CORTISA STAR LEAVES YOU WANTING MORE

Office sat down with Lumia, who dialed in from her New York apartment. She lit a fresh cigarette and began to smile when asked to reflect on how the arts shaped her adolescence.

You started off creatively with photography and then got into modeling and content creation. But what was the turning point that made you want to start DJing and putting yourself into that musical world?

Since I was about 14, people have been telling me I should do it. I had free time one summer and I was like, 'I guess I'll just learn it and see if I like it.' Then everything kind of fell into place really quickly, and I started getting booked on a bunch of stuff. So it honestly just felt like I was doing the right thing because so many things were happening organically. It just started moving really quickly on its own. I've always loved music, so it felt right.

Especially with creative pursuits, I think when things fall into place, it's for a reason. How do these other creative endeavors that you take on supplement your DJing and music curation?

Before I was DJing, I understood myself as an artist. So when I started making music, it kind of just fell into the umbrella of another medium for me. I went to Cooper Union and they teach you how to make anything there. It's visual arts-heavy, and I picked up other mediums outside of photography. I really like to make sculptures, so I feel like I'm very open to experimenting and making anything. Music was just another facet to that. But it definitely feels different than all the rest of the mediums. I think I picked it up really quickly, though, from already having that artistic background.

You were mentored by Petra Collins. Her artistic vision is so unique and distinct. What are some valuable lessons she’s passed down to you?

I mean, she's literally the best. She was my mentor for maybe three years and I did all of her lighting for a really long time. She was kind of the first person who really believed in me. I met her when I was 16 and she was 23, and her career was starting to get really big at that time. It only grew bigger over the time that we were working together. She showed me that I could do photography for a living. I learned how to be on set with her, and she's just such a powerful woman. I feel like everything she touches turns to gold. She's definitely a role model and an inspiration. It was just really cool to know that someone like that believed in me.

Having a mentor can be so important in this type of work because there truly is no blueprint. Maybe there are certain instructions that you can follow, but that journey will look different for everyone.

It was such a blessing. I feel like I owe so much to her; it was such a pivotal, integral part of my life and my beginning of working in the fashion industry. I truly think she's one of the best people ever.

Some DJs have this character that they shift into when they take the stage. Do you feel like you have a DJ persona or a certain energy that you embody before you perform?

I haven't really thought about it too much, but the thing that I have thought about is how natural it's always felt to be up there. And I think that transition into DJing and being in front of a bunch of people is actually connected to my experience with modeling since they're both performative and audience-facing. When you model, a lot of the time, you'll be modeling in front of the photographer, and then you look up and there are 20 other people surrounding you, watching you do your thing. After doing that for so long, I just became comfortable with being watched.

With photography, you show your work, and the intention is for people to absorb the things that you put out there. Someone else is usually the subject. How was that shift going from something more voyeuristic to something so audience-facing?

The reason that I started modeling was because Petra started putting me in her shoots occasionally. There was one Adidas campaign that she ended up putting me in, and it was the first time I was doing a serious commercial job. I didn't even know that I could model until she started casting me in things. People just started hitting me up to model after that. So it was unexpected. Then there was a learning curve, but you can pick it up pretty quickly.

The track, "Numbers," is very Y2K-inspired. That era is very referential for people our age. What parts of that era, stylistically, continue to influence you?

I had a very specific vision for that music video. I really wanted to have all of my friends styled in Juicy Couture tracksuits because I have a really crazy vintage Juicy Couture collection. I have over one hundred pieces. It's really psycho. So in the video, all of my friends are kind of a version of me. I had all of them using flip phones, so it did end up being very Y2K. But I had them all using flip phones because I use a flip phone on my days off. I really don't like my iPhone, which a lot of people don't know. It's just a very private side of me.

I'm obsessed with that concept. And I'm super invested in this Juicy Couture tracksuit collection now, so I want to talk about that [laughs]. Why did you decide to start collecting them?

During COVID, my sister was wearing one, and I was like, 'What? That's fire.' And then I ended up getting one because she's my big sister and she inspires me in every way. I got one, and I put it on, and I immediately wanted another one. Then I had four Juicy Couture tracksuits, and then the collection just never ended. They're just really cute and really easy. You don't have to think about anything. You just throw them on and they look good. They're really flattering, too. I'm missing a brown and a gray tracksuit, but other than that, I have all of the colors.

Do you have any of the old jewelry? I used to be obsessed with the charm bracelets when I was younger.

I remember those. I haven't gotten into the charm bracelets because I'm really scared that if I get into them, I'm gonna have to buy all of them [laughs].

How does your personal style align with your musical style?

It's definitely, in a way, an extension of me. But maybe it's more crafted with the music stuff. The upcoming music video for "My Boy" is a good representation of how I want to come across as an artist, in terms of my style. The really boyish, masculine side of me is definitely something I want to start to portray with my music stuff. But not all the time. I think the juxtaposition is cool. I could wear a really cute, tight dress, and then I could also wear giant, baggy skater boy clothes. I definitely want to incorporate that mix of styles into the visual branding of my music. Usually, when I'm performing, I'll go to either end of that spectrum. I'll either wear something nicer, like a dress, or a cool vintage graphic tee.

I want to hear more about the song "My Boy" — what it's about, the inspiration, and how the video mirrors that.

Well, I dated a guy once upon a time who really liked to party. We dated for like two years and I really wanted to make a song about the fact that he loves to party. This one is really special because, for a while, I was just producing these house tracks, and I wanted to figure out how to put my vocals on a song. It started with some talking vocals. And then I ended up singing. It was the first time I used vocals like that, and now I've continued to. In terms of the video, I worked with the director Roi Cydulkin. And then my older brother, Jason, helped to creative direct it too. They helped come up with the concept and make it real. The concept involves me on this construction site, and I keep waking up over and over again. As I wake up, each place gets more and more degraded. And I have this ghost boy following me all throughout the video.

Do a lot of people from throughout your life find their way into songs? What are you usually inspired by?

This one was very specific. For the most part, the way that I come up with songs is I'll have the idea for a song first. The concept comes to me loosely. For example, the song "Carmen," that's out now, samples this classical song. Because I just had the initial concept to make a track based on a classical song. I have a song coming out soon called "Kite" — that was just because I really wanted to make a song called "Kite." So it always just starts with an idea.

Where do you hope this takes you in the next year? Is there anything that you want to do, musically, that you haven't done yet? Maybe it's a concept or a specific sound?

The EP is going to come out in June, so I'm really excited to see how that's received. I'm excited to see how my singing tracks are received as well. Then, in terms of more ideas, I definitely want to continue using strings in my songs. I love strings; there are a bunch in "My Boy" and there are also a little bit in "Heartaches." I'm really inspired by classical music in a weird way, so that'll continue to find its way into what I make. I really want to make a song about a t-shirt and a song about breaking other guys' hearts. I have a running list of ideas that just randomly come to me. I'm also constantly working on the visuals for each release, so there are more of those to come as well.