WOMEN OF THE ISLANDS: LUANA GORDON

SAMOAN / NEW ZEALAND EUROPEAN
SINGER-SONGWRITER

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your Pacific heritage.

My name is Luana Gordon and I am a singer-songwriter from Ōtāhuhu, Auckland. I am of Samoan and New Zealand European descent.

Tell us about your journey into music.

I grew up the youngest of three in a musical family. My brothers and I all took piano lessons from a young age before picking up second instruments. Mine was the violin. I also loved to sing and taught myself guitar to accompany my voice.

I studied violin at university and, after graduating, started writing original songs, which my brothers helped me record and produce.

How has growing up in South Auckland shaped you as a musician and as a person?

From age six until I got to university, all of my music tuition took place in very humble South Auckland schools with cheap instruments, limited teaching resources and very few opportunities to connect with others in the music community.

It was the norm for me, so I grew up never expecting to have access to high quality resources, or sufficiently funded organisations and events. This has meant I am always extremely grateful when I do get to experience them.

It feels like I can fully appreciate each detail while always feeling very grounded by my background.

Tell us about your new single.

I wanted to lean into melancholy with this track. It's about missing somebody, knowing that your paths will never cross again, and accepting that you may miss them forever. I wanted to capture pensiveness and regret, but also an edge of frustration.

I started thinking about how much of who we are is shaped by people who may no longer be in our lives. Even when relationships end, parts of those people stay with us. 'Waiting For You' grew from that idea and the feeling of carrying someone with you long after they've gone.

You studied classical music. We don't often hear about Pacific people pursuing classical music professionally. Why is representation in these spaces important?

I think it's just cool for Pacific people to see someone like them doing something unexpected. It helps them to broaden their dreams and possibilities for their lives.

On top of their talents, Pacific people bring such a warm energy everywhere they go and that energy alone improves every space they are in. When they join more diverse spaces, the whole community gains something.

Was there a moment when you realised music was more than just a passion and could become your career?

In terms of singing, I was uploading covers to my social media just for fun for a while, and a lot of my friends remarked to me that they were surprised I wasn't doing more with my singing.

That definitely had an impact on me, combined with feeling inspired by other local musicians I knew just having a crack at it and my general love for music as a listener.

What challenges have you faced along the way, and how did you overcome them?

My biggest challenges are always to do with doubting my abilities and overthinking my every move.

I have only ever been able to overcome them by being brave, having a go, being open to failure and gaining experience.

Who are the people that have supported and inspired you throughout your journey?

My brothers.

They obviously support me technically in the creation of my music, but they also do a lot to hype me up in confidence and encourage me to keep going.

They have musical careers of their own, so their experience and wisdom continually inspire and guide me.

How does your Pacific identity influence the music you create today?

Although the genres I write in may not seem typical of Pacific artists, I do think my music generally has quite a chill, mellow, laidback feel to it, which I think is a reflection of my personality, largely influenced by the relaxed island attitudes and lifestyles of my Pacific community.

Is there a lesson from your upbringing or culture that continues to guide you in your career?

I don't think I was ever told this exactly, but for some reason I have never taken anything too seriously.

Whether it's a failure or a success, I just try to have fun and never take anything too personally, and this attitude helps me move through the highs and lows of this journey quite smoothly.

What are you most proud of in your journey so far?

I think I feel most proud of the very first time I released a song, because it was the scariest step, but it opened the door to so many positive experiences.

What dreams or goals are you still working towards?

A full length body of work, like an EP or album.

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

It's not advice exactly, but I'd just reassure her that she was doing fine.