A summer of music is upon us in Chico, and Lorna Such is leading the charge.
Now, nearly three years after her debut, she’s unleashing a new musical journey with her second EP “Bloom.”
“I started writing songs on the piano, but not sharing them with anybody because I was scared and embarrassed and shy.”- Lorna Such, singer-songwriter
“I’ve recently had a lot of change in my life, so I’m calling the EP ‘Bloom,’” she said. “And yeah, I’m blooming.”
Such has been a fixture in the Chico music scene for years, including at open mic nights at the now-closed Cafe Flo.
“I’ve been in it for a long time, and I just feel lucky to be in it and be a part of it,” Such said. “I love that I have so many musical friends in different genres and different parts of town.”
Such has a standout voice. She describes her sound as a mixture of jazz and soul with a hint of groove. Her influences range from great jazz singers like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald to more contemporary artists like the late Amy Winehouse.
Early beginnings to songwriting at sweet 16
Such’s musical roots began early, starting with piano at age seven.
Her father was the drummer for the New Zealand band Hogsnort Rupert’s Original Flagon Band, whose “Pretty Girl” single surpassed The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel in sales, becoming a top-selling single in New Zealand in 1970.
“I just grew up listening to a lot of English rock,” Such said. “Which doesn’t have to do with my music now, but he just introduced me to music.”
By age 16, she was writing her own songs and making the rounds at open mics.
“I started writing songs on the piano, but not sharing them with anybody because I was scared and embarrassed and shy,” Such said.
Whether she’s belting out the moody blues or rocking out with her other project, Lo & Behold, Such will find the time to create.
“I go for long periods of time without writing songs, and then I have a period where I'm writing constantly, like I wrote a song where we're recording and we're almost done, and I wrote a song last week,” Such said.
From gloom to Bloom
“Bloom” is her first collection of songs since 2022.
It’s six new tracks inspired by all the turmoil, love and change in her life.
“I just feel so grateful that I get to play with all of these incredible people, and they're all just insanely amazing human beings as well.”- Lorna Such, singer-songwriter
“There's some intense, there's some sadness, but there's also some kind of pop,” she said. “And there's lots of features on this EP.”
Collaboration comes natural to Such. The project features a roster of some of Chico’s most talented musicians including Webster Moore, Lish Bills, and Calvin Black to name a few.
Such describes this new project as a labor of love for all the admiration she has for the talented musicians she surrounds herself with.
“I just feel so grateful that I get to play with all of these incredible people, and they're all just insanely amazing human beings as well,” Such said.
A duo match made
Everyone needs a partner in crime. Perhaps her most esteemed collaboration is with local musician, bandmate and producer Ethan Swett.
The duo collaborated on both EPs. Swett said this time around, the collaboration, although less structured, felt more alive and they created through a more “chaotic” process..
“There was always the whole band in the house,” Swett said. “Even if only one person was recording that day, you can hear it in the back of the tracks because I was like, I don't want anybody to be quiet. I want to hear the cacophony in the background.”
Swett is also a well-established musician. Just last year, he released his EP “Lemme Hit Your Vape.” Such said Swett brings a level of calmness to her.
“It’s nice recording with Ethan, because he's my friend and he makes me feel comfortable,” Such said. “He'll turn the lights off and be like, ‘okay, here's some whiskey.’”
For the last six months, Swett has been the producer and kept an eye and ear on the creation of “Bloom.” For him, it's all in a day's work, and he attributes their great working chemistry.
“It's really easy to work with her, not just because she's super talented, but I also consider her my best friend,” Swett said.
Such and her band will be celebrating the release of "Bloom" with a performance at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Argus.
