Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan Luna.
Hi Nathan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hi! Thanks so much for having me, I’m honored to be here. Music has always been my greatest passion and my greatest gift. For as long as I could remember, writing songs and singing were more important to me than the air I needed to breathe. It wasn’t until I turned 18 (2015) that I decided I didn’t wanna do anything other than be an artist and make music for the rest of my life.
During my first semester of college back in MA, I wrote my first EP: “Ascend” (2016) and produced it all using a program called GarageBand on my iPad. I found a local studio close to my hometown of Springfield, MA, with the help of another incredible artist on the rise: Taija New (who also did me the honor of featuring on my song “10 Times Better”). After recording a few more songs in MA, I decided to move to Orlando, FL (2017) to study music business. During my time educating, I dropped two follow-up singles “Ascend (Single)” (2018) and “Every Time” (2018). In November 2019, I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Music Business (valedictorian) and moved to Los Angeles that following January 2020. Today, one year and some time into living in LA and surviving in this crazy pandemic, I’m currently working on a few special projects that I’m very passionate about and can’t wait to share with the world (when they’re ready to be shared, haha).
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think my biggest challenge as an artist has been finding comfort in being and accepting myself for who I truly am. For a long time, I struggled to love myself because my mental health was all over the place. I struggled with what I looked like because I always felt too “fat” to be acceptable, attractive or talented. Most of all, I struggled with being okay being a part of the LGBT community because it terrified me. The world is so beautiful but sometimes it can be the nastiest place and eventually, that all started to negatively affect my music and well-being. It wasn’t until recently, after being at my lowest point this past year, that I’m truly learning to love and accept me in all aspects and I’m so excited to be able to put that energy into my music!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Well, I’m an Urban Pop and R&B singer and songwriter. I specialize in using my Pop influences, my Latin roots and my R&B and Hip-Hop influences to tell stories through my music and I have to say, my debut EP: “Ascend,” is probably the work I’m most proud of! When you don’t have much, you use what you’ve got and all I had was an iPad and a dream. Out of that came this beautiful body of work that, for someone with no experience or knowledge of the art or industry, turned out so amazing and I think that’s what also sets me apart from other artists. It’s my drive to be different and the story I tell through my music being a Latino and a member of the LGBT community. Also, I look up to so many different artists and I’m inspired by so many different things that it aids in how I make my music and the way I sing.
How do you define success?
I find success to be individual because everyone defines and sees it so differently, but for me it’s very simple. Being an artist and making music is all that I love to do. It’s my passion, my drive… it’s my purpose and natural calling. If I can connect with even just one person, in ANY way, if it’s just one song out of the entire catalog of my music career, I will consider that a win!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/itsnathanluna
- Twitter: twitter.com/NathanLuna
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClj8h0rjiFm8uH_0pTnCefA
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/nathantheluna
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thenathanluna?lang=en
