{"id":272948,"date":"2026-03-02T08:47:06","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T19:47:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.muzic.nz\/?post_type=interviews&p=272948"},"modified":"2026-03-02T08:49:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T19:49:00","slug":"mnz-interview-louana","status":"publish","type":"interviews","link":"https:\/\/www.muzic.nz\/interviews\/mnz-interview-louana\/","title":{"rendered":"MNZ Interview: Lou’ana"},"author":40,"featured_media":273074,"template":"","class_list":["post-272948","interviews","type-interviews","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"meta_box":{"interview_text":"

Aotearoa\u2019s self\u2011crowned Queen of Disco, T\u0101maki Makaurau based singer Lou\u2019ana Whitney Pereira, returns with Disco Witch <\/em>- a lush, cinematic and deeply personal sophomore album that blends nu\u2011disco, soul, funk, and 70's glamour into a transformational sonic spell. And she\u2019s about to treat some lucky punters to a live set of that and previously released material, bringing her band to gigs in Whang\u0101rei, T\u0101maki Makaurau, \u014ctautahi, and at Cuba Dupa in P\u014dneke this March to celebrate the album. Muzic.NZ's Tim Gruar put in a call with Lou\u2019ana to find out more about making the album and the upcoming tour.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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\u2019ana describes how Disco Witch<\/em> was born during the 2020 Lockdown, joking that she was roller\u2011skating in her garage to disco classics, pulling tarot cards, and allowing intuitive creativity to lead her.<\/p>\n

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<\/em> (2020). \"We spent a lot of hours in the studio\u2026 it\u2019d mainly be the two of us building from a beat and my lyric ideas.\" Sessions took place largely at Judd\u2019s 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\u2026 then brought players in - drummer, guitarist, keys - with Nate laying bass.\"<\/p>\n

Lou\u2019ana 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)<\/em> expresses the outward, dance\u2011floor\u2011ready persona. Side B (So Below)<\/em> is introspective, exploring vulnerability, ritual, and shadow - especially through tracks like Night Creature<\/em>, inspired by her own journey with self\u2011confidence, identity, and emotional grounding.
\nSome tracks are more personal.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/gK6MenXHzIw?si=t2F1qDcjP6ATIYFm<\/p>\n

\u201cI struggled with self\u2011confidence,\u201d 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<\/em> was me, meeting my shadow side.\" \"As a full\u2011time musician there\u2019s less routine - so I had to find my own rhythm. Rituals and boundaries create a safe container so you can be more creative.\"<\/p>\n

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\u2019s pretty clear, she says, in the album\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/tdUCnfDvAGE?si=wOSV3sLyp6tu_HC8<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By the way, the witch concept, to her, is more of a traditional healer than a scary Halloween character. \u2018Witch\u2019 means wise\u2026 a beautiful history about healers and wisdom of Mother Earth\u2026 That\u2019s why it\u2019s 'Disco Witch'<\/em>\u00a0- disco rhythms with the wisdom of the body.\u201d It\u2019s 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 \u2026 this is not escapism, but something primal and healing.\"<\/p>\n

Online reviews highlight fan\u2011favourite tracks like Disco Coven<\/em>, My World<\/em>, Heartbeat<\/em>, and the title track, Disco Witch<\/em>, 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\u2019ll be bringing a core four\u2011piece 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\u2019s, she reckons. Though touring budgets limited her routing, she assures me that the experience will be a richly immersive, dance\u2011driven show with an invitation to dress up, maybe even get witchy. \"Leave your phones behind, come and join us, make some real\u2011world connections on the dance floor\".<\/p>\n","linked_artist":["46059"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muzic.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/interviews\/272948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muzic.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/interviews"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muzic.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/interviews"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muzic.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.muzic.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/interviews\/272948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":272949,"href":"https:\/\/www.muzic.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/interviews\/272948\/revisions\/272949"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muzic.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/273074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muzic.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=272948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}