We caught up with Brighton-based musician LUME to chat about how she composed ITV's Women's World Cup 2023 anthem, why she feels the piano is a must-have for any producer, plus her tips for dipping your feet into the production industry...
Listen to the full anthem below
The 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand has concluded, and what a tournament it was!
Records were broken and ceilings were smashed through as interest in the women's game soared. 26.4 million people watched Sunday's final between England and Spain on BBC One and ITV, which Spain narrowly won 1-0. 14.4 million of those tuned in on ITV alone.
ITV's coverage throughout the tournament was regularly bookended by a particularly catchy and inspiring anthem, composed almost entirely on the piano by Brighton-based artist and producer LUME. We caught up with her this week to chat about the process of composing the piece, why she feels the piano is a must-have for any producer, plus her tips for dipping your feet into the production industry.
Firstly, tell us about who you are as an artist. What kind of music do you make?
I’m LUME, and I’m an artist/producer making alt pop music from Brighton in the UK!
What does your background in music look like?
I really enjoyed singing pop music as a little girl (self-taught), but then started taking that more seriously when I studied music at college aged 16. From there, I started to become more interested in piano, mainly to accompany myself singing.
I had a few lessons, and went down the pop route of learning chords and music theory, and how to make chords sound fuller with extensions. I don’t think studying music is necessary, but for me it felt right to do it that way.
Which keyboards/pianos do you own? Do you have a favourite that you'd recommend to our readers?
I think Nord's range of keyboards are amazing. I used to own the Nord Stage 3 but, around that time, I wasn’t playing live much, and so all of my playing was done at home. Now, all of my keyboards are MIDI controllers, connected to my laptop, so I can shape the sounds however I like. My favourite to play at the moment is the Arturia KeyLab 88 MKII.
Check out our review of the Arturia KeyLab 88 MKII here.
How did the opportunity to compose ITV's anthem for the Women's World Cup come about?
As well as releasing my own music, I’ve also started writing music for adverts and other media. I’ve only been doing this for about a year, but it’s fun to step outside my comfort zone and write something bespoke. I was offered the opportunity to pitch an idea to ITV for the WWC but didn’t think it’d end up happening! It’s amazing that I got to hear my music on such a big event.
"I use my keyboard for everything… playing bass lines, drum beat, synth parts and so on. It’s really fun to play other virtual instruments on a keyboard." - LUME
Were many of the sounds used in the anthem developed on your keyboard equipment?
A bit of both. I mainly use MIDI controller keyboards, so most sounds are generated from the computer and the keyboard then controls it. Not a lot of people know this, but most keyboards have the option to do the same!
I also have a few synthesiser keyboards where the sound is developed in the synth itself. Having piano skills is actually crucial for me to understand what is going on harmonically with songwriting. Music makes way more sense to me when a keyboard is in front of me, so I would be lost without them!
Check out LUME's quick breakdown of the process below 👇🏽
@thisislume Well that was a lot of editing 🫠⚽️ #abletontips #musicproduction #womensworldcup #wwc2023 #makingabeat #musicproductiontips #abletonlive #musicproducer #beatsoftiktok #beatmaking #makingmusic ♬ original sound - LUME
The rising melody in the anthem is so simple yet so powerful. How did the idea come about?
So, I’m a singer first and producer second, and so all my melody ideas definitely come from just singing out loud and seeing what works. I usually press record on my Voice Memo app on my phone and sing some rough ideas to hopefully capture the inspiration.
Do you think the piano is an essential piece of equipment for producers?
Yes, it would definitely help having a piano/keyboard to get into production. I think it’s the perfect combination. I use my keyboard for everything… playing bass lines, drum beat, synth parts and so on. It’s really fun to play other virtual instruments on a keyboard.
What three pieces of advice do you have for any of our Pianist readers who would like to learn more about producing?
YouTube is a great source of inspiration for music production. But for more practical advice, I would say:
✔ Download a free DAW [Digital Audio Workstation] on your computer, which is a music production programme that comes with many sounds.
✔ Check whether your keyboard has a USB port on the back - if you do, you’re one cable away from getting started! Using a DAW not only expands your bank of sounds, but it allows you to begin recording and arranging all your ideas, therefore starting your music production journey.
What's next for you?
I just started a YouTube channel for music production tutorials so I’m currently working on that. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMaSUXBlYD6QTBtZD_HKa9Q
You can keep up to date with LUME on her Instagram and TikTok pages. Watch the full, 15-minute breakdown of how LUME produced the track on her YouTube channel below!
