Paper Dreaming – The Soundtrack for Daydreamers

When two of my favorite artists collaborate on a song, my expectations are high. And Paper Dreaming has fulfilled all my hopes for a little masterpiece.

This song is the result of a special songwriting session between Luna Keller and Genesis Ritchot, two artists who met years ago and immediately felt a creative connection. Both have a unique talent for poetic lyrics, harmonious melodies, and inspiring song ideas. It was about time they finally wrote a song together.

Paper Dreaming [lyrics]

I'm not build for fighting dragons

And I don't have what it takes 

to impress any kind of princess

Well at least that's how you make me feel

Not sure if I’m waiting 

But I count every hour

The sun shines on the valley

On the path to my tower

It could almost be the start of a story

I see an unbroken heart 

By a kiss you laid down

I see a house full of wooden furniture

With our love stamped on every corner

I see a garden with too many vegetables

Growing colors you've never seen before

And I see kids throwing a ball

Oh I see it all

Oh would you hand me the pen     

I have an idea for the end

We're in the same class

Always distant but at least we’re good in math

Keep the letters unsend

I'm here paper dreaming with my pen

Would you let me, draw you the scenery

I see an unbroken heart 

By a kiss you laid down

I see a house full of wooden furniture

With our love stamped on every corner

I see a garden with too many vegetables

Growing colors you've never seen before

And I see kids throwing a ball

Oh I see it all

Oh would you hand me the pen     

I have an idea for the end

(Instrumental)

I see an unbroken heart 

By a kiss you laid down

I see a house full of wooden furniture

With our love stamped on every corner

I see a garden with too many vegetables

Growing colors you've never seen before

And I see kids throwing a ball

Oh I see it all

Oh would you hand me the pen     

I have an idea for the end

 Paper Dreaming tells the story of two characters dreaming about a future together. It is not a traditional love song but rather a heartfelt fantasy, a vision of what could be. A house with wooden furniture, a garden full of vegetables, children throwing a ball. Small, endearing details that shine beautifully in the harmonized chorus.

The dreamy atmosphere of the song immediately drew me in. As I listened, I had the idea to expand the review with a Q&A section, giving both artists the opportunity to share more about the story behind Paper Dreaming.

The song begins with soft fingerpicked guitars and a delicate cello. Genesis and Luna each take turns singing the verses before coming together in a beautifully blended harmony for the chorus. As the song progresses, strings add richness and warmth to the sound. A particularly wonderful addition is the tin whistle, introduced after the first verse, which gives the song an airy, whimsical touch that perfectly enhances the dreamy mood. Subtle percussion elements blend naturally into the arrangement, never overpowering but adding gentle rhythmic depth. Each instrument stands out in its own way, yet together they create a beautifully organic and cohesive sound.

The melody and gentle folk sound transport me right into this imagined future. I can almost feel myself sitting on a little wooden bench in the middle of a vibrant garden, surrounded by birds chirping and children laughing. Paper Dreaming is a song filled with nostalgia, hope, and longing. It reminds us how beautiful it is to lose ourselves in daydreams, especially when the future is still unwritten and anything seems possible.

As the final note faded, I couldn’t help but hit “repeat,” wanting to stay in this enchanting world just a little longer.

What images come to your mind when you listen to Paper Dreaming?

But what actually inspired Luna and Genesis to create Paper Dreaming? Why did they choose this particular idea? I asked them exactly that, and their answers provide fascinating insights into the making of this special song.

Susbidi: Genesis, can you still remember when and how you and Luna met? Was there a special moment or someone who made it happen?

Genesis: I remember it was thanks to the IMC family (Indie Music Center), but to be sure, I actually scrolled all the way back to the beginning of my Instagram messages with Luna. Niko added me to the Indie Music Center family group in September 2022, shortly after the release of my third album, "Decades and Chance". That’s when Luna welcomed me with a warm message.

Not long after, she reached out personally to set up an interview and feature two of my songs, "If You Cared" and "What My Parents Had", on her podcast "Why Doesn't Everyone Know These Songs? ". We scheduled a Zoom call, and just a few days later, we spoke face to face for the first time. Right away, I felt a really natural connection. Even though we live on opposite sides of the world, I think being musicians helped us relate to each other in a way that made our friendship develop quickly.

Susbidi: Luna, how did you experience that first interaction with Genesis? What was your impression when you talked for the first time?

Luna: I remember listening to Genesis' music for the first time and immediately becoming a fan. The way he creates these lush, layered indie folk landscapes in his songs and plays with imagery in his lyrics – it’s just beautifully crafted music. So I was quite excited about interviewing him for my radio show and getting to know a bit more about his approach. I’m always a bit nervous before a first-time interview since I want to make sure the artist feels seen and represented by our conversation. I remember immediately feeling at ease talking to Genesis; he’s such a wonderful human being, and we just clicked. I remember thinking, “Wow, he is such a great musician and at the same time so down-to-earth and grounded.”

Susbidi: Genesis, how did the idea of a joint project come about despite the distance between your countries, and when was this wonderful song born?

Genesis: If I remember correctly, we talked about collaborating as early as our first Zoom call. We were both really excited to meet each other and immediately had this feeling that we should do something together. It was just a casual idea at first, but it stuck with us.

