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Writer's pictureBonded
Feb 13, 2022

Behind The Track - Hideaway by Alex Luke

Alex Luke is a soulful Singer - Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer from Manchester, UK. After Alex’s brother passed in 2015, he turned to his music for solace and took his brothers middle name ‘LUKE’, a means of keeping his memory alive. Influenced by Soul, Blues, Jazz and Pop, with sounds similar to the likes of Hozier, Michael Kiwanuka and Joy Crookes. He takes his approach to songwriting with his heart on his sleeve and the voice of an old soul, not unlike his main inspiration Amy Winehouse.


Alex has currently seen support from the Ivors Academy, selected as a mentee in their Mentorship Programme for up and coming Songwriters. His latest single 'Hideaway', portrays his development as an artist while giving a hint at the future direction of his music. From it's unquestionable captivating hooks, deep resonating authenticity, and Pop Blues stylings, he surely will be on the rise in 2021.



Describe your sound in no more than 5 words.


Soul-Pop-Blues. I’ve got it down to three at the moment! I like to think my music is really just me being myself but I take a lot of influences from different genres and styles which I think is important as an artist.



Turning to Hideaway, what is the message behind the track?


Hideaway is about when you first start seeing someone in a relationship. There can be a mix of emotions, lots of excitement but sometimes self-doubt can be there. It’s really about trusting someone and being honest with your own emotions.



In regards to writing and producing Hideaway, what was that like as a process?


I recorded Hideaway during lockdown. The process was a lot of fun. I had the foundation of the song written already but during the production process, new ideas would come and I’d build upon them so it was very free form. I programmed the drums with the intention of re-recording a live kit, but I decided sound complimented the track so well that I kept them. I think that’s the cool thing about music, that sometimes certain elements can work great even when you might not expect it. Being my own engineer and producer has been really rewarding and allowed me to express an even bigger piece of my personality and vision for the song. But getting good feedback and taking on new opinions is super important too.


Photo @sophietyler.photography


As an artist do you begin with lyrics first or start with the music itself?


It really depends, I like to change my approach to writing and allow inspiration to come from different places. Sometimes I can write pages of lyrics and make music around that, sometimes I can start with a melody or chord progression and other time I may even produce a song first and write around it. I don't like to put myself in a box during the writing process and that allows it to be different and unique every time.


What is your favourite lyric within the song and what is the meaning behind it?


My favourite lyric in Hideaway would be “I got my reasons, I know you got yours too, but if you’ve got a bullet for that gun, you better load it soon”. You both might have reasons to have your guard up, but you’re asking for honesty from the start. I think it really expresses the songs meaning well.


Photo @sophietyler.photography

When writing and creating a song do you always have performing it live in mind?


I like to think of them as separate entities. I wouldn’t want to be restricted in the studio during the creative process by worrying how certain elements will be done live because there’s always ways round that. I think getting the song how you want it from the start and enjoying the creative process is important. Performing it live allows you to express a representation of the song, because every performance is different no matter what.


Alex Luke's Top 10 songs that inspired the track Hideaway.



Alex Luke's Links












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