s when I found my sound, after listening to the post punk new wave movement ,  and I got inspired by a lot of the angst in the punk lyrics.

 You have collaborated with so many notables – Kylie, Cazwell, Swedish House Mafia, Taio Cruz, The Cataracs… can you give us a short list of artists you would like to team up with in the future?

 Top of the list is Calvin Harris.  He has the musicality and I would love to work with him.  Before it was Basement Jaxx, because they had the musicality and the dance.  To put those two together is so exciting.  But then they disbanded and I got really upset.  But Calvin Harris.

 Anything in the future with him?

 Trust me I’m on his case.

 I have to ask… how was working with Betty White?

 Well, she was my favorite collaboration.  I was really nervous and everyone was telling me to just be cool.  I used to watch her making cheesecakes on The Golden Girls, with my mom in our pajamas.  So when she came in, it was like… that’s Betty White!  Oh my gosh.  I think I started to cry… like a weirdo.  It was 9:00 in the morning; I asked her if she wanted a cup of tea…  “No thank you dear” said Betty.  Do you want a sandwich or something to eat before you start?   “No thank you dear.”   Do you want a shot of Grey Goose?   “No thank you dear, I’ve had mine already. “   She’s fabulous.

 You travel all around the world; what country or city would you love to perform in, that you haven’t yet?

 I have not performed in Africa, but don’t know if I have the urge.  I have performed in so many countries.  I have performed in Brazil and it is fabulous with so many gorgeous people.  They all carry themselves with such a confidence.

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How did it feel to capture the #1 spot on the US dance chart with “I Like That”?

 Oh yea, can you believe it?  When things like that happen, I always do high kicks… so I did that, and then I cried and then fell on the floor.   Similarly to when Kylie said she was going to do the track Cupid Boy… I literally fell on the floor.  When we did that demo, the EMI and Swedish House Mafia lot said ‘we love this track, we’ve had so many runs on this and nothing has worked.’  They sent it to me, and I put my Kylie hat on and sang it like Kylie.  She said ‘yeah I’m feeling it.’  So when I hear it, it’s like Kylie doing me, but me doing her.  So it’s a lovely feeling.  She is on another level.  I am so in love with her.

 Everyone has a hidden talent – what’s yours?

 I don’t really know.  I can make homemade pizza.   That’s so boring.  I can knit.

 You’re a knitter?

 No, I’m totally not.  [laughs]  I was on tour in Japan for 12 weeks and I was so bored that I thought I am going to learn how to knit.  So I knitted this really awful long scarf.  Terrible.

 Any talk of a new LP?

 I’ve been saying for two years that I’m working on an EP.  Dance music is so quick and you have one song out with that one record company, and the turnaround is so quick, then another label and another.  So I have all these tracks and it’s difficult.  What we are trying to do is encapsulate all these over the years onto one CD.  Including the new stuff with The Cataracs and Akon.  Hopefully that will be coming out next spring.

 The video “Primitive” just came out and is sick – there is so much going on.

 It is visually amazing.  It was directed by  J.B. Ghuman, Jr. , who also directed my track with Cazwell “Guess What” and “U B The Bass”.  So it’s like a trilogy.

 You also recently shot a video with The Cataracs, Big Dipper.

It is amazing.  I only saw it yesterday for the first time.  When we were shooting the video he said he wanted to work on my EP, which is exciting.  They are like another Basement Jaxx… have all the musicality and are based in dance.

 Where do you spend most of your time now?

 In LA.  I am in the process of selling my house in London, but this is where I want to be, with the sunshine.  I love it so much.

 When you’re not performing, traveling, taping… what do you do to relax?

 I don’t like to do it, but I exercise.  It helps me focus.   I do a bit of yoga to help me stretch, play with my dog, very normal stuff.

 Where can our readers find you?

 Go to www.Luciana.com, and there you can find all my contact info for Facebook, Twitter, and more.

 

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