Daily Inspiration: Meet Luke Wynn

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

Hi Luke, 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 backstories with our readers?
I found a love for instruments at an early age, banging on pots and pans any chance I got. Drums were my thing very early on and I later took an interest in producing music when I was 14 years old. I learned my way around software like Garageband and realized that I had a knack for writing and engineering.

When I was 17, I took a chance on myself and started making music that I felt spoke to the issues of young college students trying to find their way. I quickly built a fanbase by sharing my music through local performances, DJing for radio, and even creating merchandise that promoted positive messages and helped others get through tough times.

After graduating with my Associate of Arts Degree, I knew I wanted to further pursue music and decided that would be my minor along with a major in English. Deepening my understanding of music theory, the writing process, and learning to play other instruments including piano and guitar, expanded my music vocabulary significantly.

Near the end of my college career, I began my internship with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Band, Whitesnake mixing, mastering, and remastering archived hits. This experience allowed me to be credited on some of their projects and gave me a new perspective on the legacy of an artist/group.

It gave me a new appreciation for talent in different genres and helped me learn my way around a multi-million dollar recording studio. It was inspiring to walk through a hallway that showcased awards and plaques for records that sold more than 8 million copies. I’ll always appreciate this experience because it helped me grow over the course of 6 years and gave me tools that I can use forever.

After graduating, I was commissioned as a music supervisor to work on my first feature film. In this capacity, I was responsible for overseeing the musical selection for the soundtrack as well as collaborating with other artists to compose an exclusive piece for the film.

Over the course of my musical career, I’ve released over 100 songs as an artist, written, produced for, and worked with a number of musicians, singers, songwriters, and creatives, including Sellar, Dove, and Grammy Award-winning artists. I’m thankful for those who laid the foundation for me in my life and I’m proud to be able to pave the way for future artists and their dreams.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road less traveled is never easy and staying motivated, especially as a new artist can be difficult. I’ve had to believe in myself even when no one else did and I have found that resilience is my greatest ally. Some of the struggles of an up-and-coming artist are definitely finances.

It takes money to make money and without the proper resources to invest in your dreams, it can be hard. I learned early on to make sacrifices for things that help me obtain resources and make investments that may not be comfortable today but will benefit me tomorrow.

Another struggle is definitely staying motivated. At times it can be discouraging not knowing if your efforts are paying off, but it’s always what happens in the long run that shows you that you’re right on track.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I pride myself on the fact that I’m a multi-talented artist who not only has the ability to write and perform, but I play!

I’m like the male version of H.E.R. (haha). I’ve always admired musicians and artists who can do a little bit of everything. No shade to anyone who develops a singular focus, but I appreciate the fact that my experiences and education have allowed me to diversify myself and hone into different opportunities and strengths.

My experiences have given me the tools to produce, play instruments, write, sing, rap, engineer, perform and teach others how to do the same. The message of hope I give through my lyrics coupled with a sick beat also sets me apart from the rest. I grew up in church, so you’ll always see the influence of inspiration in what I write. I’ve had a lot of experiences, both good and bad, but I never allowed my music to be absent from the passion I feel inside.

In 2016, I release one of the deepest emotional pieces of work at that time called “College Heartbreak”. I found that a lot of fans connected with it in a unique way. Whether it was the loss of a relationship, the loss of a friend, or the bitterness of dealing with grief, I was proud to have used a negative situation to create a musical masterpiece that helped see others through.

The experience that led to this project caused me to feel like a failure. Like I couldn’t win. I realized that failure is a lie. Just because you don’t come in the first place and you don’t come in last, doesn’t mean there isn’t a space for you in this world.

It helped me accept the idea of being the person who’s always in the middle, or being, “Lukewarm”. This concept came from always being someone who can’t be labeled as just one thing or achieving success from one perspective. My success shines through in different ways at different times and that’s what matters to me.

What sets me apart is the fact that I am the bridge between success and failure, hope and hopelessness, singing and rapping, hip hop and gospel. I’m in a space where so many people can relate, but most of the time this group of individuals is ignored because most artists choose extremes to side on.

I’m not a hardcore gangsta rapper, and I’m also not a polished pop star. I represent the person who is going through heartbreak, experiences highs and lows in life, goes through struggles but perseveres to see their dreams come true. There aren’t many other artists who share this point of view.

I’m happy to be in this space: to be Lukewarm.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I see the music industry continuing to go more towards melodic raps. I think the current trend of artists being hip hop with R&B will continue.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.shutupluke.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lukewynn_
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/LukeWynnForever
• Twitter: twitter.com/LukeWynn_
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCSKcTCd3T5ojmHBWOypH2ug
• SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/lukewynn

Image Credits
Jonny Gamma, Angeliq Media, and Mike Lucido