Kučka
Australian singer and record producer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Laura Jane Lowther, known professionally as Kučka[a] (Serbo-Croatian for 'bitch'; stylised in all caps), is a British-born Australian singer and producer. Lowther is known for her solo works, in addition to her collaborations with Flume, Vince Staples and ASAP Rocky.[2] She has been praised for her "dreamy, forward-thinking, electronic pop songs"[3] and her "delicate beats, and ethereal vocals".[2] Her debut album, Wrestling, was released on 30 April 2021.
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Kučka | |
|---|---|
Kučka performing live in 2020 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Laura Jane Lowther Liverpool, Merseyside, England |
| Origin | Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Labels |
|
| Website | www |
Early life
Laura Jane Lowther was born in Liverpool, England, and grew up there.[4] She said she found it a strange place to grow up in, and said "I wasn't very creative when I was there."[5] At 16, Kučka moved to Perth, Australia. On her parents' computer, Lowther began to create music using GarageBand.[5] At that time, she was creating emo music, which contained "angsty lyrics with guitar looping".[5] She notes Shaking the Habitual by the Knife as an inspiration: "I used to thrash Shaking The Habitual when I worked at a cinema in Perth. I'd be so worried that the bosses would come in because it gets pretty wild."[6]
Career
Lowther, adopting the stage name Kučka, released her debut eponymous EP in 2012. It was later re-released on an Australian experimental label, Wood and Wire.[2] She collaborated with A$AP Rocky in 2013, singing background vocals for some tracks on his debut album, Long. Live. ASAP. In the same year, she received five nominations and one win from the West Australian Music Industry Awards (WAMis) for the release of the single "Unconditional".[2] Her sophomore EP, Unconditional, was released in 2015. For the EP, Kučka received Best Electronic Act and Best Experimental Act at the 2015 WAMis, as well as 4 other nominations.[7] The EP was compared to FKA Twigs, and called "shimmery, warm and intimate."[3]
In the following years, Kučka was featured on multiple Flume albums. She appeared on 2016's Skin, on the tracks "Smoke & Retribution" and "Numb & Getting Colder", and again on 2017's "Hyperreal". She was also featured on 2019's Hi This Is Flume, on "Voices". Her debut album, Wrestling, was released on 30 April 2021 and featured co-production from Flume, Nosaj Thing, Vegyn, and Exmoor Emperor.[8]
In March 2023, Kučka announced the Cry Cry Cry Australian Tour 2023, alongside the release of a single of the same name.[9]
In May 2024, Kučka announced her second album Can You Hear Me Dreaming? will be released on 12 July 2024.[10]
Personal life
As of 2017, Kučka resides in California.[11] She has been in a relationship with Dillon Howl since 2017. They married in 2019. Howl is Kučka's creative director and co-directed all of Wrestling's music videos. Kučka's stage name is the Serbo-Croatian word for "bitch" (Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic: Кучка). It was given to her as an affectionate nickname by a Serbian friend.[12][13]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Wrestling |
|
| Can You Hear Me Dreaming? |
|
Extended plays
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Kučka |
|
| Unconditional |
|
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Unconditional"[14] | 2014 | Unconditional |
| "Divinity"[15] | ||
| "Recovery"[16] | 2015 | |
| "Flux 98"[17] | ||
| "Drowning"[18] | 2019 | Wrestling |
| "Real"[19] | ||
| "Contemplation"[20] | 2020 | |
| "Ascension"[21] | ||
| "No Good for Me"[22] | 2021 | |
| "Eternity"[23] | ||
| "Beautiful"[24] | Non-album singles | |
| "Down by the Water"[25] | ||
| "Messed Up"[26] | 2022 | Can You Hear Me Dreaming? |
| "Not There"[27] | ||
| "Cry Cry Cry"[9] | 2023 | |
| "All the Things She Said"[28] | Non-album single | |
| "One More Night"[29] (featuring Flume) |
2024 | Can You Hear Me Dreaming? |
| "Wasting Time (Til the End of the World)"[10] | ||
