MNZ Interview: Lou’ana

Aotearoa’s self‑crowned Queen of Disco, Tāmaki Makaurau based singer Lou’ana Whitney Pereira, returns with Disco Witch – a lush, cinematic and deeply personal sophomore album that blends nu‑disco, soul, funk, and 70’s glamour into a transformational sonic spell. And she’s about to treat some lucky punters to a live set of that and previously released material, bringing her band to gigs in Whangārei, Tāmaki Makaurau, Ōtautahi, and at Cuba Dupa in Pōneke this March to celebrate the album. Muzic.NZ’s Tim Gruar put in a call with Lou’ana to find out more about making the album and the upcoming tour.

We meet over the ubiquitous Zoom. Behind her is a room bathed in pink. Her aura is reaching through the screen, with a sense of calm and joy. We may have hastily arranged this interview, but there is a calmness to her. It’s an appropriately groovy vibe for this kind of interview situation. After the usual formalities we settle in and I ask her about where the concept and music for this sophomore album came from. Lou’ana describes how Disco Witch was born during the 2020 Lockdown, joking that she was roller‑skating in her garage to disco classics, pulling tarot cards, and allowing intuitive creativity to lead her.

But it was no quick fix. The album took four years to shape, evolving organically but intentionally with producer Nathan Judd, who also worked on her acclaimed debut Moonlight Madness (2020). “We spent a lot of hours in the studio… it’d mainly be the two of us building from a beat and my lyric ideas.” Sessions took place largely at Judd’s home studio, Ragis Records, on Northcote Point, where Judd played a variety of instruments. “I had the initial tracks, then we reshaped the chords to make it lusher… then brought players in – drummer, guitarist, keys – with Nate laying bass.”

Lou’ana further explains that the project was guided by the hermetic aphorism “As above, so below”, representing the connection between inner and outer worlds. She says that Side A (So Above) expresses the outward, dance‑floor‑ready persona. Side B (So Below) is introspective, exploring vulnerability, ritual, and shadow – especially through tracks like Night Creature, inspired by her own journey with self‑confidence, identity, and emotional grounding.
Some tracks are more personal.

“I struggled with self‑confidence,” she says, referring to the modern practice of being a musician, trying to eke out a living, staying positive and being creative. And having the courage to keep going. “Night Creature was me, meeting my shadow side.” “As a full‑time musician there’s less routine – so I had to find my own rhythm. Rituals and boundaries create a safe container so you can be more creative.”

I ask her about her influences and references in the making of this album and she openly cites Donna Summer, Nile Rodgers, and classic 70’s soul as her key inspirations. That’s pretty clear, she says, in the album’s groovy bass lines, tight guitar work, and her intentionally “celestial string arrangements.” But she also wants to weave in esoteric philosophy, witchy symbolism, and modern pop influences like Dua Lipa, creating what she calls “nostalgic universal sounds” that move both body and spirit.

By the way, the witch concept, to her, is more of a traditional healer than a scary Halloween character. ‘Witch’ means wise… a beautiful history about healers and wisdom of Mother Earth… That’s why it’s ‘Disco Witch’ – disco rhythms with the wisdom of the body.” It’s clear, she says, that Disco is her vehicle for music that feels grounding, liberating, and deeply communal. “I want the crowds (at my upcoming concerts) to dance, lose themselves, and reconnect with their bodies … this is not escapism, but something primal and healing.”

Online reviews highlight fan‑favourite tracks like Disco Coven, My World, Heartbeat, and the title track, Disco Witch, described as a “cosmic disco ritual” marrying vintage strings, pulsing rhythms, and themes of feminine power and transformation. She’s stoked with the response so far and is looking forward to letting loose on these tracks with an actual live band. She’ll be bringing a core four‑piece band plus live strings to honour the arrangements. “There will be two violinists”, she tells me. Adds a note of authenticity beyond the usual default synth mode in modern re-interpretations of Disco tracks. This will be pure 70’s, she reckons. Though touring budgets limited her routing, she assures me that the experience will be a richly immersive, dance‑driven show with an invitation to dress up, maybe even get witchy. “Leave your phones behind, come and join us, make some real‑world connections on the dance floor”.