We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lucy Peru. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lucy below.
Lucy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
One story comes to mind… I had just moved to LA from New York. I was supporting myself entirely as a professional modern and ballet dancer as I forged my new life in music. I knew how to make a full-time living as an artist but I was switching from dance to music. It was a completely new chapter! I believe all the crazy jobs I’ve had along the way (when I needed to supplement my income) have deepened my creative well and enriched my life in ways I wouldn’t have even chosen for myself. They are unexpected blessings!
I had just put a band together; we were rehearsing for a show, and I injured myself dancing on a job. I was on crutches, had to pull out of the job, and didn’t know how I was going to pay my rent. I thought, well, what do I love that I can do while I’m playing music and until I can work in dance again? I love animals, so I got a job at an animal hospital on Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood. I was the intake person at the front desk. People came into the hospital with their terribly injured little animals, and every time I saw, yet another, severely injured animal in pain I would fight back the tears. My boss, Louanne, was an amazing, big-hearted Texan who, after my six-hour shift ended, pulled me into her office and gently said, “Honey, this has been an exceptionally bad day as far as severely injured animals needing emergency care; it’s usually not this gory. And we just love you here, everyone does, but your eyes kept filling with tears when people brought their animals to the front desk, and we just can’t have that… Will you please come back and visit us, though? We love you!” And I said, “I know Louanne, you’re completely right. I’m so sorry. Thank you for everything.” We hugged. I returned my little laminated name tag with the puppy on it, to lovely Louanne, and hobbled out on my crutches.
I was filled with despair. I had sent a song of mine to radio, hadn’t heard a peep, I just worked my first, and last day, in an animal hospital, I was injured and didn’t know how I was going to pay my rent, I was in a fair amount of pain because the Tylenol had worn off, and now I needed to drive across town to Santa Monica for band rehearsal. I got into my car and it wouldn’t start. I thought, “OK. That’s it. I should just quit music and go back to school, get a graduate degree in something, and do something else. No more music.” And as I fought back tears, I turned the key once more and the car started! And then, I couldn’t believe my ears, but loud as can be, right there on KCRW, my song was playing on the radio. I jumped up and down in the driver’s seat, with glee, decided that going back to school was a dumb idea, and drove to Santa Monica for band rehearsal. There’s an expression, “Don’t quit before the miracle.” I agree! We do what we love, until the thing we love (hopefully) pays all the bills so we can do it full-time!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My college years were spent in a BFA program for modern dance/ballet. I was very fortunate to have studied at four wonderful art schools all over the country. (I transferred each of the four years so I could study different dance techniques with different teachers.) After college, I was a professional modern and ballet dancer, touring internationally, and living in New York city. I moved to Paris. After Paris, I spent a lot of time in Tokyo, and briefly lived in Cairo. Then, I was lured away from dance by music!
I had always loved writing poems and studying different poetic forms, and that, combined with my love for the music periods of the French Impressionists, pop music coming out of England, and storytellers and poets who wrote songs, filled me with inspiration! I moved to Los Angeles and jumped into music. I didn’t have any music connections and it was a very exciting time. Meeting great musicians, playing shows, putting bands together, writing, and recording my songs… That’s what I did. That’s what I still do. I love it so much! I think I’m most proud of following my heart. There will always be *dream killers*, and I stay away from those people. It’s already challenging to forge a career in the arts (or any career) without people smashing one’s enthusiasm and hope. But *dream killers* gave me the great gift of helping me discover the depth of my own certainty and commitment. I realized I was certain that I loved dance (then), and music (now), enough to endure whatever I would need to endure to achieve my dreams.
I think it’s about loving something so much you stay, no matter what. It’s a marriage: for better or worse, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer. There have been times in music when I felt like I was skiing downhill on a beautiful day, and then there have been really challenging times where I just had to get through the dark hallway until I reached an open door. It’s also been important for me, as an independent, self-funded songwriter/singer/artist, to define what success means to me. If I release a song that I’ve written and I’m really proud of it, then that has to be the metric with which I gauge its success- not whether or not it’s a hit single. Of course, who wouldn’t love to have a hit single! I’ve written some songs that I’m really proud of, and grateful for, so those songs are little successes to me. Gore Vidal once said, “Careerism is the worm in every artist’s apple.” Integrity in my work comes first, and commercial success is second to that.
