A Quick Chat with Dean Luke

"Love Can Be So Cruel" feels deeply personal and emotionally raw. What specific experiences or turning points in your life inspired the lyrics, and how did it feel revisiting those moments while writing the song?
The lyrics were inspired by my personal experiences with the strange, painful aftermath that follows a break up. As well as the experiences of the people around me. It's a really strange thing to experience going from having someone as your special person, to not having them around at all and not being able to think about them without feeling emotional.

The track beautifully captures the bittersweet essence of Dream Pop and Shoegaze. What drew you to explore this sonic palette for such a vulnerable theme, and how does it differ from your previous releases?
I've always written very naturally in the Dream Pop genre. Indie Folk and Dream Pop tend to be the two genres the majority of the music I make falls into naturally. The last song I released was very much an Indie Folk song, whereas the one before last was definitely more Dream Pop. I've always been drawn to the bitter sweet melancholy of these two genres.

The line "from sharing all your life with them, to feeling just the thought of them could break your fragile heart in two" is incredibly striking. Do you think writing about emotional contrasts helps you process them, or is it more about offering catharsis for listeners?
I think for me it's a mixture of the two. I definitely find catharsis in songwriting, but also like the idea of people being able to find their own catharsis in my music. There have been times where I've explored certain themes I have no experience in knowing it'll resonate with someone else.

You’ve mentioned being influenced by artists like Wilco, Elliott Smith, and Mazzy Star. How did those influences shape the atmosphere or lyrical direction of "Love Can Be So Cruel"?
I'm not sure my influences shaped the lyrics of Love Can Be So Cruel, they were shaped more from personal experiences and observed experiences. But in terms of the music Elliott Smith probably influenced the vocal harmonies and Mazzy Star the whole Dream Pop feel. Wilco tend to influence my more indie folk stuff, but they do all sorts of stuff. They're most commonly referred to as an Alt-Country band but they're so much more than that. I think they were branded with that label from the start and it's kind of stuck, but they're pretty hard to classify now. I mean, listen to Impossible Germanyand tell me you don't think it sounds like a Dream Pop/Shoegaze song.

This song touches on the strange shift that can happen after a breakup—how someone who was once your closest person becomes a source of pain. What conversations or reactions have you had from listeners who resonated with this idea?
It's been mixed, some people have said they feel grateful there's a song they can listen to that feels like it was specifically written for what they're going through. Others have said they cried in the bath to it lol. It's a funny thing to have people say your song made them cry, you naturally feel the need to apologise but if you do they generally say something like "oh no, that's a good thing!"

As a songwriter who explores love, loss, and existential themes, where does "Love Can Be So Cruel" sit in your broader body of work? Does it mark a turning point or open the door to new creative directions?
I don't think Love Can Be So Cruel marks the beginning of anything new in terms of songwriting for me, if anything it's a good example of the kind of music I make and want to continue making, for now at least.