Luka Lohr Turns Vulnerability Into Power on "AM I"

Luka Lohr isn't interested in creating surface-level pop songs. The Michigan-based singer-songwriter and producer crafts immersive experiences that invite listeners into the complicated realities of identity, mental health, and self-acceptance. Her latest release, "AM I," is perhaps her most vulnerable statement yet, pairing emotionally exposed songwriting with cinematic alt-pop production that refuses to compromise.

Built around haunting melodies, layered electronic textures, and intimate lyricism, the track unfolds in two distinct emotional chapters. The first explores the quiet isolation that comes from comparing your life to everyone else's, capturing feelings of envy and hopelessness with startling honesty. Rather than masking difficult emotions, Luka leans into them, creating a song that acknowledges the uncomfortable truths many people are afraid to admit.

As the song progresses, its tone shifts from introspection to defiance. Luka challenges the expectations placed upon her, embracing the complexity of being imperfect instead of pretending to embody an idealized version of herself. It's a powerful reminder that people are rarely as simple as they're perceived to be, and that vulnerability doesn't have to come wrapped in perfection.

What makes the release even more impressive is that Luka handles nearly every aspect of her creative process herself. From songwriting and production to mixing and mastering, she continues to prove that independent artists, and particularly women in music production, can build ambitious, fully realized projects on their own terms.

That same attention to detail extends beyond the music. Every visual, release, and creative decision contributes to a carefully constructed artistic universe that feels cohesive and intentional. With "AM I," Luka Lohr delivers more than another alt-pop single; she offers an honest reflection on identity that encourages listeners to embrace every messy, complicated part of themselves.

What was the moment that inspired you to write "I'm Not Who You Thought," and how long did it take before you felt ready to share such a personal story? I believe that sharing painful personal stories helps other people who are struggling with the same thing. When I was in the mental hospital, I had something that Billie Eilish said about her own struggles with depression on loop in my head, and it really helped me. So I knew that no matter how I felt about sharing these deeply personal things, I was going to do it anyway. I was going to talk about it in interviews and Instagram posts even more than I would’ve because I believe it helps bring attention to something that is very hidden in your own mind. I never want people who look up to me to not see the strength it took to get here and then doubt themselves for struggling. The opening lines of “I’m not who you thought” came to me on a random afternoon, with the melody already in my head, which was actually a very good moment for me because I struggle to write music all the time. It feels like I’m always in a creative rut, so when something comes to me fully formed, it is literally like a godsend. Anyways, I recorded those original vocals that day, and they are in the final version because I really had to learn that a “good vocal” doesn’t have to be picked apart and redone a hundred times; it can just be good. The song explores jealousy, identity, and mental health in a very unfiltered way. Was there ever a point where you considered holding anything back? I have a song called “Hospital Story” where I go into way more detail, and I think I am more scared of that one being out in the world. So, in short, no, because I have worse. But honesty is the best policy in songwriting, so if I have something to share, I’m going to put it in my lyrics and tell myself to suck it up.

You produce, mix, and master much of your own music. How has having complete creative control shaped both this release and your artistic identity? Doing everything myself takes away the middleman, so I don't have the struggle of having to explain what I hear and what I want. But on the other hand, then I have to learn how to do it myself. I am definitely open to having outside help with the technical things, like mixing and mastering, because I just follow a YouTube tutorial to do it. But I want to highlight that it is something you can do completely on your own. Like, I am self-taught in all of it. The internet is a wonderful place. I also think that I would like my own songs more if I didn’t do it all myself because me trying to make songs sound better is really just me trying to make it sound not like me. Like some better version of me made it, or wrote it, or performed it. I think I’m a girl doing seven people's full-time jobs, and I have to remind myself of that so I don’t feel like a failure. But, you know, other than that, it’s fun to look back and go, “I did that”. Especially knowing that there is such a big power imbalance in the music industry with gender. I am a female producer, songwriter, mixing engineer, and mastering engineer, and that is a powerful thing to be able to claim.

Your work places a huge emphasis on worldbuilding. How do you approach connecting your music, visuals, merchandise, and live performances into one cohesive experience? My visual identity is hugely important to me. I want you to know who I am even before you’ve heard a lick of music from me. First impressions are huge in my eyes, so I try to keep everything in a set color palette, font, and, for lack of a better word, vibe. It’s my job to bring you something you feel you can escape into, and I do that with visuals, but they have to be authentic to the music. So, when I’m thinking of what a finished song feels like, I ask myself how it fits into that established world visually and go from there. What time of day is it in this world when this song is playing? Are you in a room or a club? It’s kind of like thinking of it as a movie soundtrack. Though I try not to focus on worldbuilding too much when I’m writing music, I am always thinking about how a song will perform live. I am an avid hairbrush-as-a-microphone connoisseur, so my two goals with a song are: can someone sing this into a hairbrush? And can I sing this on a stage?

As you continue building your career independently, what does success look like to you beyond streaming numbers and industry milestones? I definitely fall into the numbers trap, but I take success to be something as small as someone playing the song twice in their queue to something big like having a hundred people know the lyrics and sing them back to me. I will admit that I have big aspirations I am working towards, but I try to keep the essence of making someone else feel heard as enough. Sometimes that does feel like complete bullshit to me though, because at the end of the day I need to make money, and numbers are much easier to count than emotional impact. If those numbers aren’t good, then I feel like a failure and think about giving up. But that wouldn’t make me a good artist now, would it? So, it’s a balance where I have not learned to stay on the beam yet.