Musician and songwriter Lukah Bouchard has a rare talent that many in the local music scene say could take him far in the industry. The 27-year-old indie-rocker has played solo-acoustic shows at coffee houses and gigs around town, and at Sunshine Music Festival last year with his Lukah Bouchard Band.
Was there a turning point in your life that pushed you into songwriting?
It was a near-death experience that was the catalyst for it. My dad [musician Ben Bouchard] and I were in a shipwreck in Mexico while diving. After that happened, you tend to think a lot. My first move after that was to Australia, because I wanted to be adventurous, but that wasn’t the adventure I sought. I realized I should devote more of my time to music and writing songs, so that’s when I started writing music four years ago.
Who has had the biggest influence on your music?
Definitely my dad. My style of playing, my fingering, my melodies, it’s very much like him. I’ve been told our voices sound very similar. People have come up to me and said they thought it was Ben singing. In terms of him coaching me, he never really took a hands-on approach. He let me do my thing.
Have you performed or jammed with your dad?
I’ve sat in with him and played guitar, but never done any singing. I guess I have some sort of awkwardness with that. It’s hard for me to just loosely jam unless I’m playing drums. But if I’m playing guitar and you’re loosely jamming, I always feel I’m out of my element.
Do you have a pop-music guilty pleasure?
I can never really get into that pop stuff. I do like the drum beats, though. The electronic drum is the meat of those songs. I used to listen to Britney Spears a lot. It was pop. I was that age. I was malleable, but not anymore.
What are your favourite bands?
Radiohead, of course, are a huge inspiration and Tool, equally so. Also, My Morning Jacket and Low Roar.
How far do you want to go?
If I was ambitious, I would say I want to go to the top. I’m not a very ambitious person, so I kind of tend to fall into what’s comfortable and, for me, playing shows locally every couple of weeks is comfortable.
For more information, go to fb.com/lukah.bouchard.
