Born and raised in South Auckland, New Zealand, Luke-W picked up guitar in his teens and learnt music theory from his mother; who taught music and played classical piano. Luke-W raps and sings, having garnered a passion for hip hop and free-styling in high school and the years following-which furthered his interest in pursuing music.

After dropping out of University in 2015 and deciding to leave NZ to make music and learn production, Luke-W landed in Bristol, UK. He spent the next two years there crafting his sound whilst living in a music studio in Easton, releasing his first EP in December 2017.

Picking up a host of influences along the way, he returned to New Zealand in 2018 and caught the ear of indie-urban label Move The Crowd Records (MTC) who saw the potential in his work. They decided to re-work, re-mix and re-master existing material and released the ‘Progress’ EP in 2019.

In December 2020, Luke-W released his project ‘Timing Is Everything’ featuring singles ‘True Cause’ and ‘Breathe’ (collaborating with fellow MTC artist Sid Diamond).

Luke-W then released the successful ‘Ride (Remixes)’ and followed this with his first full-length tape “Close As Ever” in 2022.

“Close As Ever is about being at a point where it feels like you’re as close to your dreams as you are from your past. It focuses on love, loss, healing, and growth through the lenses of pursuing your passion against the odds. It’s a reminder to maintain relentless optimism throughout the journey, despite the limbo that lives between it all.”

With his unique blend of hip hop, rock, dub and R&B influences, Luke-W continues to make a name for himself in the NZ music scene.