Luna Li

Featured in VULKAN Surreal issue. Print available October 20.

When a Thought Grows Wings: Luna Li’s Exploration of Sounds, Self and Vulnerability

Luna Li, the artistic persona of Hannah Bussiere Kim, showcases her second album, When a Thought Grows Wings, with a cover that reflects her deep connection to nature and personal transformation. The album was inspired by Richard Powers’ Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Overstory, which explores the intricate relationships between characters and trees. Nature’s symbolism resonates throughout the album, as Li uses the oak tree to represent her past stability while embracing change. Born in Toronto to a Korean father and Canadian mother, Li’s musical journey began early, singing along to The Sound of Music at age two and learning multiple instruments, including piano, violin, guitar, and harp. After leaving McGill University, she taught music at her family’s Classical Music Conservatory, honing her craft in Toronto’s DIY scene with her band, VEINS, which later evolved into Luna Li. Her debut single, “Opal Angel,” released in 2017, marked the beginning of her ascent in the music industry. Her first LP, Duality (2022), earned a Juno nomination for Alternative Album of the Year, showcasing collaborations with artists like Jay Som and beabadoobee. When a Thought Grows Wings features a new level of transparency in Li’s songwriting, opening with the single “Confusion Song,” a reflection of her journey through personal growth and artistic exploration. The album incorporates fresh influences from artists like Minnie Riperton and Dorothy Ashby, blending melodic guitar with unique flute arrangements. With tours alongside Japanese Breakfast and Wolf Alice, as well as performances at major festivals, Luna Li continues to captivate audiences while exploring her evolving identity as an artist.

Your journey from Toronto’s DIY music scene to releasing your debut single “Opal Angel” in 2017 marked a significant transition. What were some key moments that shaped your musical identity during this time?

As a kid, I grew up studying classical music at my parents’ music school in Toronto. After high school, I went to McGill University in Montreal for classical violin… for one semester. Dropping out to return to Toronto to start a band and to start playing DIY shows was the first moment where my musical path really started to take shape. Then becoming more involved with the Toronto indie rock music scene, playing in different bands, learning so much from the community, playing hundreds of shows at art spaces, bars, DIY events, putting on my own shows. I took an 8-month music course at Seneca College in Toronto where I learned about songwriting, production, music business, and generally how to be an independent artist. I started my first band, which then eventually morphed into Luna Li as my artist project.

Your ability as a multi-instrumentalist is impressive! How does this versatility impact the way you approach songwriting and production?

Playing different instruments allows me to express a variety of different feelings and sounds. Being able to reach for the piano when I want to write one kind of song, or the violin or guitar or harp when I want to write another kind of song. It also makes the world of arranging and production fun and full of possibility.

The pandemic was a transformative time for many artists. How did posting your soothing jams online influence the direction of your music, leading to the creation of your two EPs?

Prior to creating the jams, I was focused on creating music with lyrics. Making the jams opened up a new path for me where I realized I could release instrumental music and have people connect with it and listen to it on the same scale as my lyrical music.

“Duality” explored your mixed-race identity and other personal themes. How did writing that album help you navigate those aspects of your life?

Creating Duality was really about carving my own place in the world, a coming of age story of my early 20s. Writing about identity helped me find trust and confidence in myself.

Your sophomore album, “When a Thought Grows Wings,” delves into vulnerability and maturity. What was it like to confront deeper emotions, particularly in writing about love for the first time?

Writing more vulnerably was something I consciously challenged myself to do for this record. I realized that as an audience member, I connected more deeply with an artist’s work or found it more interesting when it was coming from an honest place. I also went through so many life changes (and love changes) in the couple of years before and during the making of the album. All this new experience informed my writing, and helped me process and express the feelings I was having. In a way, it almost felt inevitable to be writing more vulnerably for this album because of all of the change and growth I was going through; it had to come out somewhere.

You’ve mentioned influences like Minnie Riperton and Dorothy Ashby on this album. How did their music shape the sound and feeling of tracks like “Confusion Song” and “I Would Let You”?

We referenced Minnie and Dorothy in terms of wanting the music to have a 70s feel, but with a modern twist. Dorothy’s harp is a big inspiration for my harp playing, and there’s lots of harp sprinkled across the record. The title ‘Minnie Says’ is a reference to Minnie Riperton since we were going for a Minnie-type groove while writing that one. We never changed the title from the demo.

The album’s title, “When a Thought Grows Wings,” seems to signify new beginnings and big changes. How does this theme resonate with your life transitions, particularly your move from Toronto to Los Angeles?

The phrase “when a thought grows wings” to me is about allowing your innermost desires to bloom into real action; letting go of fear and creating and implementing positive change in one’s life. The move from Toronto to LA was definitely one of those changes that I knew would be good for me and my art, but

which came with sacrifice and challenges; leaving a comfortable place, my family, my close friends, the feeling of safety and security.

Also, the art of the album cover is visually striking, featuring you with an axe in a forest. Can you share more about the symbolism behind this image and how it ties into the album’s themes?

While writing this album I was reading The Overstory by Richard Powers. I was really inspired by his beautiful passages about the magic of trees, and I started using the theme of the oak tree in my music to symbolize stability and comfort. The cover with the axe is meant to symbolize me chopping down that stability and comfort, fearlessly making room for new growth.

As someone who’s deeply connected to the Toronto music scene, how do you balance the nostalgia and ties to your hometown with your new life in L.A.?

I really do miss the Toronto music scene. I go back fairly often and try to make it to a show on every trip if I can. My live touring band all still live in Toronto and they’re people I’ve been friends with and played with in different bands in the Toronto scene with for almost 10 years now. Continuing to play with them is really important to me since they’ve been with me from the start. They’re also all important active members of the Toronto music community so staying connected with them helps me to still feel a part of it from afar.

Looking ahead to your North American tour, including your hometown show at the Danforth Music Hall, what are you most excited about, and how does performing live fulfill you as an artist?

I’m most excited to play the new album and see how people receive the new music in a live space for the first time. Making music is fulfilling to me for two main reasons: it’s therapeutic to me as an individual, and it connects me with others on a community level. Playing the shows allows me to feel that in-person, human connection with the audience, and also with my band. I’m also really excited to get to spend more time with my band; touring with them is a big part of what makes it special and fun and I feel so lucky to have them be a part of it.