Luca George on Grow Down, Chasing Dreams and Never Losing Your Inner Child

What would you do if you could be 10 years old again for just one day?

It's a question that sparked one of the most thoughtful moments in my conversation with rising singer-songwriter Luca George, whose latest single, Grow Down, explores the complicated emotions that come with growing up.

In the latest episode of The MarshyCast, Luca joined me to talk about the inspiration behind the song and why its message resonates with so many people. Rather than wishing time away, Grow Down encourages us to hold on to the curiosity, imagination and freedom we often leave behind as adults.

We also explored Luca's songwriting process and how he turns personal thoughts and experiences into lyrics that listeners can make their own. It's an honest conversation about creativity and finding meaning in everyday moments.

Away from the music, Luca shared the story of moving from New Zealand to London to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time artist. Like many emerging musicians, it's a journey that's required plenty of determination. Alongside building his music career, he's still working in a florist, proving that success rarely happens overnight.

Looking ahead, we talked about what he'd love to achieve before the end of 2026, before wrapping things up with a quickfire round that revealed a little more about the person behind the songs.

It's a conversation about ambition, taking chances and remembering that growing older doesn't always mean growing up.

🎧 You can hear the full conversation now on The MarshyCast, available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Find me on all social media @paulswampymarsh

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:13

If you could be 10 years old again for just one day, what would you do? On this episode of The Marchie Cast, I'm joined by rising singer-songwriter Luca George to talk about his new single Grow Down. We discussed the meaning behind the song, his songwriting process, and why growing up isn't always as straightforward as we're told it would be. We also chat about his bold decision to move from New Zealand to London to chase a career in music, balancing that dream while working in a forest, and what he's hoping the rest of 2026 has in store before finishing with a quick fire round to get to know him a little bit better. It's Paul Marsh, and I'm delighted to say that I've been joined by Luca George. Luca, how are you?

SPEAKER_02 1:00

I'm really, really good. I'm kind of struggling with the heat, but I'm I'm happy to be here.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

I'm very surprised to hear you say that. Is that not something you're used to?

SPEAKER_02 1:08

Honestly, no, because like people think I'm from Australia, but I'm actually from little old New Zealand and I come from like a very alpine place, so it's actually tends to be quite cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

Oh, really? Okay. I mean, I obviously I'm not that ignorant that I think uh Australia and New Zealand are the same place. However, I am clearly ignorant about the weather because I assumed that it was still hot in New Zealand, but obviously not. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:33

No, no, it definitely is, but like I'm I'm from I'm from the hottest and coldest place of the country, and there's just always a body of water. Like there's like glacial water that you can swim in all day. So I'm struggling, my hydranges are struggling, everything's struggling, but we're okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:50

The Thames is just not glacial water, is it? I don't yeah, no, but that's okay. I'm just having to be here. Yeah. Well, we've been playing Grow Down for a while now, and we absolutely love it. I think the title is fantastic because I think you've hit the nail on the head, and I think it's something we've all wished for at some point. Do you remember like the exact moment when that phrase popped into your head?

SPEAKER_02 2:15

Honestly, I think it was in the session. I was writing, so I had I always come into like sessions with the concept. I normally write like a big story about like what I want to write on the day. And then I was lucky enough to be working with an artist called Gabriel Applin. Um, and yeah, and we were just like brainstorming and we both came up with what's the opposite of growing, growing up, and it's growing down, and like I've got this whole thing with plants, like I've got like hundreds of plants, and so we're thinking like it could be like kind of a cool thing to like incorporate this like idea of growing down instead of growing up, and yeah, and then we wrote the song, and yeah, I'm really, really proud of it.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

Is it something you personally connect with? Because I think I've so I've got two young children, I've got an eight and a 13-year-old, and I know what it was like. I was there, it was a while ago, but I was there, and you do you want to be, you want to, you know, whatever the next milestone is, I want to be 16, I want to be 18, I want to be 21, and then all of a sudden you go, Ah, there's no more growing up to do. I'm there now. This is what is is expected of me.

SPEAKER_02 3:21

Yeah, I think like I through this through the experience of releasing this song, I have learned that no one feels the age, and that feeling literally never goes away. Like, I don't know if you feel it, Paul, but like everyone that I've spoken to, even my mum, like you could be like 55 or 25. Like, I feel I feel like I'm like I'm nine, I still feel 19. And um Yeah, and like the fact that I'm not and like I'm like paying my own bills and I'm doing my own tax and like I live alone on the complete other side of the planet all by myself, away from my mum, like I just can't really believe it. So I definitely I definitely feel less alone after releasing the song because I feel like everyone everyone kind of feels like that a bit sometimes. So I feel like yeah, I've I felt I felt less alone after releasing the song, which is really nice.

