San Francisco via New York City indie rock artist lucky break documents the pain and pleasure of young adulthood on her debut record made it! out today via Fire Records. Alongside its release, the musician shares the loose and dreamy track, “If People Could Fly,” dedicated to beach days in Los Angeles. This summer, lucky break will continue to tour across select U.S. cities, including select dates with Nashville artist Maisy Owen.
The debut project by lucky break began when the musician fell in love for the first time and moved abroad to teach English. After getting ghosted and getting sick, she was heartbroken and confined to her bedroom where eleven heartfelt tracks became her first proper collection of songs. Lucky break says, “‘made it!’ captures my life as I was going through major transitions, finding my inner compass and figuring out how to live in alignment with my values.”
The musician adds, “I solidified the sound of the record by blending everything I grew up listening to–from pop music and country music–and inspiration from 90s alternative indie like Pavement and Liz Phair to Lucinda Williams, John Prine and Joni Mitchell found their way into the album as well.”
The free-flowing tune “If People Could Fly” was inspired by lucky break’s time living in Los Angeles, driving to the beach and wandering around Malibu Country Mart. The artist shares, “Lyrically, I was really inspired by the free writing style of The Magnetic Fields. I also have a little nod to Liz Phair, and her incredible perfect album, ‘Whip-Smart.’ In the chorus, I reference her song ‘Go West’ with the lyric, ‘If people could fly / no, I wouldn’t go west.’“
Accompanying video directed by Addie Briggs, sees lucky break gazing out into the ocean and riding the bus. Together, the pair found cinematic moments everywhere, resulting in a breezy video that mirrors the track’s serenity. Briggs shares, “Creating the visuals for ‘If People Could Fly’ with Emma was a magical experience, and collaborating with her always is. There were hundreds of birds flocking around ocean beach as we were filming. When she steps into character, the world follows suit.”
Nurtured on 90’s alternative indie, lucky break’s music melds the emotionality of Fiona Apple, the wide-eyed wonder of Bedouine and Americana alt-rock of Lucinda Williams. Appealing to enthusiasts of Alvvays, Hole, Phoebe Bridgers and The Breeders, Melissa Auf der Maur has notably been an early supporter of her work.
lucky break is where you put all of your dreams. lucky break is a cartoon character, hand-drawn from the pages of a zine. lucky break is a girl with a guitar. lucky break lives inside of a portal, another planet, a different dimension. On her debut for Fire Records, made it!, lucky break builds a whole new world for her character to inhabit.
made it! is a collection of songs that she wrote between the ages of 19 and 23. You know, the years where everything happens. She’s now 24 (a Libra/Scorpio cusp). The songs document the uncertainty and not knowing that comes from being old enough to no longer really be a teenager, but young enough where the future feels immensely vast and scary and exciting, basically all of the time. made it! is also the story of the dissolution of a first big romantic relationship, and the story of a young woman learning to stand up for herself and find her voice in every aspect of her life.
Mixed and mastered by Grammy-nominated Jessica Thompson (Margo Guryan, X-Centra, Errol Garner). To create made it!, she worked together with Elliott Woodbridge, her friend and co-producer. The two recorded out of a studio in Burbank, next to the train tracks. They did all of the instrumentation together. lucky break did all of the acoustic guitar. Woodbridge did everything else. At the end of recording, maybe even on the last day, she saw Tony Hawk at a nearby Taco Bell. It was, she says, a good omen for the record. made it! is a record that is as miraculous as seeing Tony Hawk while you’re eating your Crunch Wrap. It is a playful, self-assured, and self-actualized piece of music from a young person who has more than found her voice. “Music gave me a guide and something to move towards,” says lucky break. Consider made it! one big step into that big bright future. – Sophie Kemp
‘made it!’ is out May 8th. Available for pre-order in Exclusive Bundle: Limited Edition LP, sticker pack, ‘zine and tote bag, Limited Edition Pink LP, Limited Edition Silver LP & CD.
TOUR DATES
22 May: Permanent Records, Los Angeles, CA, US
11 Jun: Night Club 101, New York, NY, US
10 Jul: Vinyl Tap, Nashville, TN, US, w/ Maisy Owen
11 Jul: Haven Haus, Memphis, TN, US w/ Maisy Owen
12 Jul: Seasick Records, Birmingham, AL, US, w/ Maisy Owen
14 Jul: Golden Folk, Grey Eagle, Asheville, NC, US, w/ Maisy Owen
15 Jul: Horizon Records, Greenville, SC, US, w/ Maisy Owen
16 Jul: Old Records Off The Shelf, Four Oaks, NC, US, w/ Maisy Owen
17 Jul: School Kids Records, Raleigh, NC, US, w/ Maisy Owen
18 Jul: Grey Eagle, Asheville, NC, US
