Luca George on his new music including latest single ‘Ashes’
Driven by his distinctive, haunting vocals, New-Zealand singer-songwriter Luca George releases the melancholy pop anthem ‘Ashes’. Following ‘Grow Down’ and ‘Not Born For Love’, the single marks the London-based artist’s third release of the year, with a forthcoming EP, due later this year.
Quickly emerging as one of alternative pop’s most exciting new voices, Luca continues to build momentum amassing over 6.9 million global artist streams. He’s supported artists including Peach PRC, Callum Scott and Harper Finn, selected in Rolling Stone ANZ's Future of Music 2025 and 2026 lists, and was hand-picked by Troye Sivan for APRA SongHubs.
Hype Medium: We love your new “Ashes” which is absolutely amazing. Plus the cinematography in the music video which is incredible but I’ll get into that later. Tell us about the concept of the song and what it means to you?
Luca George: Thank you. Oh my gosh! This is the first time I've actually spoken about it. So “Ashes” I've been working on for three and a half years. I don't even have words to describe how much the song means to me. Sonically, and kind of the world that we're creating around it, is exactly what my goal is as an artist. It has everything I love about music incorporated in the song, and then also with the video alongside it, it's like a dream come true. So I am just so excited for the world to see it and see this thing that I've been working on for so long.
HM: It's incredible, and I love the 6/8 feel and the vocals are insane. Especially towards that end segment, you can imagine you in the studio just belting it out. I feel like it's so rare to hear a song like that these days.
Luca: I remember we added that bit right before it was finished. I remember kind of wanting to add this extra layer. I was like, “it's not big enough”. And then we added that massive note at the end, which I remember my producer suggested because I was playing around saying, “no it needs to go up here” and he was like “what about this note?”. And I was like “does that sound right?” and he was like “try it” and then I did it and I was like (gasp) “that's the one, this is the last kind of final bit that the song needs.” So yeah, I'm so excited.
HM: Nice! And what was it like filming the music video?
Luca: Yeah, it was crazy. So I got to work with my two favorites, Devan (Narsai) and Oscar (Keys), who are two great directors back home. They're insane - so I've always wanted to work with Devan. I remember messaging him probably six or seven years ago, and he didn't reply because he's probably busy. But for the last three or four music videos, I've been able to work with him. So he's been a massive part of creating this world with me, and so the video was crazy. It was only meant to be a visualizer, so like one shot, and then he sent us the edit and we were like “this is like a music video” and then we kind of just went down the music video route with this. Oscar was a big part of it too, and I think we started filming it in the morning.
It was maybe 11 or 12, and then we finished at 2am. And then I had a flight to Australia at like 4am, and we were filming literally out in the wops. I remember my friend picked me up, and I went to the airport covered in mud - it was so bad. I was starving, and I was delusional. I hadn't drunk water all day, and it was the most insane 24 hours of my whole life. And then because I don't have a lounge pass, I waited outside the lounge. I was like “can I use your plus one?”. I looked dirty, and this lady, this lovely lady, let me in and so I was able to have a shower. I had some kai, and then I literally flew to Australia, and then hopped straight into a meeting. It was insane, and then I had events, and like, oh my god, it was honestly the craziest 24 hours of all time.
HM: So busy! I can't even imagine you showing up to the airport like that (laughs).
Luca: It was insane. Also, I remember I didn't wear shoes the whole day. It was raining. It was where they grow a bunch of pine trees and then they cut them down, so there were all these fallen over trees with spiky branches everywhere. There were bugs and spiders all over me the whole day because I was lying in the mud. Honestly, but there's one BTS video that I'm gonna post and it's me being like “the shit that I do for the perfect shot”. Because my belief is like I'm prepared to do anything for the perfect shot.
HM: You're committed to your music and that’s what we love to see!
Luca: So I'm prepared to do literally anythng.
HM: I love that! And then another song I wanted to talk about is “Grow Down” because it's such a beautiful concept and theme. Can you talk through how this song came about?
Luca: “Grow Down” is basically a song that’s really, really real to me and I feel like it's real to kind of everyone that I've spoken to. No one really feels like their age, right? I feel like if you're talking to a five-year-old, they're like “No, I'm a big boy! I want to be like I'm a grown-up.” And then you talk to someone my age, and it's like “no, I still feel 18! How am I living on the other side of the planet, away from everybody that I know, and paying UK tax. I don't even know, like how is it even happening?”.
So “Grow Down” is a song about looking back and realizing like “oh, there's so many aspects of a kid that I kind of miss and wish that I still did”. I look up at the clouds now and I struggle to see animals in the clouds. You know, as a kid you used to lay on the ground and instantly see like a fish or a dragon or a unicorn, and now I struggle. I'm trying to force myself to see them.
I still do, but I used to collect rocks at every beach I used to go to. I would leave the beach with my pockets full. When did that go away? Or play hide and go seek. I love hide and go seek! I don't want to stop playing that, but you know I'm 22 and now 22 year olds don't play hide and go seek. The song's kind of about that, and it's about wishing that I could grow down instead of grow up. Plants are like my whole life, and so I kind of liked the idea of grow down, wishing that I could grow down instead of grow.
There's lots of layers to it, but I wrote it with my incredible friend Gabrielle Aplin who's an amazing writer. And she helped with making that idea come to fruition which is really really cool.