SPEAKER_00 4:14

Yeah, I I I think you're right. I always feel like I'm in my twenties. Um until I try and get out of a beanbag, and then I definitely feel my age. I love that. That's so good. Um the lyrics are amazing, they're packed with childhood memories. Are are all of them genuine moments from your childhood, or did uh some of them sort of incorporate when you started writing with Gabrielle?

SPEAKER_02 4:37

No, they're all real, they're all like very, very the the thing so I'd already written like all of those specific things and in the story. And so, but Gabby's really good at like kind of immersing herself in my world when we write. Like, I think that's my one of my favorite things about her, is she is a very like selfless writer. Like she she won't she won't be like, oh, but this is my experience. She's like, what was yours? And how can we like put your story into this? And so yeah, they're all they're all very, very personal. Like um the lyric about my dog, like Bruno, he got hit by a car. And it's like, you know, when you realize your your best friend growing up doesn't live forever, like that's pretty jarring, and like that's a moment of like, oh damn, like you know, life is temporary, and it's it was the first moment that I experienced death in in my life, and so yeah, it's all very, very personal, but it's such an awesome like kind of like thing to listen to and like be able to just like go back to those little memories, I think. It's it's it's it's it's a cool time capsule.

SPEAKER_00 5:43

Well well, speaking of that, if if there if you could have one day again as your 10-year-old self, what is it you would go and do?

SPEAKER_02 5:52

That's crazy. You asked me that because I've been doing interviews on the street with like elderly members of London, and I've never actually asked that question for myself. Where would I go? When I was ten maybe like skiing for the first time. I don't know, like that that's a really random question. But my my sister is an Olympic snowboarder and my brother's also a competitive snowboarder, and like we grew up skiing, and I think when I was 10 I tried it for the first time. Um, maybe something like that I think would be like something really cool to experience again, or yeah, I'd say that.

SPEAKER_00 6:29

Um, you mentioned Gabby earlier, Gabrielle Aplin. Obviously, you wrote the song with her. When you are writing with other people, do you like to come in with loads and loads of ideas written down and see where they can go? Or do you like starting from scratch and putting a song together?

SPEAKER_02 6:44

I will always go into a session prepared. Like I will always have a backup, but I'm completely open. So I will normally go over with like three or four concepts. My I'm gonna try to keep this answer short because I could literally go on forever. Um, but I basically I make sure I live life. Like I have moments to live, and then I also have song um moments to write. I think if you're constantly writing, you're never able to write about the moments about living. And so yeah, I always go in with like a whole heap of concepts, and then the best writers I've worked with are able to steer me on like in the right direction, keep me on a path. Because, like, if you can't tell within like the first five minutes of meeting me, I have a brain that literally like ping-pongs around the room and will like go to all of these different concepts. So um, yeah, like I'm I basically need to be like honed into one concept and like kind of kept on that road because I can literally be like, oh, but I had this concept the other day. Um and yeah, so Gabby's really good at that is like keeping me in the same world and making sure I'm sticking to the one concept and the one storyline. Um, but I am like literally a constant river of like concepts and ideas. I just I'm literally like I'm such a prolific writer, I will just write and write and write. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:11

Um I want to talk you. We we sort of touched on this earlier, but we didn't really go into it. You you moved from New Zealand to London. Um what was that moment and how scary or exciting was it when you chose to move to London to chase your music career?

SPEAKER_02 8:29

It's been really scary. Like I I've always heard about this mythical magical place called London um through my parents. It's where they've met um my dad, it's Greek and Italian, but ended up here. Um and my my mum kind of like ran away from home um for like 10 years, and they met an angel. So I'd heard about this like magical place called Angel in London, and like um, and so I when I started to come here, um, I just became more and more, you know, like familiar with it. I've made some incredible friends, and so when I first like made the move, it felt really comfortable because I felt I felt like I knew the place. Like I'd done about nine trips over the last three years. Um, so it already felt like home. Um, but it was definitely really scary and it has not been easy. Um, I've gone days without food and all that stuff because it's so expensive, but I I'm I'm hanging on there. I I'm hanging on in there. I can I keep saying to people like I'm in survival mode right now. Um, but I am genuinely the happiest I've ever been in my entire life. Like this city is so incredible.

SPEAKER_00 9:38

If I could sort of just give you one little moment of hope, you hear so many stories of actors that were down to their last $20 and sleeping in cars before you know they they got that big show or they had that big hit or whatever it was. And like I say, I I love the song. This is the first thing I've heard of yours, but I'm equally excited to hear more from you. So I can't guarantee you anything, but I think if there is any justice, I I don't see why this isn't gonna be the start of something for you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 10:12

I really appreciate it. There's like there is genuinely no stopping me. Like, no matter what happens, I will live in a car, or I don't even have a car, so I will live under a bridge.

