Craig Lucas is one of the most captivating voices in the business… Not just heard, but felt. He talks about his songs and how embracing all parts of himself has fuelled his success
He’s more than just a singer. Craig Lucas is a musician whose work echoes with raw emotion and unfiltered honesty. He first made his mark in the industry in 2017 after winning The Voice SA and has since carved a space for himself with his soulful alternative pop sound.
His music reflects the ups and downs of a life lived with intensity. But beyond the spotlight, his journey has been one of great personal battles and remarkable triumph. From confronting loss and being open about his struggles with mental health, he has become more than an artist -he’s an inspiration.
Now, with a brand-spanking new Master’s degree in hand, three years of sobriety under his belt, and a heart set on taking control of his music so that it feeds his soul, he’s stepping into a new era.
It’s been a crazy eight years [since winning The Voice] and I’m grateful for it. Now I get to do things on my terms as an artist and as myself
A journey begins
As a teenager in Elsies River, Cape Town, Craig embraced the darker, more dramatic side of music. A self-proclaimed goth, he was drawn to the haunting melodies and powerful voices of bands such as Evanescence and Within Temptation. The influence ran so deep that the first songs he wrote were filled with moody chords and intense, introspective lyrics.
While chatting with us on the set of our photo shoot, he pulls out his phone and scrolls through old Facebook posts to show off pictures of his teenage self: head-to-toe black, smudged eyeliner and brooding intensity.
He then launches into a rendition of his earliest poetry. He blushes a little in between lines as he confidently recites from memory words written by a teenager who felt things intensely – and that honesty is still felt in his music today.
“I think it’s why there’s still a thread of sadness in a lot of the stuff I write now. That’s kind of where I started. I always thought I was going to be a death-metal/goth rock star and then ended up making pop music!”
What inspired me initially was just to get my songs out there, to get the songs I wrote to other people to sing
Despite his love for music, Craig’s initial plan for his life looked a little different, first earning an honours degree in finance at the University of Cape Town. But even then, music wasn’t far from his mind, although he envisioned a future as a songwriter, with other musicians breathing life into his words. He never considered that it would be his own voice that captured the hearts of the public.
Fate, of course, had other plans. With the encouragement of his sister, he auditioned for The Voice Season 2 (the first time he’d ever sung on stage), nailed it and chose Kahn Morbee of The Parlotones as his mentor. Craig’s performances quickly made him a favourite.
@uwconline Congratulations to Craig Lucas on completing his MA in Development studies #IAmUWC #UWCGRAD2024 ♬ original sound – University of the Western Cape
With his rich, emotive voice and undeniable stage presence, it’s no wonder he went on to win the competition, catapulting him, at age 24, from a songwriter who liked to stay in the background to the bright lights of the stage, which he has now fully embraced.
“I feel like I told myself I was just entering to become a songwriter, to lower my expectations,” he says. “And week after week I was convinced that this is the week that I’m going home… It was only in the semi-finals that I called my job to quit. And I told myself that even if I don’t win the show, I think this is something that is now possible for me.
“It’s been eight years now, but I feel like I’m only getting started, to be honest. I feel like I’m coming into my own now What inspired me initially was just to get my songs out there, to get the songs I wrote to other people to sing, and then it just so happened that I got to sing my own songs. And it keeps me going… the process of writing and making music keeps me staying a musician.”
He reveals that when you win a show like The Voice, you’re thrown onto massive stages, and he honestly didn’t know what he was doing. “Most musicians start out spending years playing smaller venues. I had no such training. There’s a lot that goes into winning a show like that. There’s a lot of pressure about who you can be, how you can be, the type of music you must make…”
Last year he made the decision to go independent, and says it feels like he’s starting over. “It’s been a crazy eight years and I’m grateful for it. Now I get to do things on my terms as an artist and as myself?’
It’s almost like he’s come full circle, as “a lot of the stuff I’m doing now has a bit of a rock-punk edge to it. I’m busy with an EP now – there are songs that are very different from the older stuff I’ve made, and it’s an intentional departure, where I’m allowing myself to just make whatever music I want to make.”
Craig says that one of his most personal songs, Tours, is an almost autobiographical track he’s been working on since 2018. “It’s changed with me as my life has changed. I speak about my father’s and brother’s deaths. I speak about my mother. When my brother passed away three years ago, it was such a tough time with the media. And with this song I get to tell my story on my terms.
“It’s a really tough song. When I sang it at the launch, my mom burst into tears, my friends were crying… I tried my best to not cry. But I’m very proud of it. That’s what I want my music to always be: honest, raw and right in a way that’s personal but also relatable”.
Surviving the storm
Beyond music, Craig’s personal journey has been shaped by battles with mental health, which he has always openly discussed. In an industry that demands perfection, he has been very upfront and honest about his struggle with depression and anxiety.
“I’m still trying to navigate the relationship between medication and my mental health. I always think that my psychiatrist is going to go scold me for going off my meds, but she says that this is common. There’s always the example of if you had diabetes or cancer – it’s an illness and it’s okay, be medicated.
“Therapy has been incredible. I think the biggest thing I got from it is actually learning how to verbalise my feelings – to myself, my family, my friends – and then just also learning what I need, and to draw that boundary and stick to it.”
To his fans, Craig has this advice: “Confide in someone. When you’re feeling down, it’s very easy to get lost inside your own head. It’s not always easy to talk, but just find someone to confide in. It helps to get it out – so if you can’t find someone to talk to, just write about it. As you go along, it’ll get easier to talk about it. You just have to externalise it, get it out, because it just becomes so easy to think that that’s where you are.”
Fun facts
Birth date:
21 December 1992.
Favourite meal:
A really good curry.
Dream vacation:
India.
Guilty pleasure:
All things dessert.
Fashion must-have:
A stylish jacket or jumper.
Favourite scent:
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue.
By: Rughsaar Bibi Ismail
Photography by: Zhann Solomons
Text courtesy of Man magazine