HM: And I loved your content series that you did. You were talking to strangers on the street and chatting to them about their fondest memories of when they were a kid and which age they would go back to. I feel like lots of people can relate to that and they have specific memories in mind when they think about that so that's really nice.
And another song I want to talk about “Not Born For Love”. It’s incredible, heartbreaking, and specifically I wanted to touch on that fact that you have Harry Charles on songwriting and production, and then also writing with Rita Mae as well. What was that process like in terms of creating the song, producing it, making it come to life?
Luca: Oh my god, it was so much fun, that was so long ago. It was so good. Rita is like one of my favorite writers I've ever worked with in literally my whole life. It is a matter of time before she blows up. She's amazing and then obviously Harry is just incredible too. It's basically about being an artist and living this life that doesn't really fit into other people's lives. I was in a relationship for like two years, but I saw him maybe 5% of the time because I was homeless and living out of my suitcase for like two and a half years. I was traveling all around the world and living on people's couches and I never saw him. So I was like by doing this career, I don't understand how you could actually be in a relationship. And I use this metaphor of being a star, like in the sky, so far away from everyone and everything, and being this lonely kind of being, with this dream. Everything comes second to that dream, and the fact that someone will never be the priority because I want this so bad.
HM: I'm sure so many people can connect to that feeling of obviously you always your priority and your dreams are always your priority, and then bringing someone else into your world is a big deal and sometimes there's no space for that.
And what do you think have been some of your favourite moments working across these new songs. Have there been moments that have stood out to you?
Luca: I really love building a world around a song. It's weird - I feel like as an artist you need to be able to be interested in the world. Like you can't just throw a song out and hope for the best. You need to think about so many aspects, and so I kind of love thinking about all the other things. Obviously, once the song is made, normally it takes a year or three years for that to then come out, and so you've got that time to figure out “how can I create the art around the song?”. So I love the visuals and the music videos, and then also coming up with different ideas to promote it. Whether it be doing a show on a boat which I'm doing.
HM: Yeah I saw that you were doing that with BEXY!
Luca: Yeah with BEXY, so random. Just doing these really special things around the release to hopefully connect with people. I think that's like a big part of what I love doing around a song.
HM: Absolutely love that. And I wanted to chat to you about some of the biggest lessons that you've learned in your career so far. Do you have any advice for other creatives out there and something that you've learned along the way that has stuck out to you?
Luca: Don't be afraid to ask for help, whether it be a call to your mum or friends or someone that you've literally just met. It takes an entire village to create a successful artist and I'm so so so far away from where I want to be. I'm not saying that I'm successful, but I really believe if you're a lovely person, you'll naturally be surrounded by lovely people that will be willing to help. Like I went to this random restaurant opening and then ended up at an afters at this ridiculous house - like it was the most insane thing I've ever seen in my whole life, and literally met this guy once. He was just like the owner of the house, and the next day I messaged him. I was like, “Hey, your house was insane. Could I do a photo shoot in it?” And he was like, “Oh my god, yeah, bring whoever you want!”
The next week, I organised a shoot. I messaged four of my most fashionable friends, that I've only met once or twice over here because I'm still very new to London. And they were like, “Oh my god, yes, come over!” So I spent a whole week going around to all of these different people's houses, borrowing all these crazy clothes, and then I shot at this insane house, and so that's an example of just like don't be afraid to ask for support. Because if someone asked me for help, I would be like “oh my god, yes!”. Like I know exactly how that feels so that's my biggest thing is just if you know someone that can do something you can't do and you want to learn how to do it, whether it be like producing or how to set up a live rig or knows videographers that can help with music videos or content, just ask because people are willing to help.
HM: 100%. I think, especially if you have a vision and a dream, people want to do whatever they can to help.
Luca: Exactly, and if you really believe in yourself, if you have this goal and you can see it and you can taste it. Like with me, my success has already happened. I can already see these things, and sometimes I hit these milestones and I'm like, “okay, done. What's next?” because it's already happened in my brain.
I think when people can see that, people love to support that because people are like, “oh my god, you've got it. You've got the dream, and I want to help you get there”. And then when you're doing it, people can be like, “that was my house that he shot those photos”.
HM: (laughs) Yeah, exactly! And so as we're in New Zealand music platform, I'd love to know who are some of your favourite New Zealand artists right now, or are there any songs or albums that you've been listening to specifically?
Luca: There are so many amazing artists coming out of New Zealand right now. I'll say maybe three or four. BEXY is my absolute favourite. She's incredible. Another artist would be ratbag. I love her. Everything that she's doing, the world that she's creating. Will Swinton - he's doing so great. Like all of my flatmates are on tour with him around the US right now. Like Harry, Nick, Ryan. Balu’s doing really well, Bala Brigada. There's honestly so many. Everyone's doing so so well, and I'm so proud of all of them. And it's so cool to see us all come up together. I remember Will messaging me when, I don't even know how many followers, being like “how do I do live music? Who do you work with?” and I was like “oh, like my drummer is really cool, Harry” and now they're literally touring the world only for like The Kid LAROI and it's just so cool.
HM: Those are so good, great answer! And the last question that we end with all our guests - if you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would that be?
Luca: Remember to stop and smell the flowers.
Thanks Luca! Make sure to keep up with him on Instagram, TikTok, Spotify & Apple Music.
