Heber City musician Luke Despain began writing songs on the piano at 12 years old, so when he was introduced to editing software Music MasterWorks in his music class a few years later, he was ahead of the curve.
“When all the other kids were just randomly putting notes on the score, I was 10 minutes into a song that I was making,” he recalled. “It was like LEGOs for music. I’d never played around with a software like that before.”
If a Digital Audio Workstation is like a pile of LEGOs, Despain is now a master builder. He’s composed and produced albums, singles, soundtracks and commercials for clients ranging from indie filmmakers to multi-million dollar companies. He’ll be kicking off Heber City’s summer concert series at Main Street Park at 7 p.m. on Saturday with a selection of his solo work.
Despain never imagined he’d be making music full-time when he was 15, uploading a composition called “African Drums” to YouTube — which, to his surprise, garnered over a million views.
He now realizes that, other than his choice of drums, the song sounds nothing like the music of any of the continent’s 54 countries.
Coincidentally, Despain ended up serving a mission in Sierra Leone for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He met his wife, Hazel, at his missionary homecoming.
The pair only dated for a few months before tying the knot. They were, as Despain put it, a “very typical Mormon couple.” Despite that, the couple spent much of their 20s soul searching and ultimately left the church.
That spiritual journey serves as the inspiration for much of Despain’s solo work, such as his instrumental piano album, “Dichotomies.”
“I grew up … thinking that there is good and bad, and right and wrong, and evil and holy,” he said. “(Now, I’m) accepting it all. It’s all what it is. It’s all God. It’s all experience. It’s all consciousness. And sometimes labeling things certain ways comes with less acceptance and less presence and less living.”
Despain hopes his music prompts existential thinking but is presented in a whimsical way, reflecting how his own existential journey gave him a greater appreciation for all aspects of his life — including his upbringing.
“A lot of the values we grew up with, like treating others the way you want to be treated and being present and the importance of family and community, those things are really cool,” he said. “That’s what we love about the community in Utah.”
Being close to family was part of why Despain and Hazel chose to start their family in their hometown of Heber City instead of Austin, Texas, where they previously lived.
It was in Austin where Despain began composing and producing music for clients.
At first, he was mixing albums for friends for a few hundred dollars per job. Eventually, he began taking on more ambitious projects, like the soundtrack for indie Western film LeGrand, starring Ethan Wayne — son of John Wayne — as the titular character’s father. For Despain, who had never seen a Western before working on the project, it was a valuable learning experience.
He also began producing music for corporate ads, like a TaylorMade Golf Company ad, released last year, that remixes the swings of a Qi35 driver into a 30-second track.
Some musicians would feel stifled creating music for a company, but Despain enjoys it.
“I actually find it really helpful to give me some boundaries because if it’s just like, ‘Make an amazing song,’ where do I start?” he said.
Despain also finds it heartening when companies choose to hire an artist like himself instead of relying on AI. After all, the entirety of his income comes from making music.
Despain’s dream is to open a hybrid coffee shop recording studio in Heber City. He thinks the demand exists — he said the music scene has grown exponentially since when he was a kid.
Despain has worked with a few local musicians in the two years he’s been here — most recently, producing folk musician Canyon Cottle’s debut album — and is hopeful that the music scene of his hometown will continue to grow.
“(Music) can bring in anybody and make anyone feel a certain way,” he said. “I think that’s what I like about it the most, is the fluidness and how easy it is to express feelings and connect with people.”