Today we’d like to introduce you to Luke Latimer.
Luke, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I had become obsessed with music at a really early age; To the point where I couldn’t take my headphones off at all. I can remember really connecting with bands like Nirvana, Foo fighters, and Queen and that’s really where I got the drive for wanting to actually play and perform.
Around 7 or 8, my parents purchased me a starter acoustic guitar and I started to take lessons (which I was not very fond of). I ended up quitting after a couple of months and started to teach myself to play by just trying to copy what I heard in the songs that I was listening to at the time. Around the age of 14 is when I had my first public gig. It was a 30 minute set at a United Way Festival in Cornelia, GA. I can remember being super nervous and feeling like I butchered it, but that’s where I really found the drive to play in front of people rather than just behind my closet door.
Since then, I try to take any opportunity that I can to play out in front of a crowd, whether it be at hair salons, breweries, weddings or food festivals. While I absolutely love playing your typical cover songs out every week, I also have always felt at home writing and inventing songs of my own. During my senior year of high school, I met a few guys that had an in-home studio about 25 minutes from my parent’s house. I decided to book a few sessions with them, not really knowing what was gonna come out of it. I had a few songs that I had written and was sitting on that hardly anyone had heard. What started out as a few sessions turned into a nearly two-year project and the final result was a ten-song LP entitled ‘Hello Gorgeous’ under the name Burning Castles. At the time, I was hesitant to put these songs out under my own name since it was full band music that we were creating, so I decided to just go with a band name alias when it was really just a few guys creating music that they loved together. I’ll always look back on that time in my life and appreciate it because it allowed me to grow and expand as a writer, collaborator and an artist in general.
Now that I am playing solo 3-6 times per week, I decided it was time to release music under my own name, Luke Latimer. At the beginning of 2020, I released my first single under my name entitled ‘The Ropes, which was followed by my most recent single, ‘My Always.’ You can listen to all of my songs, whether it be ‘Burning Castles’ or ‘Luke Latimer’ on all streaming platforms as well as live performances at my acoustic shows.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a full-time musician is probably one of the most difficult tasks I’ve ever had to take on in my life. It’s a never-ending challenge trying to acquire new places to play, to prove yourself to new people. It’s hard to say the least, but I can say without a doubt I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. I absolutely love the challenges I’m faced with, even if sometimes it does make me wanna pull my hair out. You have to be patient, have perseverance, and truly never take no for an answer.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I am Luke Latimer. I’m a performer as well as a singer/songwriter. I specialize in playing out at different locations all across the Northeast Georgia/Atlanta area. I’m most proud of sticking with playing music and turning it into a full-time job rather than just a hobby. I feel like I’ve come a pretty long way over the years. Something that I think sets me apart from other musicians is the style of music I play and the way I put my own spin on songs.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I can’t really say what my proudest moment has been just yet. I’ve had so many amazing highlights throughout my music career as of this far. Everything from playing at local breweries, to hole in the wall pubs, to even playing at Taste Of Atlanta’s Southern Wing Showdown food festival (which was amazing). For me, some of the best times of my entire life have been being able to express myself whether it be on a stage in front of an audience no matter how many people there are, or just being able to freely express my personal experiences and stories through my songwriting and music composition. Whether it be the good times, the bad times, or even the ugliest of times… I love every damn bit of it. I am so thankful and humbled by being able to do what I do. I may not remember every moment of every show or writing session, but I know when my days on this earth are slim and I’m able to look back on it all, then I will be able to say my proudest moment was just being able to meet and connect with so many great, down-to-earth people. It is these experiences that I am forming now that I will cherish forever.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lukelatimermusic.com
- Phone: 770-561-9235
- Email: lukelatimer1198@gmail.com
- Instagram: @lukelatimermusic
- Facebook: @lukelatimermusic
- Twitter: @lukeLmusic
Image Credit:
Jessica Dacey
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