By the end of October 2022, just a month after we met, I reached out to Luna with two songs I had already written, thinking she could choose one. I had a strong feeling she’d go with "Paper Dreaming", and sure enough, that’s the one she went with.

Susbidi: What drew you to Paper Dreaming, Luna? What made you feel it was the right song for this collaboration?

Luna: Genesis sent me two songs, and while I loved both of them, this one felt like it had the potential to be a really lovely duet. I also haven’t released many love songs, so I was drawn to stepping outside of my comfort zone thematically. There’s something about this innocent tale of two characters daydreaming about a future that is so charming – a concept I would have never thought of myself. I love how collaborations inspire us to create something from a different perspective than we usually would.

I must admit that there was also a personal bias that drew me to this one – I love fairytales! My go-to souvenir when traveling to another country is a book with local myths, legends, or fairytales, and I’m also a big fan of fantasy books in general. So a song that starts with “I’m not built for fighting dragons” immediately caught my ear.

Susbidi: Genesis, how did you organize the collaboration and share your inspirations? Was the writing process more of a joint effort, or did you work independently?

Genesis: I originally wrote "Paper Dreaming" somewhere around 2019-2020, long before I met Luna. It wasn’t meant to be a duet at first, but when we decided to collaborate, we reshaped the song together.

The first change we made was removing the second verse so Luna could write her own. That way, she could bring her own perspective to the story, making the song feel more personal to both of us. We also reworked the third verse together to make everything flow naturally as a duet. In the end, I think we gave the song a whole new life by combining our voices and ideas.

Despite the physical distance, the process felt incredibly organic. It was one of those collaborations where everything just clicked.

Susbidi: Luna, how did you approach adding your part to the song? Were there any spontaneous ideas that shaped the final version?

Luna: Since I love the fairytale imagery in Genesis' first verse, I wanted to draw from there and add to that image from the opposite perspective. I landed on one of the most well-known fairytales – Rapunzel. The image of the princess in her tower, feeling like she’s missing something but not really knowing what it is, felt like a beautiful way to complete the metaphor from verse one: “I’m not built for fighting dragons” (the boy who’s too afraid to say how he feels) and “Not sure if I’m waiting, but I count every hour, the sun shines on the valley, on the path to my tower” (the girl secretly longing for connection but waiting instead of daring to reach for it).

Susbidi: Genesis, what inspired the metaphor of “Paper Dreaming”? Is it rooted in a specific moment or idea, and how does it connect to your personal experiences?

Genesis: My teenage years have always held a special place in my heart, and now that I teach high school, I find myself reflecting on that time a lot. Watching my students go through the same things I once did brings back so many memories, and that’s what inspired me to write "Paper Dreaming".

The line itself came to me when I started blending the idea of daydreaming in class with the habit of doodling in a notebook. I liked the idea of capturing that moment when your mind drifts away in class, lost in your own world.

Susbidi: Do you have similar memories from your own youth, Luna? Did those experiences influence how you connected to the song?

Luna: I actually do! I graduated just six years ago, so these memories aren’t even from that long ago. The fun thing is, I wrote a diary as a teenager – but only when I had a crush on someone – so in a way, I was paper dreaming. Funny enough, I don’t think I thought of this at all while working on the song, but this is probably an extra reason why I was subconsciously drawn to it. Teenage Luna felt seen by it, haha.

Susbidi: The imagery in the lyrics, like the garden with “too many vegetables” and the house with “love stamped on every corner,” feels incredibly vivid and intimate. Genesis, how did you approach crafting these visuals together, and do they carry personal significance for both of you?

Genesis: Right before writing "Paper Dreaming, " I had just finished reading a book on songwriting that emphasized the importance of vivid, detailed imagery in lyrics. That concept really stuck with me and influenced the way I approached this song.

I wanted to create a world within the song that felt both nostalgic and a little surreal, like a dream. Lines like “colors you’ve never seen before” add to that almost magical feeling. The images of the house and the overflowing garden were meant to evoke warmth, familiarity, and a sense of longing for something that feels just out of reach.

For me, these details bring the song to life in a way that makes it more immersive, and I’m really proud of how they turned out.

Susbidi: Luna, what do these images mean to you? Did they help you connect with the song on a deeper level?

Luna: Even though I can’t relate to these images as a projection of the future (I’m 23 years old and not really thinking about kids, houses, and gardens yet), they do connect to my past. I grew up with loving parents who moved to a different country when I was a baby. I saw them turn walls into a home – my mom repainting old furniture, our garden filled with fruits and vegetables. It deeply shaped my definition of love, and so much of it is reflected in the imagery of the song. Those parallels definitely helped me connect to the dream of our characters, and I connected to that beautiful image of love while singing as well.

Suisbidi: The tin whistles gives the song this happy and dreamy vibe. Genesis, when did the idea to include it come up, and did it bring any new impulses to the creative process?

Genesis: I’m a huge Disney fan, and when we were discussing the production, I referenced songs from "Brave " as inspiration. Since that movie is set in medieval Scotland, the soundtrack features a lot of flute, which has always been an instrument I’ve loved and wanted to experiment with in my own music.

