Born in Ukraine, raised in Paris, and now based in Los Angeles, Ana Luna is a natural-born storyteller whose music feels both cinematic and emotionally unfiltered. After years of keeping her songwriting private while pursuing acting, she fully embraced music in college, developing a sound that fuses dream pop, alt-rock, and moody ballads into something sultry, celestial, and deeply personal.
Ana Luna approaches music as a form of therapy and storytelling, using it to process wounds, examine behavior, and carve out space for healing. Her songs explore the complex emotional layers beneath the surface, asking where our feelings come from, what they reveal, and how they shape the way we see the world.
With “Daddy’s Empire” out now, we took some time to hear from Ana Luna. Read below to learn more about Ana Luna, the story behind “Daddy’s Empire,” and what’s to come.
Hi Ana Luna! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?
I came up with it before releasing my first song, ‘Oxytocin.’ I wasn’t really sure where to start, so I called my dad and stepmom to bounce around ideas — and I was also pretty high at the time, haha. We talked about what I wanted the name to represent: I was drawn to Latin and Greek roots, themes of light and dark, intensity, and I kept coming back to the moon. I always knew that I wanted to keep my real name, Ana, in there. When I said that I loved the moon and that is how I want my music to feel, we looked it up and found that Luna was the Roman goddess of the moon. And that’s how Ana Luna was born.
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
I’ve lived all over the place, but I’d say I’m from Paris. And, I live in Los Angeles now.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
For me, pursuing music was more of an inner knowing than a conscious decision. I’ve always wanted to do both music and acting — I even studied acting in college. Music was a passion that I kept close, something I always envisioned myself doing, but felt too insecure to fully go for. I would write songs, or at least start them, but self-doubt often got in the way. I always assumed that I’d begin with acting and then eventually move into music.
But one thing led to another, and I found myself suddenly immersed in the music world. It’s a layered journey that I could talk about for a while, but eventually, I had to choose what to focus on. People used to tell me that I needed to prioritize one path, and I resisted that for a long time. Now I realize that, at least for now, I need to give music my full attention.
It’s only been in the past year or so that I’ve really started to see myself as a musician. For so long, everyone knew me as an actress. Now, I feel like I’m fully in the music world. It’s been a strange, but exciting transition bringing this part of myself that I used to keep hidden into the spotlight.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
An alternative dreamscape. A movie without pictures.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
I act and partake in all the creative direction for my visuals (artwork, videos, etc.). Lately, though, I’ve been trying to find hobbies that aren’t tied to creative work, or at least ones where I don’t feel the pressure of perfectionism or stress.
Outside of that, I love walking, being outdoors, and going to the gym. I like trying different things. I grew up with a ton of hobbies, like horse riding, gymnastics, musical theater, and dance, but I haven’t quite found anything to replace those yet. I’m still figuring out what that next phase of hobbies looks like for me.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
Lana Del Rey, Florence & The Machine, and Adele.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
Finishing my debut album! I mean the whole process of creating the album in general made me feel proud. It was amazing to see my inner child’s dreams come true. It makes me so proud that I really trusted my intuition and followed my dreams. Regardless of what happens next, I find success in knowing that I accomplished something that I dreamed of for a very long time.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
So many! I could probably do a whole podcast just on the lessons that I’ve learned. My friends call me ‘the phoenix’ because I’m always going through some kind of death and rebirth — probably thanks to my Scorpio moon — so I’m constantly evolving and learning.
In the last few months, I’ve been learning how to stay more grounded, to be less hard on myself, and to just ride the waves. I’ve realized that I’m often chasing some past version of myself, or reaching for a future one. I was always searching for who I used to be or who I want to become. But, I’m learning to accept change within myself. I’ve always been comfortable with change around me, but I never really accepted that I, too, would change and that parts of me would grow, mature, shift, or even retreat out of fear. I’m starting to be okay with that.
Now onto your release, ‘Daddy’s Empire.’ What inspired this song? What is ‘Daddy’s Empire’ about?
‘Daddy’s Empire’ carries two meanings that exist side by side. On one level, it’s about dating someone emotionally immature — someone whose behavior drains you and leaves you feeling burnt out, angry, and frustrated. It’s a way of calling out those childish behaviors that end up taking a toll on you.
