Luke James Shaffer Heads to Rockwood Music Hall on 7/7

Luke James Shaffer is gearing up to take over Rockwood Music Hall this Saturday, July 7th at 4pm, for an exclusive free show! The artist who has been on our radar for quite some time, is also sharing his new single "Last First Kiss," which you can stream below. The dreamy tune is only a taste of what Luke will be playing this weekend, and he's ready to kick off your weekend night the right way. We spoke to Luke in lieu of his upcoming show, which you can read below.

Stream “Last First Kiss” here: https://soundcloud.com/lukejamesshaffer/last-first-kiss-1/s-kodH4

Find Luke on his Socials:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lukejameshaffer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lukejamesshaffer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukejamesshaffer/

Get more info on the show at Yelp:
https://www.yelp.com/events/ne...

You have a new single out right now. What can you tell us about the new release? What fueled the inspiration?

Yes, the second single off of my upcoming EP is called “How Sweet the Sound.” It was one of those songs that came together unplanned. Songwriting sessions have a tendency to be heavily influenced by your surroundings. My co-writer and I were at the studio and it was incredibly beautiful outside, we popped open the garage door and let the atmosphere kind of come to us. A glass of whiskey and a few chord progressions later, the pen hit paper pretty fast. As a songwriter writer, those moments feel truly artistic.

Was there any specific storyline you had for the song when writing?

I think the overarching message I came to when finishing the lyrics was; there can be these moments in life when you find someone or something that basically encapsulates all you ever hoped for, but that you didn’t know existed until that moment, an epiphany of sorts. A friend of mine equated it to when his daughter was born, he never realized how much he could love a human until that specific human arrived in his life. It’s a simple idea, but I believe a truly powerful one. Also, Sometimes words can’t necessarily describe an emotion and so the line “oh how sweet the sound” fits perfectly, its something you feel, or hear, more than speak on.

When writing music, what are your influences? How long does it typically take you to write a song? Do you keep coming back to the piece and revising?

The stuff that actually inspires me to write is more the day to day moments of realization. To me it’s a songwriter’s job to take every day common occurrences and turn them into grand gestures of reflective thought. I want to come up with ideas that make people think… “Why didn’t I think of that?” A look, a moment, a friend, a memory, a lover, there is no one thing that inspires writing.

There is no set time frame for writing a song. On “How Sweet The Sound” my co-writer and I started and finished the song in about 30 minutes. Those are the moments I love as a songwriter, when the song falls onto the page and just works. I have other songs that I have been working on for years. Basically, I have an idea that I feel has a lot of potential but I’m constantly tweaking it until it feels right. Sometimes that can take minutes, sometimes it can take years!

I used to think that revising things would take away from the originality of the initial song idea. The more songwriting I have done the more I have found that revisions can be a fantastic tool to creating a much stronger final product. Polishing up lines and musical elements will only help. It is important to me that the original idea or concept for the song stay somewhat true to form though, regardless of the build around it. If I don’t keep that in mind, its easy to wander away from what made me gravitate to the idea in the first place.

What are your influences musically and lyrically?

My influences come in many shapes and forms. When I was a teenager I found a CD booklet in a Bob Evans parking lot (my first job) and it was full of great music. I remember listening to the whole booklet, but the CDs that stuck with me were “Dave Matthews live with Tim Reynolds” and “The Best of the Rat Pack.” I loved everything Dave was able to do with just a voice and a guitar. It was his song tabs that I started figuring out when I first picked up the guitar. I memorized every song on the Rat Pack CD and was just taken back by the swag and life style of those guys, plus the music was timeless. My childhood soundtrack was whatever my dad had playing on his stereo system: The Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton, CCR, Paul Simon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Eagles, etc…I love my Dads taste in music and those musical memories sit in the back of my mind when writing.

What was the recording process like for the latest release? Did you self-produce? How long did it take to write and record the album as a whole?

Each song had it’s own kind of recording process but with “How Sweet the Sound” we recorded the majority of the record at House Studios in DC. We recorded vocals at Scott’s Addition Sound in Richmond, VA, where I was joined by a gospel trio from RESOUND and they were absolutely amazing. The song was mixed by Jeremy Griffith (Johnnyswim, Old Sea Brigade) and Mastered by Joe Laporta at Sterling Sound in NYC. It was engineered by Stewart Myers and Jake Vicious and produced by Daniel Strauch, Jake Vicious and myself. As for self-production, I’m always involved in the production of my records but I keep enough of a distance to make sure there is perspective on it. It took about six months to lay down scratches, develop, produce, record, mix and master the EP. Its going to be called “Volume One” and is set to be released on Friday, July 13th.

Playing select dates, where are you favorite places to tour? What is your favorite venue to play in NYC?

As of right now my favorite places to play are DC and Ohio. DC has a huge appreciation for the arts and I’ve found there is a supportive and amazing community here. When I play in Ohio there is a nostalgia I can’t replace as that’s where I got my start in music.

Favorite venue in NYC is Rockwood Music Hall, hands down. There is always a great crowd and there is always another great artist there to share the night with you. I will be back there on July 7th on Stage 1!

What do you hope to accomplish in 2018 with the new music and beyond?

I want to continue to grow as a songwriter and performer, reach new fans, and establish as meaningful relationships as possible. I want to continue to spread the message of positivity and hope as an artist and a human. We are headed on a national tour this fall (will be announcing shortly!) and I look forward to many more of those as well. Beyond 2018 I want to continuing partnering with foundations and brands that I believe in, that share similar goals to myself and House. I want to be able to liberate and celebrate the beauty and the power of the arts.