Mancunian singer-songwriter Lusaint has had an exciting start to 2025, playing headline shows in Dublin, London and Manchester as well as releasing her new single ‘Neon Lights’. Earlier this month, Musik Mirage had the pleasure of attending Lusaint’s London show at The Camden Assembly and caught up with the artist beforehand to talk about the new single, her musical journey and plans for the rest of 2025. You can read the full one on one conversation with Lusaint just below:
Musik Mirage: Reading through your bio, it’s clear that being from Manchester is a big part of your identity. Could you talk a bit about the impact that Manchester has had on your music and your career?
Lusaint: When I first started singing in Manchester it was at a jazz club called Matt & Fred’s when I was probably about 18. And the surrounding area in the Northern Quarter was where I played many shows in pubs and bars and even restaurants. I guess Manchester has had a huge effect on me in terms of my performance and getting so much experience from a young age to be able to do what I’m doing now. And I think in general meeting so many amazing musicians within the music community in Manchester has also been a really good confidence boost for me because they’ve been a part of my journey and they’ve supported me from the beginning. And they are still a part of my band now, even after having worked with them for so many years. And I think the fact that Manchester in general holds that real sense of community… It’s almost like a little hub, especially around the Northern Quarter. It feels really special and it always will be very special to me.
Musik Mirage: For anyone reading the interview who hasn’t been to Manchester, are there any really great live music venues that you’d recommend people check out?
Lusaint: I’d say Deaf Institute is a really cool venue. Gorilla is another great one. And where I’m playing on Friday as well, Night & Day Cafe is a really cool venue. I’ve watched so many artists play there. Where else is there? Oh I’d say Soup Kitchen too, Soup Kitchen in the Northern Quarter is a really, really cool gig spot. 
Musik Mirage: Could you talk a bit about your new single Neon Lights and the inspiration behind that?
Lusaint: Obviously as much as I love Manchester and it will always be my home, when I wrote the song it had gotten to a point where I was kind of doing the same things every single day. And Manchester really is quite small. And I think when you’ve lived there your whole life… Like anywhere when it’s your home town, you can get a bit sick of it. And I think I was striving for something bigger and knew that, as much as I loved performing and loved playing in these bars and getting my voice heard, there was something more that I wanted. I’d always wanted to write original music. And I was kind of on that ladder, but I didn’t really know how to further it. So I wrote this song about wanting more from life. And I guess on that specific day I was trying to romanticise a slightly mundane, but fun, life.
Musik Mirage: And now you’re doing it! Now you’re playing in Dublin and London.
Lusaint: Yeah, I’d say from four years ago when I wrote that song there has been a huge transition to my career. And I feel so grateful for what’s happening at the moment. And I’m just really excited for the next year.
Musik Mirage: You said you wrote the song four years ago, how does it feel to now be at the end of that cycle where you’ve released it and you’re playing it at the shows to a crowd that already know it?
Lusaint: It’s a really crazy feeling. And I think when I first started writing this music, I obviously had no idea what would happen with it. It’s kind of the same for every artist, I guess. You never know what will happen with music as soon as you release it. But I will say that it probably took me a bit longer than expected to get the music out there. Because I think as any creative, you have that self-doubt… Your confidence can be knocked for even the smallest thing. And it took me a while to be able to feel like, ‘yeah, this feels exactly like me as an artist and I know where I want to take my project’. But I think once I got to a place of knowing myself in terms of what my inspirations are and what I wanted to put into my music, everything changed from that moment. And I think it probably took about two years of writing music to really develop myself as an artist. So I think I now feel very comfortable with the music that I’m creating and it feels very much like me. 
Musik Mirage: Could you talk a bit about who some of your biggest musical inspirations are?
Lusaint: I love jazz and soul music and blues. Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Chet Baker, Billie Holiday. I love those really old soul classic voices that you just never tire of. I think Ella Fitzgerald is probably my favourite all-time artist just because of her work ethic and her drive and how she performs on stage. Every single note that comes out of her mouth is just so perfectly placed. And I think that she has a real special aura about her. So yeah, I’d say those people are my main influences. And generally speaking, I listen to a lot more jazz than anything else.
Musik Mirage: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?
Lusaint: I’d say that it’s not every day that you’re going to create. I think, for me especially, it comes in waves when I want to create music and I feel really inspired. And that might be from a trip that I’ve been on or even just a walk around the corner or whatever it might be that somehow has inspired me. But I think it’s taken me a while to understand that whenever I do go into the studio and I’m feeling uninspired that that day is not going to be my best creatively. And I think it’s always really important, in any kind of creative field, to recognize when you are feeling inspired to hone in on it and when you’re not… To not feel down about that because it will come back. So I’d say that’s a very good life lesson for me, is to not feel like I’ve let myself down if one day or within a couple of weeks I haven’t created something that feels right. It’s definitely all about patience.
Musik Mirage: You mentioned that the next year is going to be really exciting, is there anything fans can expect from you in the rest of 2025?
Lusaint: I have some more shows that I will be announcing very soon that are very exciting. I think that there will be another tour as well towards the end of the year and going into early next year. There will be a lot more announcements coming very soon and a lot more music coming as well.
Musik Mirage: Final question to end on, what’s an album that you think everyone reading the interview should listen to?
Lusaint: I’d say Bon Iver’s ‘For Emma’ album is up there with the best. I listen to that a lot.
This Friday April 11th, Lusaint is releasing her brand new single titled “Joking” which will be available on all major streaming platforms. You can see the promotional photo for the release at the bottom of this interview so make sure to pre-order the new single or just stream the song this Friday. To stay up to date on everything Lusaint, you can follow the artist on Instagram @Lusaintmusic for any future announcements and news. Click Here to listen to the new single!
Article & Photos By Harry Bridger (@harrywiththecamera)
