A 21-year-old man, born and raised in Lebanon County as the youngest of six by first-generation Puerto Rican-Dominican immigrant parents, is preparing to drop his debut studio album this summer.
Chris Luzon spoke with LebTown about his journey to becoming an independent artist, the writing, producing, and distributing process behind the 12 tracks on Therapy Sessions: Vol. 1, and the message he would like to send to local queer youth.
When asked about what inspired him to become an independent artist and what continues to fuel him, Luzon mentioned the support from his godfather-turned-guardian angel Terry Walter, or to Luzon, Uncle T.
“He always encouraged me to continue singing, to continue being in music, because he knew that that’s where I felt the most heard, that’s where I felt the most loved and seen,” Luzon said. “It didn’t matter if I was performing for people that were homophobic. It didn’t matter if I was performing for people that were racist. It didn’t matter who I was performing for. They didn’t see all those other labels. They just saw an artist. They just saw someone who was a creative.”
As Luzon progressed through the Lebanon School District, he was especially drawn to performing in the band, musical theater, and various sports, including cheerleading.
Luzon became a competitive cheerleader at age 16, earning several grand championship rings, and went on to become a cheerleading coach whose team last year earned a spot in the finals at a national competition in Florida.
“Now, I’ve taken a very big step back from everything besides music because of just feeling like it’s finally my time as an independent recording artist to just fully immerse myself in that world,” Luzon said.
After graduating with the class of 2021, Luzon enrolled as a student at Lebanon Valley College and attended music- and business-related courses. He said that the in-person courses were “a lot, all at once” and that he was overwhelmed when he first started learning about the business aspect of the music industry.
He was encouraged to take online courses because he “just wanted to record music, release music, tour, play gigs big and small, give back to the community, that kind of stuff.” He has continued learning about the topic from successful musicians via online platforms such as YouTube.
Luzon held his debut showcase performance at Go Getter Movement Studioz in Hamburg. The studio is owned by Ophelia Ginelle, who happens to be a good friend of Luzon’s high school cheerleading coach.
“So, she recommended me for the opportunity because she was looking for artists, like two music acts to perform,” Luzon said. “And so … they ended up picking a dance troupe and then just me as the musical guest. And I was so blessed.”
Luzon mentioned that he learned the importance of rehearsing and how being well-rehearsed empowers you to be in the moment while performing and the audience can feel that, even if you sing a couple notes wrong.
“It was such a professional environment, and it was such a great way to start off my solo performing career,” he added.
Luzon described his musical style as “very singer-songwriter,” and named Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Sam Smith, Prince, and Freddie Mercury as his top artistic references. His songs deal with queerness, mental health, and other relevant topics.
His writing process starts on a keyboard or on a software application such as GarageBand or Logic Pro on his Apple devices. He comes up with melodies and sings them accompanied by beats or chords and continues with the process until he has a song that he is satisfied with.
Luzon said that he tries not to overthink the songwriting process, and “it kind of feels like I’m channeling it from somewhere else, really.” He said that once you’re in the process, it is less overwhelming.
Social media has changed much. Independent artists can distribute their own songs without having to wait to be discovered by a talent agency or a music label and “you can be the person that discovers yourself,” Luzon said.
In doing so, they can choose their own timeline. Some independent artists post songs they have not yet finished writing and producing on social media to inform their final decisions and to start gaining traction.
Luzon is friends with fellow artist Shawn Mathews, who is performing as the character Kevin G on the Mean Girls National Tour. Mathews introduced Luzon to an online distributor called Distro Kid, which they both use to release their songs.
“I am very blessed to have met the people I’ve met, spoken with the people I’ve spoken to, and learned from them,” Luzon said. “And it’s all just made it all possible.”
He echoed the importance of supporting independent artists from the community: “I want Lebanon to see that there’s so many people like me that are either the full package, or they’re so good at the one thing that they are so passionate about. There’s so much talent in the town that I am born and raised and currently reside in still.”
Separate from the 12 tracks on Therapy Sessions: Vol. 1 out this summer, Luzon dropped two singles: “Good Enough” and “Monster.” The singles were inspired by feelings from his adolescence and can be accessed on most streaming platforms.
“Good Enough,” his debut single, “stemmed from just feeling like I was never good enough for anyone, for guys, for girls, for anybody, because I was always single. … And so, I wrote that song as a reminder that I am good enough as I am and that there are people that really do love me from this town as I am.”
“Monster” is “a little more direct in the message of you are not a monster just because you are queer, just because you might like the same gender, just because this, that, and the third. People will have opinions but as long as you’re a good person, you’re a good person.”
Regarding the inspiration behind his debut studio album, Luzon said, “That’s kind of my thank you to the counseling and therapists and just people in general because you don’t have to go to therapy sometimes to get therapy.” He added that having honest conversations with others or even yourself through journaling can be therapeutic and that songwriting has been his favorite activity.
“I would love to portray the message of perseverance to queer youth because in 2023, I actually was hate crimed,” Luzon said in closing. “I was jumped. And it wasn’t brutal to the point where I had to be hospitalized. But it was brutal to the point where I had to get pictures done at the police station and a police report filed. It was very scary. And it almost made me want to give up on my dreams because what if it puts a target on my back or what if people come after me?
“No, you have to persevere. … And so, to queer youth in Lebanon County, hold on to that light that is inside of you. Never let people dim it, never, because they will try. But it’s impossible. That’s the only thing that’s impossible: Letting other people dim your light because you are in control of that. You really are. Your mind is the most powerful thing in the world.”
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