Album Release Preview: Luke Michielsen - Landlocked

Following the release of his 2017 standalone single “Berlin, ON” – a reflection on the history of Kitchener – Luke is preparing to release his new record, Landlocked.

Produced by Joshua Cwintal and mixed by Andy Magoffin at House of Miracles Studio in Cambridge, Ontario, the album’s nine songs are intimate alternative-folk affairs that largely focus on the mental health repercussions of overworking.

Across his new record, Luke, struggling with burnout himself, sings about not having enough time to be creative in “Full Moon and Old Friends”, how healing nature can be on “Landlocked” and his desire to slow down on the meditative closing track “Slow and Steady”. On the rollicking first single “Workin’ Man,” Luke looks in the mirror and doesn’t recognize his own reflection. He has become who he has always feared: a man consumed by his work. “I need some help and I want it fast,” he begs.

In her book How To Do Nothing: Resisting The Attention Economy, Jenny Odell writes, “Our very idea of productivity is premised on the idea of producing something new, whereas we do not tend to see maintenance and care as productive in the same way.” With Landlocked, Luke echoes Odell’s sentiment and emphasizes the need for self-care. He hopes that his record will start a conversation about how valuable creativity is as an outlet and how important it is to take care of yourself.