SPEAKER_00 10:23

Let's hope it doesn't get to that, shall we?

SPEAKER_02 10:25

Yeah, but like I don't know. I'm like, I'm willing to really, really work my booty off. Like, this is my entire life. I wouldn't have moved over here if it wasn't. And I do, I like I am really proud of the music, and I really, really worked my ass off over the last like three years. So yeah, I'm I do have hope, and I wouldn't be here if I didn't. So I'm just I'm here to try my best, and that's all I can do.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

I know that you've just played the Great Escape Festival. Obviously, as we know, festivals can be a little bit chaotic behind the scenes. Tell us something that the fans never got to see.

SPEAKER_02 11:00

Oh, that's crazy. Oh, I don't know. I don't mm-hmm. It was great. Like, I was just I'm so thankful that I was able to do it. Um like I filled out the room. I feel like that's like all I can really ask for. Like, um, I didn't know what to expect. Like, I'm just a I'm just a little little boy. I was about to say little kid, but I'm not a kid anymore. Um I I'm just like a boy from New Zealand, like playing his first like proper, like kind of headline, not headline, but like Luca George show in London. And so I didn't really know what to expect, but like the room was fill, full, and that's literally all I can ask for. So yeah, um I'm just thank I'm just thankful for that, really. What was it like hearing your song sung back to you? Oh my god, it was it's kind of crazy. Well, I I I never really get I never really get over that, especially like songs that aren't out. Yeah. Um, I find that when I So I recently did a tour with PHP RC, which is awesome. Um, and by the end of that tour, the fans that were kind of like going around the tour had obviously like filmed the songs and then were listening back to it in their own time. And then so when I was performing them, they were like singing back these like unreleased songs. So that is like I genuinely don't think I would will ever get over that feeling. That's like the biggest reason why like I do this is to connect with people and to connect with strangers and like kind of like let people find themselves in my stories. And so when people sing back, you know, some of your deepest, darkest experiences and people are finding themselves within those, I think there is literally nothing more special than that. So I'm just I'm really, really thankful.

SPEAKER_00 12:40

I think you've already answered my next question, which was the fact that I was going to talk about the the amount of streams you've had, and I was gonna ask you what would make this the perfect year, and I think I think you've answered that perfectly. In the fact that to have to have those fans singing songs back to you, and even the ones that aren't out in the world yet, and they're still singing them back to you, there will come a day in 10, 20 years' time when that will just pop into your head and you'll remember that moment and it will be special forever.

SPEAKER_02 13:12

Oh, I'm so excited. Yeah, like touring is like one of my biggest goals. I have like I've never done like a proper Luca George tour. I'm still like at the very you know, beginning of my career, but I think um, yeah, that's my biggest dream is just to like go on tour and connect with people all around the world. And um also like one of my biggest dreams is to like is to make music for film. I think like doing like a doing like a James Bond theme song or like I don't know, like like making music for the saddest moments in a movie, like and connecting with people through that is one of my biggest dreams as well. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

I could easily hear grow down in a in a movie. Easily. Wow, okay, right. I've taken a lot of your time. I'm just gonna finish with some of those quick fire questions, if that's okay. Easy.

SPEAKER_02 14:04

Yep, go.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

What's your favorite childhood cartoon? Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 14:09

It's not a cartoon, but finding Nemo is my favorite like childhood movie. Okay. Uh what's one thing adults should definitely do more often? Smell flowers. Wonderful. Like, if you're going around and you see a beautiful rose, stop and gr and breathe and like smell the flowers. Like, I think that that I literally do that wherever I go, is I always or pick a flower and like give it to someone or yeah, anything like that.

SPEAKER_00 14:37

Beach or mountains? Mountains. What's the last song you listen to?

SPEAKER_02 14:43

No, it's brand new. It's by Bella Kay. It's called Stop. It's really, really good. It's I I think it's brand new. I've also been listening to the entire Cena Spira album on repeat. I love her so much. So good. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:56

Yeah. Yeah. Uh favorite comfort food? Pesto pasta. I love it. Uh what's one childish habit you've refused to give up?

SPEAKER_02 15:07

Pretending to be mermaids in the pole.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

Yeah. And finally finish this sentence. Growing up is.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

Oh, I'm just thinking about the rule song Growing Up is weird, sleep with friends, break a heart, question everything you thought, bit of pale, smoke a girl. That's all I'm thinking of.

SPEAKER_00 15:29

There you go. That's the perfect answer. Uh Luca, it has been absolutely brilliant talking to you. If you could do me the honor of introducing your current single.

SPEAKER_02 15:39

Hey everyone, it's Luca George, and this is my brand new song, Grow Down.