We were lucky to catch up with Mona Abboud recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Mona thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

As an artist the answer will always be yes-my music will always be misunderstood. You can never control how a song is perceived, especially because they all land on different ears and minds. The truth is that once you release your art into the world, your audience can interpret the lyrics, production, music in any way they choose.

When I release a song or even share it to a friend in my bedroom, it no longer belongs to me. As much as I would love to guide the listener to a certain theme, they have their own experiences, memories, and biases that can cause them to receive the song differently. I actually think it’s a beautiful thing that art can strike everyone in a different way and am happy to let my songs be misunderstood.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a singer-songwriter who started out writing in journals and was a fan of music until I realized I can combine the two and write songs.

I enjoy stories, so my lyrics are very narrative and have some metaphors and religious imagery. I grew up listening to lots of blues, rock, gospel, folk, Arab music, and music from different cultures!
I love to combine an American alternative folk sound with some Arab and Latin influences.

My pride is my EP I’m currently working on. My dream for a long time has been to record my own music and recently I just released my first song called “Break My Heart Like Bread.” Seeing my song and name on streaming services was so emotional for me.

My brand is folky western with my Lebanese roots. Being a new artist, I feel like my aesthetic and sound is constantly evolving. I haven’t quite unlocked my brand potential, but it’s a fun journey to have little wins and get closer to my goal with each release and performance.

My real name is Mona Abboud, but my stage name is Mona Lucine. Lucine is my middle name and my great-grandmother and my dad named my Mona to honor his mother.

If you look up my name (Mona Lucine), you can find me on all streaming platforms and social media, including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Apple Music, and Spotify.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

In my experience, some veterans of the industry will tell you fear-mongering stories and that you have to put up with disrespect sometimes if you want success. The truth is, you have the right to walk out of every room where you feel like you are being disrespected. Your collaborators should be safe people and you should feel comfortable to say ideas and write songs.

When I recorded my songs, my bands were my friends and college students my age. I remember thinking: “This is the music industry.” The people who played on my songs were kind people who were happy to be there and gift their talents.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I feel most rewarded when people connect with the lyrics I write. Before I ever sang or played guitar, I was always writing stories and poems. It’s even more special when someone starts giving examples of their favorite line and gives their own unique take of what the song is to them. Those types of comments are ones that usually stay with me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/monalucine?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=01b1097c-d105-41fa-a7d6-78e1b23d774a
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monalucine?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mona.lucine.7
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@monalucine?sub_confirmation=1
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4IeWYZh4lzGY2MkPslXoIJ?si=LkOrIaqaQGex9OVYo1Qo3w

  Apple Music:

  https://music.apple.com/us/album/break-my-heart-like-bread/1793936054?i=1793936055

Image Credits

Justin Critz