| "Heavyweight"[30] | ||
| "Heaven"[31] | ||
| "Fun"[32] | Non-album single | |
| "Never Give Up On Loving You" | 2025 | Non-album single |
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [33] |
NZ [34] |
US Dance [35] | ||||||||||
| "Long Live ASAP" (ASAP Rocky featuring Kučka) |
2013 | — | — | — | Long. Live. ASAP | |||||||
| "Nothing's Forever" (Paces featuring Kučka)[36] |
2015 | — | — | — | Vacation | |||||||
| "Walk with Me" (Cosmo's Midnight featuring Kučka)[37] |
— | — | — | Moments | ||||||||
| "Adhedoniac" (Andrei Eremin featuring Kučka)[39] |
— | — | — | Pale Blue | ||||||||
| "Smoke & Retribution" (Flume featuring Vince Staples and Kučka) |
2016 | 23 | —[A] | 18 | Skin | |||||||
| "Queensbury Rules" (Dro Carey featuring Kučka)[42] |
— | — | — | Dark Zoo | ||||||||
| "My Boo" (Flume featuring Vince Staples, Ngaiire, Vera Blue and Kučka)[43] |
— | — | — | Non-album single | ||||||||
| "Hyperreal" (Flume featuring Kučka) |
2017 | 60 | —[B] | 36 |
|
Skin Companion EP 1 | ||||||
| "It's Happening Again" (Flowerkid featuring Kučka)[44] |
2021 | — | — | — | TBA | |||||||
| "It's Our Destiny" (Imanu featuring Kučka) |
2022 | — | — | — | Unfold | |||||||
| "Escape" (Flume and Quiet Bison featuring Kučka)[citation needed] |
— | — | — | Palaces | ||||||||
| "F1 Racer" (Mount Kimbie featuring Kučka) |
— | — | — | MK3.5: Die Cuts | City Planning | ||||||||
| "Violet" (Machinedrum featuring Kučka) |
2023 | — | — | — | 4#trax | |||||||
| "Chance on You" (Cosmo's Midnight featuring Kučka)[45] |
2024 | — | — | — | Stop Thinking Start Feeling | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released. | ||||||||||||
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Album | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Pripyat (Part 2)" (Seth Sentry featuring Kučka) |
2015 | Strange New Past | |
| "Lyf" (Simo Soo featuring Kučka) |
Vitaminzzz | ||
| "Backyard Plastic" (Simo Soo featuring Tobacco Rat and Kučka) |
|||
| "Nothing for You" (Charles Murdoch featuring Kučka) |
Point | ||
| "First Light" (Milwaukee Banks featuring Kučka) |
2016 | Deep Into the Night | [46] |
| "Numb & Getting Colder" (Flume featuring Kučka) |
Skin | ||
| "Where Did That Go" (Zeds Dead featuring Kučka) |
Northern Lights | ||
| "Dec 11" (Baauer featuring Kučka) |
2017 | LuckyMe Advent Calendar 17 | |
| "Voices" (Flume featuring Sophie and Kučka) |
2019 | Hi This Is Flume | |
| "U_Want" (Machinedrum featuring Kučka) |
2024 | 3FOR82 |
Songwriting and production credits
| Title | Year | Artist(s) | Credits | Co-writer(s) | Co-producer(s) | Album | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Make You Feel Good" | 2016 | Fetty Wap | Songwriter |
|
Non-album single | [47] | |
| "Yeah Right" | 2017 | Vince Staples featuring Kendrick Lamar | Songwriter |
|
Big Fish Theory | [48] |
Notes
- "Smoke & Retribution" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number six on the Heatseekers Chart.[34]
- "Hyperreal" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number six on the Heatseekers Chart.[34]
Awards and nominations
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
WAM Song of the Year
The WAM Song of the Year was formed by the Western Australian Rock Music Industry Association Inc. (WARMIA) in 1985, with its main aim to develop and run annual awards recognising achievements within the music industry in Western Australia.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "Polly (Serialkillersundays)" | Experimental Song of the Year | Won |
| 2014 | "Unconditional" | Electronica Song of the Year | Won |
| Grand Prize | Won |
West Australian Music Industry Awards
The West Australian Music Industry Awards (WAMIs) are annual awards presented to the local contemporary music industry, put on annually by the Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc (WAM). Kučka has won six awards.[51][52][53][54]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Kučka | Best Experimental Act | Won |
| 2014 | Kučka | Best Experimental Act | Won |
| Best Electronic Act | Won | ||
| "Unconditional" | Best Single | Won | |
| 2015 | Kučka | Best Experimental Act | Won |
| Best Electronic Act | Won |