November 17th, 2022
Lua Flora is an Asheville, N.C.-based group fronted by singer-songwriter Evan Button. The sun-kissed melodies, according to the group, are rooted in the harmonies of Appalachia, rhythms of the West Indies, and lyricism of American folk.
NewSong Music: What sort of music was playing in your house when you were growing up?
Evan Button: James Taylor, Blues Traveler, Lucky Dube, Bob Marley
Lua Flora as a full band
What inspired you to become a songwriter?
I wrote my first song nearly 16 years ago, in second grade. I think it was about being kind? Or something like that, haha. After that song, I didn’t write again until middle school. I had an amazing guitar teacher and mentor, Vasili Simmons. He started making it a weekly assignment to write. He taught me that music was the most beautiful when you allowed yourself to be vulnerable — something I had become embarrassed of previously. Since then, songwriting has guided me through both my best and worst moments.
What is the first song you wrote that you were really proud of?
Honestly, not until recently. In the moment, of course I’ve loved what I wrote, but that kinda wore off as I grew. The past two to three years though, and more specifically the past eight to ten months, I’ve really felt my songwriting grow into a place I’ve always wanted it to be.
If you could partner with another living songwriter to co-write a song, who would it be?
JP Saxe or Brett Dennen.
What attracted you to submit your song(s) to the NewSong Competition?
I think I’ve been submitting for four years. I almost didn’t submit this year and was feeling a bit discouraged. But said, “Ya know what, maybe this could be the year.”
Do you have any recent or forthcoming projects to tell us about?
My project, Lua Flora, just released its debut album on 11/11. 2023 tour dates coming soon all over the east coast.
