The sounds of Sunny Luwe – aka Dani Teveluwe – is the total sum of her musical experiences.
Growing up surrounded by a diverse range of sounds (soul, pop, and funk) from across the ages, the indie pop Gold Coast artist has cultivated plenty of sonic nuances with the bright little bop 'Give A Little Bit Of Your Love', her latest single released earlier this month.Lifted from Sunny's forthcoming debut album, 'Flowers In The Sky' (due mid October), the stylistic nods heard in this cut are certainly demonstrative of Sunny's influences to date.
"Even the lyrics remind you of so many different tracks," Sunny says. "Definitely inspired by Bill Withers lyrically, I love so much of his music.
"Writing 'Flowers In The Sky', it was really tapping into how music can make you feel. At the time I was listening to a lot of '60s- and '70s-inspired music which in turn, has inspired music creators in the '90s, like George Michael and Lenny Kravitz.
"It's definitely a blend of genres and eras, but it does come together really nicely."
Sunny alludes to a full-circle moment in music history, one that she's adopted. As music can influence one's mood, so can life influence one's music. Such is the case with 'Give A Little Bit Of Your Love'.
In it, Sunny delivers a special sense of gratitude for the good things in life as she goes through a rough time. "I was having a really sh.tty time at work," Sunny says of her experiences when she first wrote the song.
"I was just not having fun; I wasn't enjoying myself. I suppose I accepted that it was what it was, but I was so grateful as well that I had such a beautiful supportive partner, amazing family and friends.
"It's nice how the yin and yang of your life work like that; you might be going through the ringer but it might also help you see how amazing other parts of your life are.
"I wrote this with my partner, Matt Collins [WHARVES, okmattcollins], and we really wanted to bring that sentiment out, because it's so true." That sentiment gives a nod to what listeners can expect from 'Flowers In The Sky'.
Succinctly explaining, Sunny says: "Imagine the '70s and '90s had a baby. A lot of sonic influences, whether it be within the instrumentation – certain drum sounds to have that Beatles-esque flair to music – but I grew up in the '90s and I love '90s music, and it always makes me feel good. I wanted to create music that makes people feel good.
"There's also some deeper, and I suppose darker, elements of the album. It takes you on a journey, but a lot of it was focused on the sentiment of making you feel good, looking at things more simply."
To cultivate that balance between light and dark in her own work, Sunny "rinsed" a classic hits playlist on Spotify: Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, Wilson Pickett and more. Their influence seeps through on the album.
"I have to thank the 'Elvis' movie in a way," Sunny says. "I didn't see it straight away but it was getting so much publicity – I was like, 'Man, old music is amazing!'"
The timelessness of the "old music", as Sunny puts it, will likely far outlast anything we hear today. "It was a cool thing; when we were in the studio, Steven Schram ['Give A Little Bit Of Your Love' producer]; we were chatting a lot about references and he suggested looking at Lenny Kravitz, who was massively inspired by The Beatles.
"Steven's music knowledge is awesome. He'll pull up all these more modern '90s references that were inspired by [music] of the '70s and it was like, 'Wow, this is amazing!'"
With a string of local performances in support of 'Flowers In The Sky' throughout October, Sunny attests to having a diverse fan base, one that's still in an exciting formative stage.
"I'm getting to know who my fans are," she says. "I'm probably more family friendly, maybe an afternoon drinks at a local community event or festivals that encourage the public to come along. It's slotted in really nicely there.
"I've been getting really good feedback from the set. That's probably my favourite part, when everyone says, 'You bring joy, happiness, and good energy,' because that's exactly what I want to do."
'Flowers In The Sky' is released 11 October.
Sunny Luwe 2023 Tour Dates
Fri 29 Sep - Miami Marketta (Gold Coast)* free entrySat 14 Oct - Dust Temple (Gold Coast)* album launch
Fri 20 Oct - Mo's Desert Clubhouse (Gold Coast)
Sat 21 Oct - Miami Marketta (Gold Coast)* free entry
Sat 25 Nov - Dreamworld Night Markets (Gold Coast)* free entry
