Luna Li’s second album, When a Thought Grows Wings, is a reflection of change. After splitting with her partner of eight years and leaving her native Toronto for Los Angeles, the 27-year-old multi-instrumentalist widened her community. That included connecting with producers Monsune (SZA) and Andrew Lappin (L’Rain) on a handful of new songs she’d been writing after months of playing shows with Japanese Breakfast, Wolf Alice, and beabadobee. The result was When a Thought Grows Wings, a blissful turn from her 2022 debut that embodies her growth, determination, and taste. “When a Thought Grows Wings refers to an idea taking shape — from the smallest seed of a thought into real and tangible action,” Li says of its title, which can be vividly heard across its 11 songs. Rife with baroque pop, flute, and jazz harp, the record unfurls with layers of daydreamy intricacy from the classically trained musician, complemented by the introspection brought on by a breakup.
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Including touches of jazz and soul greats Dorothy Ashby, Minnie Riperton, and Bobbi Humphrey, Li takes us through the influences that define her second album below.
Melody’s Echo Chamber – “Where the Water Clears the Illusion”
The lyric “fear is an illusion” was inspired by this song. The first time I heard it, I misheard it and thought she was singing “fear is the illusion.” Sonically, Melody has always been an inspiration for me — the psychedelia, the dreamy vocals, the strings, and interesting arrangements.
Dorothy Ashby – “By The Time I Get To Phoenix”
Dorothy is a big inspiration for me in my harp playing. This song was on repeat for me the summer I started making this record.
Minnie Riperton – “Inside My Love”
When writing the instrumental for “Minnie Says,” we talked about doing a Minnie Riperton type of track and named it after her because of that. I never changed the title from the demo.
Sade – “Bullet Proof Soul”
We referenced some elements of Sade’s sound on this record — specifically for “Fantasy” and “Minnie Says.”
Charlotte Gainsbourg – “Le Chat du Cafe de Artistes”
Andrew referenced this song for the writing of “I Would Let You,” and the recording inspired his engineering approach to the song as well.
Francoise Hardy – “Message Personnel”
This one was also an Andrew reference for “Bon Voyage” with the sweeping strings and direct vocal — the grandiosity of the arrangement.
Aaliyah – “At Your Best, You Are Love”
I love the soft and sweet energy of this song, and the delicate vocal definitely inspired some of my vocal approach on this record.
Bobbi Humphrey – “Harlem River Drive”
I got really into Bobbi Humphrey a couple of summers ago, and it really inspired me to include flute on this record.
Air – “Cherry Blossom Girl”
We referenced Air a couple of times, specifically on synth sounds.
Weyes Blood – “It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody”
Weyes Blood was a reference for another artist blending ’70s inspiration with modern sounds.