My new EP, “music for night”, will be released on August 25th, 2023. I’m really proud of it, and so excited for the release! Co-Produced with Mike Schmid, it’s about the seasons – summer, fall, winter, and spring – at night. The amazing musicians playing on it are: Earl Harvin (Sam Smith, Glen Hansard, Air), Brendan Buckley (Morrissey, Damien Rice, Perry Farrell), Nayanna Holley (St. Vincent, Pink), and Mike Schmid (Miley Cyrus, Chainsmokers) co-produced, mixed, and mastered it. I love these musicians so much! I get to decide what kind of music I write and play, whether it’s in fashion, or not. l get to be true to myself, and for that I’m very grateful.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I always think of an oak tree when I think of resilience. An oak tree has deep roots, is elastic, and can encompass variety and change. I strive for that! I had an EP release scheduled at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles on a Saturday night at 9PM. I had promoted for the longest time. A full house was expected, I had the most amazing musicians playing with me, and I was so excited!
The night of the release show happened to be one of the stormiest nights that Los Angeles had seen in a very long time. Roads were closed. The usually busy club was empty. At 8:30PM my amazing friend and drummer called from the road. He was driving into Hollywood from Malibu, and was detoured because parts of Pacific Coast Highway were closed. He called to tell me not to worry, that he would be there. One of the musicians walked over to me at ten minutes before 9, and whispered, “No one’s here!” And I said, “I know- I’m sure it will fill up once people can get here through the storm.” But I was heartbroken. I went into the bathroom and cried for a second, dried my tears, and when I walked back into the main room, the club was still empty. It was five minutes to 9. We were supposed to start playing at 9PM; the club was totally empty, and all the musicians weren’t even there.
And suddenly, four people burst through the door, shaking off the rain. And then, right behind the four people, my beloved drummer flew in the door. And then, like a wave, people started flooding into the club. Within ten minutes, the club was filled to capacity, standing room only. I took a Polaroid of the drummer (and my dear friend) setting up his kit. It’s on a wall in my house reminding me that things can change in an instant. We never know when. And when I don’t have any faith that things will work out, I just act as if I have faith until things do work out. Everything will be OK.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Well, I don’t really think in terms of resilience. I think of taking one action at a time until I’m on the other side. I will tell you about getting through the most difficult period in my life… I had just broken up with my boyfriend of many years. He was wonderful, but I knew we ultimately wanted different things. And then, after laughing with him and hugging, just hours earlier, my little teenage nephew died of an accidental Fentanyl overdose. My family was devastated. Very shortly after that, my sister’s husband died in a motorcycle accident. I came from a very small, very close family. I became extremely depressed during this period, and then, I needed spinal reconstructive surgery because of all the dance injuries I’d sustained over the years. Now dance is gone. Then, my amazing Dad died. And then my beautiful older sister died, too young, from heart problems linked to alcoholism. We had been best friends since childhood; she was my favorite person in the world. Her death ripped my heart out and I began to question everything.
Everything I knew and held dear had disappeared. I was trying to be there for my Mom while not imploding myself. Then my sweet Labrador Retriever of 12 years died. My best friend was diagnosed with cancer, and my Mom went into hospice. I got to hold my best friend’s hand when he died, and for that I will be forever grateful. My beautiful Mom passed away, and I got to be with her as she left this world. That is the greatest blessing. But, the grief was acute. It was all too much. I didn’t want to let anyone in, but the valuable lesson I learned is that sometimes it’s not about letting anyone in, it’s about letting me out.
Music saved my life. I was fortunate to have a way to express all the sorrow. I buried myself in music. I wrote and recorded, song after song, with a vengeance. (The song “little monkey” is about my little nephew.) I asked myself what kind of life I wanted in the wake of all the loss and tragedy. I decided that I’d continue to live the creative life I’ve always wanted, no matter what, and I decided that a tiny piece of my life would always be devoted to being of service in the world. So many people have endured so much. I’m not a saint; I’m an artist. All I really want to do is make things. But I felt my life would have meaning that would feel good to me if I helped, to the best of my ability: bringing the arts to at-risk-youth, involvement with Doctors Without Borders (Médecin Sans Frontières), LGBTQI+ rights, food banks, animal rescues, there are so many amazing opportunities to help…
I’m on the other side of that brutal period now, so I don’t want people to worry! I am very happy now. The philosopher Martin Heidegger once said (paraphrasing here) that he thought (we) humans can forget we’re alive sometimes. I understand that. I feel more aware of how precious life is now. I have a choice: is my life at a deficit because of all the loss, or am I richer for having known and loved these extraordinary people? I’d give anything to have my loved ones back, but I am definitely richer for having known and loved these extraordinary people. Music, the incredible people in my life, and this big world carried me through, and for that I’m forever grateful. My heart is full.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lucyperu.com/index.html
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucyperu/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lucyperu
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/63EJFVXmJTZ0SH8Cwsh9SF
Image Credits
Cary Kwok – “music for night” cover photograph