Travis Taylor | Lariat Photographer
By Ryan Daugherty
Reporter
Abilene freshman Luke Gibson is just starting his college career, but he is already a hit among the Baylor community. Gibson, a vocal performance major and Uproar artist, sings and plays his guitar at different locations around Baylor’s campus and is well known among Baylor students.
Gibson said his interest in music began when he was 5 years old and started with one instrument and then made a transition to another.
“My mom started me really early with piano when I was like 5 or 6 and then it just kind of sparked from there,” he said. “I sort of quit when I was 13 and I picked up the guitar. I’ve also been singing since I could talk.”
Gibson plays in an unnamed band with three of his hometown friends. Abilene freshman David Pearson is Gibson’s roommate and plays the drums, Abilene sophomore Landon Wilson also plays guitar and sings backup vocals, and Abilene freshman Thomas Fisher plays bass.
The four friends joined together around their sophomore year of high school through leading worship at their church.
Gibson said the style of music he makes is of the pop variety although it isn’t similar to the pop music on the radio.
“If I had to put it in one category or genre, it’d be pop, but it’s pop/blues,” he said. “It’s got a jazzy feel; it’s not like the pop/dance stuff you hear on the radio frequently.”
Gibson is signed to a one-year contract to Uproar Records, Baylor’s student-run record label. Each fall, Uproar Records gives five artists the opportunity to land small gigs, make professional promo videos and meet industry professionals. Gibson said his time with Uproar Records has been a good learning process.
“Whenever people ask me about Uproar and what it is, I just tell them it’s like a really good kick start because we get a lot of experience playing on campus and different environments,” he said. “We get recording studio time and it was actually my first time that I’ve recorded in a professional studio in December.”
Gibson’s EP, which stands for extended play and is a musical recording that is longer than a single but shorter than an album, will be released at his Common Grounds show on April 19. Gibson said he is releasing one of his singles this week called “Let It Be.”
“It’s always kind of funny to introduce it at shows,” he said. “I’ll tell people that I strategically named it that so they would accidentally buy it thinking it was a Beatles song.”
Lake Jackson junior Ivana Martinez is Gibson’s manager through Uproar Records. Her job is to manage the business side of his music, including setting up his performance schedules and events to get him more exposure.
Martinez said she has enjoyed working with Gibson and that he is not just a great musician but a great person as well.
“Luke is one of the most genuine guys I know and it reflects in his music,” she said. “His songs talk about his raw emotions whether happy, sad or mad. Luke is one of the most talented people on campus and I think all of Baylor would love to hear his music.”
Martinez said Gibson’s April 19 EP release will be more than a display of his music but a celebration.
“He’ll be playing all of the songs on his debut EP along with everything else he has been working on,” she said. “It’ll be like a big celebration for the tremendous year he has had as an Uproar artist.”
Just like many other Baylor musicians, Gibson plays all around campus. He said he mainly performs at Common Grounds, but he has also played at the Baylor bookstore, Fountain Mall and Founders Mall. Gibson said his first concert at Common Grounds was one of his most memorable ones.
“I knew about Common Grounds and I dreamed about playing here, coming up and visiting my senior year of high school,” he said. “It was really early in the semester, but a lot of our friends came out and told their friends. There was a really good turnout. I kind of look back on that as a reference point.”
Before he knew he was going to be a Baylor Bear, Gibson had plans on going to Belmont University to study music. Although that didn’t end up working out, Gibson said he still hopes to go to Tennessee.
“I think when I graduate I see myself moving to Nashville,” he said. “I’d like to go back there because I fell in love with the city. Maybe get a full-length album out and get my name out there.”
