Musician Luke Thompson tells the realities of the music industry
New Zealand musician and Wintec graduate Luke Thompson returned to Wintec on Wednesday to talk about what the past nine years have been like since graduating.
Musician Luke Thompson went from tour to talk this week, taking part in a graduate panel for Wintec’s Spark festival only a day after being on tour.
Luke’s discussion gave the audience and insight into the New Zealand music industry and life after graduation.
Luke has had great success since finishing his studies, touring with the likes of Op Shop and Avalanche City and producing albums.
His most recent album was released in November last year and was self-recorded, a skill he learnt while studying at Wintec.
“I pretty much finished studying and went straight in to what I’m doing now, which is working for myself, being a musician, a song writer, a singer, and whatever,” he said.
Most recently Luke has been focused on touring and enjoying performing and although he’s unsure of what his next big project is going to be, he thinks it will be making another album.
“When I first started out I was only doing occasional tours, I was mostly recording, but nowadays I’m trying to tour constantly, trying to connect with people.”
Luke talked to the audience about the connection between music and money and the importance of making music out of passion not for money.
“If you don’t have 40 grand to record an album, it can’t be the reason you don’t,” he said. “I didn’t want to stop making music just because I couldn’t afford to record it in a flash studio.”
Spark intern Jess Molina said, “I really enjoyed Luke’s passion for music, and the fact that he didn’t sugarcoat anything, yet he really pushed the point that if you love what you’re doing then nothing else matters.”
Luke was on the panel with other Wintec graduates New Idea editor Michelle Coursey and Hazel Squair who runs Melbourne’s Spring Fashion Week.
