Peach Luffe provides fans with an escape from reality through their dreamy music. CanCulture sat down with their founder to delve into their sound, dreams and experiences.
By: Teresa Valenton
Peach Luffe at CBC Music (Courtesy of Jong Lee)
What began as a solo act has now evolved into a quartet that has created a distinct sound, quickly resonating with fans everywhere.
Peach Luffe is a Toronto-based project founded by Jong Lee. Taking inspiration from genres such as city-pop, jazz, rock, classical and neo-soul, Peach Luffe transports listeners to a dreamlike space.
Releasing two EPs to date; Shimmer in July 2020 and Bloom in November 2020, they continue to produce glistening works of art. Much of their music covers relatable themes of longing, love, and nostalgia. Soft guitar riffs and instrumentals auditorily narrate their dreamy soundscape.
Their newest single “Sunflower,” released on Nov. 19, 2021, is reminiscent of artists like Coldplay and Mac DeMarco. Lyrics relay the words “Just tell me that we’re alright,” which sums up the values Peach Luffe seek to spread through their music.
With a classically trained violinist, metal band drummer and rock shredder, Peach Luffe blend their members’ unique experiences under one name. Though all four members come from different musical backgrounds, they all share a collective love for music.
In an interview with CanCulture, Lee speaks on the project, musical inspirations, storytelling, and more.
CanCulture: What is the meaning behind the name Peach Luffe?
Jong Lee: It’s pronounced “Luffy,” similar to a character from “One Piece.” It’s a manga from Japan, and one of my favourites. He just has so many characteristics that I aspire to have. His dream is to become the Pirate King, and what this means for him is to be the freest person in the whole sea. That’s what I want to be, I want to be free without being tied down to certain things. A lot of the things he does show resilience and I strive to be like him.
How did this project evolve from a solo to a quartet?
Before I was just playing music by myself, like solo music. But along the way, when I moved to Toronto four and a half years ago, people started working with me. They helped me write some songs and with mixing, producing and mastering my works. So it’s bigger than me. They came along the way and I’m just as honoured to have fun. I met one of them at an open mic the first week I was here, and the other one at Seneca College. It’s been a couple of years now, the Peach Luffe project has been around for only two [years.]
Since all the members come from different musical backgrounds, how did that impact your sound as a whole?
It wasn’t really hard at all — it was actually quite easy. Even though they’re a big part of it, they have their other things in life. Just like we all have different dreams, but at the same time, we’re in this project together.
How have your experiences moving from South Korea impacted your musical endeavours?
There’s a lot of things in Korean music that I implement in my music too. I think especially K-indie music. There are elements like jazz chords that make it sound prettier. I love that stuff, and I know Western music is a bit different. I would say how they produce, and the chords are a little bit rougher. But the Korean and Asian sounds are a little bit, I won’t say smoother, but a bit more pretty, and I like that.
Because you’ve lived in the United States, Korea, and Canada, how have those experiences shaped your music?
When I lived in the States when I was younger, I learned the violin so I was into classical music until the sixth or seventh grade. Then I discovered a rock band called Green Day on the radio. I really loved it, so I started to play the electric guitar and rock genres. Now I’m playing very soft music, I guess technically adult contemporary is the genre. Throughout my childhood, I wouldn’t say a place really shaped my playing of music, I would just say my experiences as a whole. I experience music from everywhere.
Which artists have you drawn the most inspiration from?
I really got into indie pop from Mac DeMarco, he’s this guy from B.C. I heard the song called “Salad Days,” and as soon as I heard that, I was like, “I’ve never heard anything like this.” That’s one thing that has really shaped my playing as well; the way he plays. Thanks to him, but also to [the genre of] city pop. Though I can’t [name] the city pop artists I’m listening to, I am loving the funkiness and grooviness of the genre.
What draws you to that dreamlike sound?
Dreaming is something I’ve been thinking about since I was younger. I’m always daydreaming, I’m always in my head and sometimes I don’t like to be in reality. So I like how it feels like I’m always dreaming a little bit. A little bit lucid, without the drugs, of course. My music has a lot of reverb, which is like an echo sound. That kind of sound, I think, amplifies the dreaminess of my music. I just like to escape in my own world. That’s basically it.
Where do you wish to go from here musically?
If you make every album the same sound, it just sounds boring to me. For me, I needed something different that was a little bit more intimate, acoustic and evergreen, like my EP that was inspired by me buying a $100 classical guitar from somewhere on Kijiji. I recorded everything with it, and it gave it a softer sound so that transpired.
Do you choose your instrumentals based on the themes you wish to convey?
No, I don’t try to curate it [like that]. I just go with whatever sounds I want to go for. It doesn’t have to be only acoustic or classical guitar. Whatever happens, happens, and I’m learning that feeling is more important than the technical stuff.
What stories do you most want to tell?
I’ve been researching storytelling, that’s actually something I’m very interested in now, how to tell them properly. My personal life, I feel like for me, it goes like roller-coasters. There’s always ups and downs. Whatever happens, great things will happen and in the next couple of days, I’ll go back down. But it’s a common story that I want to tell. It’s usual that you can have a life that is not linear. You can’t always grow, you’ll always fall back, fall down, and fall into your growth, and I think people need to remind themselves to be nice and not be so hard on their experiences.
Do you have anything else to say to fans about the Peach Luffe project?
I’m going to release an EP called Beyond next, in a month and a half. I went to San Jose a couple of weeks ago after I got dumped. I met someone I didn’t know and we ended up finishing an EP, music videos, and visuals. Life is very fun when it’s unexpected, I think.