THE SCRAPE - ISSUE 1

Kendall Lujan - By Salo

Kendall Lujan has one of those voices that is impossible to forget. It's playing in my head right now as I write this. I first witnessed her perform at Portland's Atlantis Lounge open mic, and while the talent at that particular open mic is always on-point, Kendall's performance with A.C. Sapphire was exceptional. Open mics tend to be rowdy, chaotic affairs, with many people coming in and out, but not while Kendall Lujan is on stage. Everyone is still. You could hear a pin drop. It's a rare and special thing when everyone unanimously shuts up and listens. 

Her voice, described as "indie-operatic" by Seun Jewell of American Standard Time Records, warbles, soars, dives, and lingers. I haven't been aware of her long enough to know if her vocal quality is a hard-earned ski, if she was just born with it, or both, but jeez, it's a gift. I try not to make a habit of comparing artists to one another, but I get the same chills that I get when listening to Angel Olsen (one of my personal all time favorites) when I listen to Kendall Lujan. 

Hailing from rural Washington, her music has a folksy nature in some ways, but it's doing a lot more than that. Her lyrics are poetic, gripping, and deeply emotional. I get emotional just listening to it. Check out "Dot My I's" and try not to slip into a daydream. I dare you. Her Portland tenure has coincided with the pandemic lockdowns, when she took the time to recenter herself and fine-tune her sound. She appears to have used that time well, emerging fully-fledged, with the air of a star amongst small time artists (no judgment for small time artists. I'm one too!).

Lujan's self-titled EP was just released this year, but already her career is boil- ing hot. She's signed to American Standard Time Records, been featured on NPR's website (no doubt in my mind that a Tiny Desk concert is incoming), and is even preparing to tour several countries in Europe later this year.

I had the pleasure of a 20 minute interview with her over the phone, and despite all the recent acclaim, she seemed un-phased. Cool and collected. Prepared for bigger things. 

How lucky we are to have Kendall Lujan on the Spring Fest stage. Her musical path is luminous, and we're all better off for witnessing it. I have her whole EP in several of my most frequented playlists. So should you. 

Nuff said.