Australian music star LUKE HEMMINGS is DSCENE Magazine ‘s March 2023 cover star! The lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer, Luke started his music career at a very early age. The band came into the spotlight in 2014 with the single “She Looks So Perfect,” and ever since then has been gaining significant following. In 2021, the musician also released his first solo album “When Facing the Things We Turn Away From”.
EXCLUSIVE
DSCENE Magazine teams up with Luke for March 2023 digital cover story shot in a glamorous social club and all-suite hotel The Aster. In charge of photography were Wolfe & Von, with styling by Mark Paul Barro and grooming by Stephanie Nicole Smith. For the cover, Luke is wearing a total look from REPRESENT’s latest collection.
Luke sits down to talk with our Contributing Editor NIKOLA BAJOVIC to talk about 5SOS and his solo career, but also mental health, dreams and future plans.
Hi Luke! Hope you are doing well and congrats on the “5SOS5” album! First of all I wanted to ask you how are you feeling a year and a half after releasing your first solo debut album? You mentioned at the time you were very apprehensive and very anxious about it, so what is your summary of expectations? – I was definitely extremely anxious to do anything on my own, so I’m genuinely just proud that I actually followed through with the project at all. I felt deep down in my soul that those songs were something that I needed to write and express but sometimes I get in my own way. It took a long time to figure out exactly what it was going to sound like and what emotions it was going to bring out, so there were plenty of opportunities where my own anxieties could have forced me to stop. The fact that I didn’t, and I have this completed album that I’m proud of, continues to bring me such pride and joy, and encourages me to believe in myself.
As you put yourself often in the songwriter/producer role, would you like to make music for other artists? – Yes, definitely! Whenever I’m writing for my own projects it usually consumes my whole life to the point that it would be difficult to pursue other projects at the same time; but at some point I would love to. It’s a helpful exercise to write from someone else’s perspective and challenge yourself working with new people, to learn how other artists approach the process. There’s no right or wrong way to write music and it’s all a beautiful experience to share with others. I think getting more involved in the Australian music scene would be fun and rewarding as well, as I feel there’s so much talent there.
Could you tell us more about your songwriting process and do you feel more confident in the whole process after the success of your first solo album? – To be honest, my process is….. slightly chaotic. Many people in my life would say it’s very chaotic haha. I go through life with a bunch of half finished songs constantly spinning around my head at any given time, so I’d say it gets worse when I’m actively making an album. I tend to have a hard time finishing songs, as I’m usually waiting for the exact right lyric that’s missing or the next part I can’t figure out, or the way I want the song to be shaped by production. Believe me, I annoy myself. However, I do think I feel more confident knowing that I have put an album together exactly the way I wanted to. I can cling to this notion, knowing that even when it feels like I have no idea what I’m doing, there’s proof that I have done it once before and created something I love.
Trust yourself, hone your craft, immerse yourself in it, practice, and don’t be afraid to fail. Because even though there’s endless ways to get there, at the end of the day I think an artist is made by the songs that they write and how it comes across live. The music speaks for itself.
What shaped your music taste the most? – I grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia so my music taste was shaped by a lot of working class rock bands like INXS, ACDC, and Cold Chisel. The music scene can be a bit of a bubble though, so as I’ve gotten older I’ve tried to keep discovering music I’ve never heard and end up in obsessive phases like I would when I was growing up. Really, I’m just a fan of anything that brings out a genuine emotional response in me, which is also what shaped my goals as a writer and musician, hoping to do the same.
You started your career as a lead singer of 5SOS at a very young age and your dreams are still continuing to fulfill. You just celebrated your 11 year anniversary! How does it feel looking back? – More than anything I feel extremely lucky to have built a career with boys that began as friends and have become family. I couldn’t have pictured a better way to spend the last 11 years of my life, and I hope to continue to spend the rest of my life in a band with my brothers.
What were the most memorable moments with the boys? – Looking back, we have so many amazing life changing memories and huge moments as band… But as time moves on, I find myself reminiscing on the moments that people would least expect. The quiet, small moments. The early days before anything started. Playing in garages. Busking and riding the train into the city. Empty bare dressing rooms with nothing but each other’s company. Laying on the ground during downtime of filming music videos trying to entertain each other with funny videos or games. Sitting around at one of our houses without the purpose of working or discussing what’s next – just existing. The older I get, the more I cherish the life lived that no one sees but us.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to young people venturing into the music industry who dream of having a career like yours? – I think I would tell young people new in the industry to just focus on the basics. Trust yourself, hone your craft, immerse yourself in it, practice, and don’t be afraid to fail. Because even though there’s endless ways to get there, at the end of the day I think an artist is made by the songs that they write and how it comes across live. The music speaks for itself. While there’s so many other things that come with being an artist, like social media and promo, especially in 2023, I think the basics can pull you out of anything. The songs and what they made people feel are what will stand the test of time.
For me, music is anything I need it to be. It’s the outlet that helps me clear a cloudy mind. It’s the wonderland to get lost in when I need an escape. It’s the shoulder I need from a friend. It’s the silent scream into the pillow. It’s everything.
Speaking of the music industry today, for a lot of artists streaming is no longer a sustainable model, if it ever actually was. What is your stand on the future of streaming platforms? – I think streaming platforms give independent artists an easier opportunity to put their music somewhere to be heard without needing to go through labels and give music fans who don’t have the financial means to buy a CD or vinyl a way to listen. However, it’s pretty apparent there needs to be changes made in the way artists and all creators of the songs that make a lot of people money are compensated. I don’t know exactly what it will take to get there, but I’ll be supporting anyone doing the work to make this happen.
You talked openly about mental health and sent a strong message that people should not have a barrier to talk openly about it. Is music what calms you the most in those moments? – I’m admittedly not someone that has it all figured out, but I think most of the music I write has ties to the different emotional places that I need to go to. For me, music is anything I need it to be. It’s the outlet that helps me clear a cloudy mind. It’s the wonderland to get lost in when I need an escape. It’s the shoulder I need from a friend. It’s the silent scream into the pillow. It’s everything. I hope everyone has something that calms them like music does for me because being free of the barriers and the stigma of mental health issues can change… everything.
Speaking of concerts, can we expect a solo tour in the near future? – The album I made was during covid so there was no real opportunity to bring it to a venue safely. I did always picture it being something that would be brought to life with an audience though, and I hope to do that at some point. Being on stage gives me a rush and a catharsis like nothing else, so I’d love the chance to experience the songs from my album surrounded by other people.
Photographers Wolfe & Von
Stylist Mark Paul Barro
Grooming Stephanie Nicole Smith at Walter Schupfer Management
Talent Luke Hemmings
Interview by Nikola Bajovic
Location The Aster
