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Claire De Lune’s ethereal apartment feels like a secret hideaway in the hills of LA’s Montecito Heights neighborhood. Walking through her lush garden, it’s not hard to imagine the singer/songwriter working from home. As a front-woman of the band Tiny Deaths, De Lune has built a career on her incredible skill as a lyricist and her infallible ability to imagine what’s possible.
BLNCD: You just returned from a tour in Europe! What were some highlights from that experience?
CDL: So many highlights! Europe is amazing. One of the coolest moments was meeting a polaroid photographer who lived in Cologne, Germany who had been a fan of my music for a long time, and getting to do a photoshoot with her between the soundcheck and our set. Pretty mind blowing to think that songs I wrote in my bedroom made it across the world before I did!
BLNCD: How would you describe the pocket of the music industry where you feel the most authentic?
CDL: I really prioritize working with good people nowadays more than anything else. People with big hearts who work hard and do things the right way— making art because they love it, and above all being kind to others. It’s cool to meet artists you admire and work with people with big long resumes in the industry, but if they’re not kind and genuine people I’m not really interested.
BLNCD: Your album, “Magic,” was celebrated for its dreamy electropop vibes, but there’s a lot of heart and soul there too. If you were to pick one track off the album to perform for the rest of your life, which would it be?
CDL: Definitely the title track. That’s a song that I think I had been trying to write my whole life in some way or another, and it never came out right until that song. To this day I think it’s my favorite thing I’ve written.
BLNCD: As a songwriter, how do you get your creative juices flowing? Are there particular environments or conditions that help you focus creatively?
CDL: I write really well when I’m out of my element in some way— either traveling to someplace far away, or even in a car or something. I think it just shakes things up and kicks the dust off my brain. I also find myself getting inspired really late at night– like 2, 3 in the morning. I’ve been woken up with a song idea on more than one occasion!
BLNCD: Recently, your musical collaborations have landed sync deals on TV shows like Charmed and Netflix’s Atypical. What’s it like hearing your voice and music as an underscore for stories on television?
CDL: It’s surreal! I’m always so honored that someone else who was making their own art wanted to incorporate mine into it in some way. I write songs with moments/feelings in mind and I love thinking of them as soundtracks– either to a movie or to a day in someone’s life. Being a soundtrack to someone’s life— That’s the highest compliment.
BLNCD: How do you feel your own approach to the industry has changed the most in the past two or three years?
CDL: I think I started embracing this idea that maybe my life won’t look exactly how I pictured it, but if I’m making a living doing what I love, which is writing songs and performing them, then I feel like I’m on the right track in some way. A music career isn’t one size fits all. It’s not going to look the same for everyone. I’m just trying to create a life I want to live— to fill my days with as much joy and fulfillment as possible and to surround myself with people who push me to grow and support me and make me better. I feel like I’m finally starting to have that at the moment and it feels amazing.
BLNCD: Having started your career in MN, do you still feel a unique relationship to shows back “home?”
CDL: 100%! Minneapolis will always be home, even though I wasn’t born there and I don’t live there anymore. People in Minneapolis also just love music and art and it’s a great place to play for any touring artist too, I think.
BLNCD: Have you incorporated CBD products into your lifestyle?
CDL: As someone with generalized anxiety disorder, CBD has been a godsend in my life— it’s truly one of the only things I’ve found effective in calming my mind and helping me rest. I’m excited to see how I can incorporate it even more, like into my skin and body care routine!
BLNCD: What sort of musical endeavors can we look forward to seeing from you in 2020?
CDL: Definitely new tiny deaths stuff! And more new music under some other names that I can’t talk about yet.. Hopefully lots of songs being written for all sorts of purposes, I’ve been really inspired recently and writing constantly!
Photography by Martha Kirby
Story by John Mark