Singles Spotlight:
ILUKA –
“California Boys”

Hello reader,

How are you today?

Today, we’re excited to introduce another artist who is making some great music: ILUKA, the Australian-born, LA-based singer-songwriter. She grew up in a household with a father who was a songwriter and a guitar maker. When she was 7, she began recording her songs on a 12-track recording desk with her Dad, and by the age of 15, she had amassed albums’ worth of recorded material. In 2022, she released her debut album, Queen of Turbulent Hearts.

Her press release notes, “ILUKA‘s signature style comes with a raspy vocal, a hint of cowgirl twang belted over pop anthems shaken together to make her own unique musical cocktail. Themes of resistance, strength, and solidarity pulse through her work, inspired by the fearless female artists like Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks. She sings and creates anthems from the heart for those who dare to speak their truth, stand their ground, and her experience as a woman.” Two legends, Janis and Stevie. Sign us up!

In SWT’s opinion, one of the best songs that we’ve heard from ILUKA is the recently released single “California Boys.” And so that’s the single that we’re stoked to share with you by shedding some spotlight on it today. It’s a song that could easily become the anthem of this summer and beyond, as its listeners will find instant relatability due to past or current (hopefully not, run!) dating experiences. Though the lyrics beautifully drop California-specific references, the carbon copy of fuckboy is unfortunately repeated throughout the continents. We must find strength in unison and not fall into these types of people who are not worth your time! I love the summery, sunny, warm melodic vibes to the song, which allow ILUKA’s wonderfully raspy vocal delivery to shine. The result is an earworm of a song that I’ve got on repeat, and I think you will too. And when ILUKA tours, this is one song that the entire audience will be screaming every word along with her.

ILUKA provided SWT with some more insights on the song:

On the inspiration behind the song:
This track is a bit of a smirking takedown of the classic L.A. fuckboy. I was just so exhausted from meeting the same carbon-copy guys over and over again—guys who didn’t care about the music I was making because they were too busy obsessing over their own shitty indie bands that no one will ever hear because, frankly, they suck. The song came out of that frustration, but I wanted it to feel light and sly—more of a sly eye-roll than a scream into the void.

On the sound and sonic influences:
Sonically, I really wanted the track to feel like California—dreamy, nostalgic, with a bit of twang. We layered in these warm, woozy guitars, added a Mellotron, and chased that golden-hour mood. It’s like driving down the PCH, sun going down, windows down, cursing that emotionally unavailable guy’s name under your breath. It’s bittersweet—both a kiss-off and a little bit of a daydream.

On writing and recording:
I started writing it after one of those classic L.A. “non-breakups”—you know, the kind where nothing was ever defined, because he “wanted to keep it casual.” I flew home to Australia not long after and started working on the bones of the song there. When I came back to L.A., I finished it off with Stephen Santa Teresa, one of my favorite collaborators. That’s when it really came together—it found its teeth but still kept that hazy, West Coast glow.

On how it connects to the larger project:
This track definitely sets the tone for what’s coming. It sits right at the intersection of personal and playful, heartbreak and humor. The whole upcoming project is about making sense of love, identity, and ambition through a sun-drenched, slightly jaded lens—and this song is the perfect opening scene.

Without further ado, here’s the well-shot and fantastic themed video for the song, “California Boys” from ILUKA’s YouTube channel:

(All credits and rights to ILUKA)

Alex M Theel

Co-Founder, Reviewer, Content Creator, Business side, Editor at Scummy Water Tower Productions | Web

Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site: scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions!
Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com