When Dominic Romano, who produced the song, mentioned that he knew someone who could play the flute, we both agreed instantly. It was one of those moments where everything aligned perfectly. The flute brings this light, almost magical touch to the song, and I feel like it really ties everything together.

Susbidi: What did the tin whistle add to the song for you, Luna? Did it change the way you imagined the arrangement?

Luna: I have a running joke with Dominic that he hides tin whistle in many of my songs. It’s usually so deeply buried you can barely hear it, and I think he stopped doing it now (or has become better at hiding it, haha). So when the suggestion came up to make it so present in this song, I laughed at first, but I had to admit it’s a perfect fit. The wonderful Michael Dayvid played it beautifully. I think it feeds into that fairytale feeling of the song, definitely adding a nod to the more traditional folk genre. I really like how it works in the context of this more modern indie folk production. Dominic is awesome at introducing these unexpected elements that serve the song so well.

Susbidi: Who supported you in the production, and was there a moment during the creation process that stands out in your memory, Genesis?

Genesis: Before this song, I had always handled recording, producing, and mixing on my own. But Luna suggested working with Dominic Romano since she had already collaborated with him and knew how talented he was. I was excited to step out of my comfort zone and work with a professional producer, and honestly, I was blown away by his ideas and the quality of his work.

One moment that really stood out to me was hearing the first version of the full arrangement. It was a huge realization of how much depth and texture a song can have when you have the right people working on it. I could hear the difference immediately, and it made me appreciate the magic that happens when a producer truly understands the vision of a song.

Susbidi: Luna, how was your experience working with Dominic? Were there any standout moments during the production that you’ll always remember?

Luna: I love working with Dominic – he’s produced almost all of my releases in the past few years, and getting to collaborate with him is one of the best things that has happened to me and my music. When I work with him, I know the song will become exactly what it needs to be, and I know that my voice and ideas will be elevated in the production. So when we decided to bring Dominic on board for this song, which I already loved, I knew it was going to be awesome.

Similar to Genesis, I remember listening to the first version of Dominic’s arrangement. It had such a great dynamic and added layers and depth to the song that made me feel even more excited than I already was about it. And that says a lot, because I was already very hyped about this song from the start – Genesis is such a wonderful artist, and getting to collaborate with him is so cool.

Susbidi: The line ‘Oh would you hand me the pen, I have an idea for the end’ suggests a desire to shape the future. Genesis, how do you see the balance between dreaming and having control over your own story?

Genesis: Dreaming is what motivates me to take control of my life. I set goals and take action to achieve them, believing that anything is possible with time and effort. But some dreams require sacrifices, and that’s where choices come in.

Making music has always been a dream, and I’ve worked hard to keep it a part of my life. However, pursuing it as a full-time career would mean sacrifices I’m not willing to make. Professional musicians are often on the road, playing shows at night and on weekends. I don’t want to trade that time away from my little family. I had to make intentional choices and take control of my path to find a balance between those two dreams.

Susbidi: Genesis has found a great balance between dreaming and reality. How do you navigate this balance in your own life and musical journey, Luna?

Luna: While there’s always room to grow, I recognize that I’m in a very privileged position – I’m living my dream right now. I’m a full-time indie artist, I connect with incredible people, I have a beautiful community, I get to travel and create things I am deeply proud of, and I collaborate with some of my favorite artists. I could focus on some abstract goal like becoming famous or filling stadiums, but that’s never appealed to me. It’s easy to glamorize being an artist, and on the other hand we often get told we need to wear ourselves out, give our all, and burn for it all the time. I used to put a lot of pressure on myself to prove I was worthy of being a musician – I used to believe that it had to be hard to walk this path.

Yes, being a full-time artist comes with sacrifices – there are a lot of hats to wear and not a lot of stability, especially at the beginning. But I’ve learned a lot, and I am working on making my path sustainable, planning breaks, being kind to myself, and always making space for self-care and non-music things as well. I’m replacing that pressure I used to have with a simple mantra: “I give what I can and have what I need.”

I’m incredibly privileged to say that so far, that’s always been true. But most importantly, I have realized that I’m already there – this is my dream, I’m here! Who knows which doors may open and how my plans will look a couple of years from now? I know that even if I end up somewhere completely different down the line, I won’t regret this chapter of my life – I’m having a great time. As long as I stay in touch with myself while creating the things and spaces I am passionate about, I think that my dreams and reality will stay pretty close to each other.

A heartfelt thank you to you both, Luna and Genesis, for taking the time to share your thoughts so openly.

Your profound reflections provide a wonderful insight into the creation of Paper Dreaming and make the song even more special. It’s truly a joy to hear your perspective. 💙🩵

Paper Dreaming was produced in 2023 and released last Friday.

Listen to Paper Dreaming on your favorite streaming platforms.

Follow both artists on their social media to stay up to date with all their latest news.

To wrap up, I’m happy to mention that, of course, you can also find Paper Dreaming in my KAFFEEHAUSMUSIK ☕️  playlist on Spotify.

Genesis Ritchot – all links

Luna Keller website – and all links