Rising star Luke Middleton has just released his debut EP, nothing ever after. This EP is nothing short of an emotional journey through Luke's past experiences and emotions, and I've found that his music is nothing short of relatable and inspiring. On first listen I instantly became hooked on "God, save us all", and knew that that I had to hear the rest of the EP. Read on for our interview, and be sure to check out nothing ever after wherever you stream music!
MSM: Tell me about your journey with creating music. How did you get started, and what first ignited your passion for music?
LUKE: Music saved my life when I was in the Army. When I was at rock bottom, I came across a song called "tell me about tomorrow" by jxdn that changed my life. From that moment on, I knew that music was everything I wanted, everything I needed, and everything I had ever hoped for. It gave me a sense of purpose and it filled the void in my heart. I never knew how important music truly was until it spoke to me through that song and I will never forget the feeling it gave me after I heard it. From complete darkness...I finally found the light at the end of the tunnel and that was the beginning of the rest of my life.
MSM: Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they helped to shape your sound?
LUKE: I want to say my two biggest musical influences are Bon Iver and jxdn. From my roots in indie folk to the alternative scene I fell in love with, I was able to find myself in the middle intertwining both genres into one which I believed helped me find my sound. When I stopped putting all of my importance into trying to sound like someone else rather than finding my own self…I found my voice.
MSM: Your lyrics often touch on deeply personal experiences and emotions. How do you go about writing about such personal topics, and how do you balance being vulnerable while maintaining a sense of privacy?
LUKE: I believe in order to create real music it’s important to understand the truth behind real life situations and experiences especially when it comes to mental health. Mental health is a very serious subject and I feel as if it needs to be spoken about more. There are millions of people struggling and giving up because of it and I was almost one. Whatever I feel gets written down. I believe transparency and vulnerability bring so much emotion and hope because other people can see my pain and understand they’re not the only ones going through it but the fact I can turn my pain into songs inspires people the way it inspired me. Music saved and healed me. Making music heals my heart. I just want to create a platform for people to come to for safety and comfort. I’m extremely transparent but I do believe maintaining privacy is also important but again if you need to get something off your chest…you don’t have to carry the weight. Music enables me to release that weight.
MSM: Can you talk about the creative process behind your latest album, and what themes or messages you were trying to convey through your music?
LUKE: My entire project is about my personal experiences with the struggle of mental health. I felt it was important to be transparent and vulnerable with the things I’ve felt and have gone through in order to create healing music. Everyone has a story whether it’s big or small…your story matters. For me I wanted to convey hope that through everything I went through, I held on to tomorrow and I was able to turn my story into a testimony and through that…lyrics. Music saved my life at one point…that’s all I hope my music can do for you.
MSM: If you had to pick out your favorite song or lyric from the album, what would it be?
LUKE: My favorite lyric in the EP is “this is where my hope is found” in my song "God, save us all." It symbolizes my faith and everything I’ve ever been through. Even at my lowest and darkest moments, God never left my side and He continued to love me through it all. I found my hope in Him because He saved my life and without Him I wouldn’t be where I am today. When it was too dark to see, He saw me. When I felt alone, He was with me. When I cried out to Him, He heard me. Whether you believe or don’t...He is all of that for you & He does love you so much no matter what you’ve done or have been through. That lyric truly sums up the entire EP. I am thankful for my struggles because, without them, I wouldn’t have found my strength.
MSM: If you could collaborate with any artist in the world, who would it be?
LUKE: If I could collaborate with any artist in the world it would be either yungblud or jxdn. Both of those artists inspire me to be unapologetically myself and by how much they love and care for their fans. They’re the true definition of how music should be and what they bring to the world is so powerful. I believe if I had the chance to work with either of them, we would make something so beautiful.
MSM: How do you keep your music fresh and relevant in an ever-changing industry?
LUKE: I believe wholeheartedly the most important thing to do when it comes to anything in life is to be genuinely yourself. I’m not worried about trends or being “famous”, I think for me the fact that I have so much to bring to the table lyrically, the things I sing about truly help people and bring hope into their hearts. I try my best to focus on what my heart has to offer rather than trying to fit into the industry’s frame.
MSM: What have you been listening to lately?
LUKE: Lately, I have been listening to a lot of pop rock music, as well as nothing,nowhere, Deftones, Bring Me the Horizon, and some heavier metalcore. I stay on the lines of pop rock to the core. Anything alternative rock I really enjoy…but the pop rock genre is calling my name.
MSM: What’s next? Can you share anything about what’s coming up this year for you?
LUKE: I am really working on a single release plan as well as playing a lot of shows with my band down in Orlando, Florida. I’ve been working on this EP for so many months now, and I’m ready to perform them! I am very excited to start growing my fan base down in Central Florida.
MSM: Do you have anything else that you’d like to share with your fans?
LUKE: The most important thing I want to say is thank you…without your support and love, it would be so hard to do this. Everything I do is truly for all of you and I hope and pray that my music finds you. If you or someone you know are in distress or need someone to talk to, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I love you all and I am so grateful to have you with me on my journey to healing. This is our story, this is our family, and you are worth everything in this life. Thank you for being you.