Synth-driven hypnotist Franzi Szymkowiak reaches for the stars with Lukka’s gender-bending new single, “Tomboi.”
“It’s about exploring your feminine and masculine side—and about self-love,” says the German-born artist, who’s now well-established in New York. “It’s a celebration of my Gemini energy, leaning into that duality and just owning it.”
That celebration of self continues on Lukka’s third LP, Wendekind, due June 5. The title derives from a nickname Szymkowiak’s mother bestowed on her at birth shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall—a term that references a “generation born into a new, free world.” Szymkowiak describes Wendekind as a “deeply personal and spiritual journey, leading me back to my roots and memories of where I came from.”
Produced by Abe Seiferth (Neon Indian, Guerilla Toss) at Brooklyn’s Transmitter Park Studio, the self-released album’s 10 tracks take the roadmap for 2022’s Something Human and toss out the sonic GPS for a more expansive, immersive and rhythmic journey locked down by bassist Ashley Gonzalez and drummer Simon “SiFi” Fishburn. “Tomboi” began with a guitar riff Szymkowiak came up with on a synth.
“It had this cool melody, so I just kept building around it—messing with chords, letting it loop, seeing where it wanted to go,” she says. “The lyrics flew through me and kind of showed up out of nowhere. It’s one of those songs where you figure out what you meant after it’s already done.”
We’re proud to premiere Lukka’s “Tomboi” video.
—Hobart Rowland