On a deeper level, it’s about how we all have our own demons. Maybe ‘demons’ is a strong word, but we all carry coping mechanisms, emotional triggers, and walls that we’ve built. Without self-awareness, those things can drive our behavior in harmful ways. This song is me wishing that the other person had taken the time to reflect, to be introspective about their own patterns, instead of just projecting or blaming me. It’s not about painting anyone as a villain or a victim. It’s about capturing one layer of the breakup and how I felt that if he had been able to look inward, maybe things wouldn’t have ended the way they did.
What was the creative process like when making ‘Daddy’s Empire?’ How long did it take to complete ‘Daddy’s Empire?’
I wrote the song in 2023. The first line, ‘somebody arrest me, I’ve committed a crime,’ popped in my head along with the melody, and everything unfolded from there. I knew early on that ‘Daddy’s Empire’ would be a lyric in the song. Like always, I started writing on the piano and composed the melody there.
Production-wise, my producers and I were working on songs from the album simultaneously, so the full process—from production to mixing and mastering—took about a year. Once the piano was laid down, we recorded the drums first. It was actually the first track that we added drums to because I had such a clear vision, and we only had one day to record them. I knew this would be one of the most musically raw songs on the album. When I was working with the drummer and guitarist, I told them that I wanted the track to feel like a cat-and-mouse game. It’s hard to explain, it was more of a feeling, but I wanted the piano to serve as the foundation, while the guitar and drums danced around each other like cat and mouse. I even told the drummer to make it sound like ‘old money c*nt,’ which somehow made total sense in the room.
Later on, while I was back in Paris, I felt like the chorus needed something extra to really drive the melody. I sent my producer, Kraig, a voice note with a beat idea, and he added this subtle trip-hop element to the chorus — it’s there, even if you don’t consciously hear it. He worked his magic, and it gave the song exactly what it needed.
What is your favorite lyric in ‘Daddy’s Empire’ and why?
I have two. The first is ‘somebody arrest me / I’ve committed a crime.’ I love how those lines can be interpreted in multiple ways. I think it also really showcases my attitude and personality. Like, no, I did not commit a crime, but it was a sassy way of admitting that I did something wrong (not a crime, per se) and chose the wrong boy again.
My other favorite lyric is: ‘surround himself / with criminals of similar offense.’ I love the message behind it. To me, it’s a reminder that the people someone chooses to associate with often reveal a lot about who they are. In the case of the person that I wrote this song about, I should’ve paid more attention to the morals, values, and maturity levels of his friends because they mirrored the traits in him that just didn’t align with me personally.
What message do you hope fans take away from your music and from ‘Daddy’s Empire?’
Whether it’s ‘Daddy’s Empire’ or any of my other songs, my main goal is for listeners to feel. I take in a lot of music and movies every day, and while it’s easy to forget most of them, the ones that stick with me are the ones that move me in some way. And I hope my music can offer that too, whether someone relates directly to the lyrics, or they’re just captivated by the story or sound.
I wrote ‘Daddy’s Empire’ during a time when everything I felt was incredibly intense, and I struggled to put those emotions into words. This song, and the album as a whole, came from a deeply emotional place. It wasn’t really about the muses or the people involved, but about how I felt, what I learned, and what I observed in both myself and others.
I hope that my music can allow listeners who have been through similar experiences to find comfort and emotional catharsis. And that, ultimately, it helps them find healing, closure, and a sense of being heard.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
I’ll be releasing a single in August, a single in September, and then I’ll be dropping my album. The exact date for the album is TBD, but hopefully sometime this autumn!
Where can we follow you on social media?
Insta: @analunaofficial https://www.instagram.com/analunaofficial
TikTok: @officialanaluna https://www.tiktok.com/@officialanaluna
YouTube: @OfficialAnaLuna https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialAnaLuna
Before you go, let’s ask you something off topic. What are you competitive about?
I try not to be too competitive — even if I want to win, I’m usually pretty chill when it comes to games. But, I will say this: I definitely get competitive when it comes to Skin and Monopoly, but only when I’m playing with my family. I’ve also recently discovered that I’m actually good at beer pong…so that might be a new one to add to the list.
Monopoly is very competitive in my family as well! Haha.
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
