Conversations with Luke Gibson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Luke Gibson.

Hi Luke, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I would say that music happened to me before I could develop an interest in it. I begrudgingly started classical piano lessons when I was 5 and continued until I was 13. By then, my passion for music was channeled into several failed hardcore/punk projects, much like almost any other teen in the early 2000s. But the love for writing songs began to blossom as I became more proficient on the guitar and developed a sense of how I could use that in crafting a unique sound. Upon entering college, I signed a 1-year contract with a record label on campus that allowed me to record and release my first EP. I played in Texas cities like Waco, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin and even booked a few SXSW shows in 2014. Moving to Nashville was always a dream of mine, so I made the jump in 2017 and have been writing, playing, recording, and releasing music ever since.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s certainly a road decorated with polarizing seasons. There have been times when a single release has surpassed my expectations a hundred times over, and others when I’ve wondered whether the countless hours of work I put into a song was worth it after flatlining. I’ve also had massive (almost too good to be true) opportunities offered to me as a guitar player that were subsequently ripped out from underneath me in the 11th hour, which has a way of getting in your head and shaking your confidence for awhile.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an independent artist. My music is pop-centric, but I tend to let many influences enter my sound from song to song. You can expect any pop shade from R&B to Alternative Rock, Jazz, or Blues on my tunes. I have a hard time hinging my sound to a couple of “for fans of -” artists, but I believe that I tend to focus on a good, well-crafted song the most. Something interesting about me as a performer is that I play the guitar upside-down – that is, I’m left-handed, but I play a right-handed guitar strung as-is. This typically gets a few perplexed looks, but I’ve made a point to not rely on that as a gimmick to set myself apart. In other words, I don’t want people to think my abilities as a guitar player are exclusively impressive for someone who plays like that, but are undeniable regardless of any caveat.

What does success mean to you?
Sometimes I feel like all I do as a creative is think about this question. I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to intersect what they love with their work. Obviously, in the case of being a musician in an ever-increasingly crowded market, this has glaring challenges. It’s subjective, and there are several tangible levels of success, but I think all you can ask for is a career in music that sustains you enough not to have to have another job. That, and being able to reach people on a genuine level the way that the artists who influenced me have.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/lukegibson
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/lukejgibson
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luke.gibson.399
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1rtZ5sYBdglUKx3FJ3gaIx?si=IGxqIDVETzC_Bwa9V8luEg

Image Credits
Matt Marchbanks Kelly Gibson Jordyn Rothman