Yungdoms

Story by Khalil Hines

“Blossoming” - There may not be a more perfect word to describe Yungdoms’ budding sound. Dominic Lugones’ music creation is as hands on as any artist as you will find. He writes, produces, records, and engineers all his music. The 21-year old senior Advertising major grew up in the Bay Area, in a household that prioritizes the arts. His father was a Saxophone Performance major in college, and his mother was a Photography major. 

Dom’s passion for music shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that knows him. He grew up through music. Dom credits his father with heavily influencing his musical base, and his love for creating in different genres. He started playing the saxophone in sixth grade. In seventh and eighth grades, he moved to mastering the percussion. In high school he joined the marching band’s drumline and continued to play the saxophone in concert band. 

“Music has been a big thing for me throughout my life, so being able to understand musical ideas is really helpful,” Dominic explained in regard to his creation process.

 Dom started making beats on his phone as a freshman in high school, but once he arrived at UO with a MacBook in hand, he started to take the craft more seriously. He continued his path, becoming a Music major at Oregon in 2018, but found that the school was not serving him. He has now released five albums, one of which is entirely in Spanish, titled Lugon3s. Born to a Cuban father, and Italian mother, Dom learned Spanish when he moved out of the house and began writing songs in Spanish, integrating 80s salsa sound into his discography.

“I wanted to commit to doing something 100% in Spanish so it would push my comfort zone,” said Dom. “If I would have done a Spanglish album or Spanglish EP, I would have just used English as a crutch the whole time and invested in learning Spanish…”

Dom’s third album titled Blossoming, released Dec. 10th, shows the artist sharing more of his personal side, exposing his growing maturity in songwriting and song creation. Tracks such as” I Want You” and “Too Attached” share personal lyrics to upbeat tracks that sound good on your speakers at home and while cruising down the 5 freeway on a crisp December afternoon. However, the carefulness in the pacing and flow of Dom’s fifth LP adds to the effect the tape has on listeners. For a young independent artist, the pacing and flow of the Blossoming feels like it has been set by some of the most seasoned executive producers in music, engaging the listener from start to finish without feeling forced. 

If Blossoming is any indication of Yungdoms’ artistic trajectory, then his future in music is bright. He is just scratching the surface and when asked about his vision of the future, Yungdoms says he plans to take his musical prowess as far as it can go. The limitlessness of his path is one thing that not only fuels Dom’s ambition but sets him apart. 

“I try to do a lot of different music because I feel that I am capable… If I want something, I want to just go get it.” 

Yungdoms can be found on Instagram, YouTube, and of course all streaming platforms.