An Interview with Lucca Dohr

AN INTERVIEW WITH LUCCA DOHR ON HIS SEPTEMBER PROJECT NORWICH AND MORE. 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MAKING MUSIC FOR?  

I started making music more seriously when I was a freshman, so I was 14. But I was playing instruments before then. I started playing drums when I was 8 and then I picked up piano and guitar when I was 13. I started playing bass around then as well, so I was pretty much playing every instrument.  

WERE YOU WRITING SONGS BEFORE THEN? 

Yeah. I was honestly doing more songwriting than I was learning how to play instruments. I think I learned how to play instruments through songwriting. 

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO START RELEASING MUSIC? 

It’s funny because I didn't really tell anybody that I did music all throughout high school. Nobody knew that was something I was interested in. I was more into film and I told people about my film stuff. And then I had been working on music for almost four years and I thought to myself, “Alright, maybe it’s time to start showing this to people.” I started playing stuff for my friends and they were all super hyped about it. They all liked it and their validation and encouragement was definitely a big reason why I decided to start putting out my music.  

WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG FOR YOU TO TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT YOUR MUSIC? 

I don't know—even now I don’t like to talk about my music. I never wanted to talk about my songwriting. Maybe I was shy about it.  

THAT’S SO FUNNY BECAUSE YOU’RE PUTTING YOUR MUSIC OUT UNDER YOUR NAME! 

Yeah, I know. The name thing is funny. I thought about it a lot. I was thinking a lot about going by Cat Willem for a while, but I think I would have regretted going by a name that wasn’t my own.  

SPEAKING OF NAMES, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR SEPTEMBER PROJECT, NORWICH. WHERE DID YOU GET THE NAME NORWICH FROM?  

I’d actually rather not say, just because it's very personal. But I can tell you more about the inspiration for the project. Just being in quarantine, I felt super connected with my neighborhood—like the leaves and the trees around me and all the colors. I wanted the project to exemplify that.  

DID YOU DO A LOT OF WRITING OUTSIDE THEN? 

There were moments when I would write in my courtyard— like lyrics and stuff. So yeah, definitely. But for the most part, I write in my room.  

WHAT IS YOUR WRITING PROCESS LIKE? 

It's very interesting. It really depends. A lot of times I’ll know when I have a full song in my head before I’ll actually start writing. It’s a visceral feeling and then I’ll just have to translate it, but I know it’s there. Usually it’s just me taking the time to sit down with a guitar or at a piano and flushing out ideas. I sit with lyrics for a long time. I really think about the overall message and what I’m trying to say. The melody comes first before any lyrics. It’s rare I have a lyric before a melody.  

DO YOU THINK A LOT ABOUT YOUR LYRICS? 

That is the main thing I think the most about. Once I have a melody, I don’t like to change it. I work at the lyrics a lot more. That's honestly the main thing I focus on. I definitely want to find the best lyric to match the sound of the song.  

WHAT ARTISTS ARE YOU INFLUENCED BY?  

A ton of artists, but some of my main influences are The Beetles, David Bowie, and Elliot Smith.  

IS THERE A MOMENT IN THE PROJECT WHERE YOU WERE INSPIRED BY ANY OF YOUR INFLUENCES? 

I think my favorite moment in the project is at the end of “Loosh98,” when I scream, “I'm fine” in the background. When I recorded it, it was a very intuitive thing for me. It was honest and real. It’s a really special part of the song for me. I know Paul used to do a lot of cool yelling stuff for The Beatles. He does some cool screaming in “Oh Darling.” I like screaming in my songs when it’s a musical scream and it feels right.  

WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM LISTENING?  

I just hope people can resonate with my songs and that the lyrics speak to them. They’re honest to me and I hope that other people can connect and feel something from listening to them too. 

YOU CAN FIND NORWICH BY LUCCA DOHR ON STREAMING SERVICES LIKE SPOTIFY AND APPLE MUSIC. GO STREAM THE PROJECT AND MAKE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO TWENTY MINUTES LATER FOR MORE INTERVIEWS LIKE THIS ONE.