ILUKA

 

5 MINUTES WITH… ILUKA

When we were over in Australia on our travels we met up and did a fun shoot with the super talented Iluka. She’s a singer/songwriter from Australia and has the coolest vibe. We did a little Q&A with her to find out more..

For our followers who are new to your music, how would you describe your
sound?

Cosmic desert soul pop

Describe your style in three words

Vintage, vibrant, velvet

Who or what inspires you?

Stardust and outer space, fireworks and constellations, Rimbaud and Bukowski, Bowie and Patti Smith, city lights and cheap wine, bookstores and conversations with strangers, full moons and the twilight hour, stormy love and desert highways, wildflowers and cowgirls…

What’s the first record you bought?

Joni Mitchell – Blue

Do you have one piece of clothing that’s more special than the others and
what’s the story behind it?

It would have to be my pair of bell bottom patched blue jeans that I found in an op shop in Joshua Tree. I just remember walking in and seeing them hanging up in the corner and I was like ‘they are definitely meant for me’. The woman working there had this air of familiarity and a kind of mysterious magic about her. She was wearing a purple velvet maxi dress and had this long, black mane of hair that swayed along behind her. The jeans ended up fitting like a glove and I wore them all through America and I was (and still am) convinced that they have some kind of magic stitched into their seams…

The 70s is a very special decade for us, are there any artists from the 70s that you particularly admire?

Most definitely. T-Rex, Curtis Mayfield, Patti Smith, Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Melanie, Frank Zappa, Sly & the Family Stone, Blondie, Jethro Tull, Creedence Clearwtaer Revival, Stevie Wonder… the list is endless!

What inspires your lyrics?

Anything and everything. I carry a notebook with me everywhere I go and I’m always writing about what I am seeing and experiencing, people I am meeting and philosophical ramblings about the world. I write a lot of poetry and stories, both fiction and non-fiction, which often become lyrics.

What’s the record with your favourite lyrics?

Rex – Electric Warrior

What is the last piece of music you bought?

I recently found ‘On the Threshold of a Dream’ by the Moody Blues for $10 in an op shop out of Sydney. I have always loved this record so I was a happy lady!

And finally, if you could be on the line up with any other band in
history, who would you choose and why?

I think it would be Janis Joplin to see her live. How electric she was with that voice wailing and howling… I would have loved to have a conversation with her backstage too as I feel like she was a really fascinating character. Behind that flamboyant and large as life exterior, there was an extremely sensitive soul who couldn’t handle all of the feelings inside of her.  I think I could really relate to her.

Iluka has currated an amazing Spotify playlist for everyone! You can listen to it HERE

Check her out on Instagram @ilukamusic


Photography: Harry Dixon @harrydxn

HMUA: Kyla Frank @kylafrankmakeup

Stylist: Naomi Hession (The Hippie Shake)

Locations: Newtown Hotel & Record Crate in Sydney, Australia