You don’t know Luna Blue?
Will Waterhouse interviews Luna Blue
From multiple lockdown gigs, to a 24 hr Nirvana drumathon, to enjoying spins on BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey’s Drivetime Track of the Day, Lune Blue have entered 2022 with superb momentum. With vocalist Tom unfortunately unavailable, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ryan (lead guitar) Seb (drums) and Nick (Bass) following their newest release ‘Lou Lou’.
Speaking before they play their first gig in Manchester at 33 Oldham St for Scruff of the Neck, the band from Brighton had an energy of such excitement and unmatched desire. It was hard not to mirror their elation at the thought of playing their first Manchester gig and showing off their newest track ‘Lou Lou’ produced by Fickle Friends member Jack Wilson. I cannot lie, these guys were simply fun to interview.
“we’ve been trying to get into Manchester for ages…and to get in with Scruff of the Neck is amazing…I’m pumped!” – Ryan
Nick explained how ‘going way way way back to 2017’ two years after the band formed, they had played only one other gig in the north in a place called Darwen, Lancashire. This lead to a rosy run down memory lane where Nick mentioned how up North ‘it felt like people were actually here to see us’ with Seb interjecting ‘ it seems like everyone is just more keen [than in the south] for a music scene up there…it’s so cool’. They of course explained how over the years their loyal fanbase in Brighton naturally bring a good level of energy and atmosphere, but their beliefs about the attitude to a ‘Music Scene’ in Manchester compared to the south sure rings true for me.
“We’re pulling out all the stops…we always get people involved” – Seb
The band met at Chichester University studying music. After graduating, they all moved down to Brighton where three are music teachers and one a software engineer. Whilst completing their degrees the guys shared a house, Seb explains how ‘..third year of uni… THAT WAS A MAD HOUSE’. Nick describes ‘ ahhh that was a GREAT year… our house just got the reputation as the party house where suddenly the entire uni campus would turn up’. It turns out they filmed their very first music video inside said party house in 2017. ‘God I hope it’s been taken down’ said Seb…sorry Seb it’s right here:
Since then though, Luna Blue have released nine tracks receiving great attention and reception. ‘Away With You’ and ‘Tropical’ doing notably well on streaming services. Ahead of a three track EP, ‘Lou Lou’ is their first release with Jack Wilson from Fickle Friends as producer. I wondered how this addition has effected their songwriting process as well as studio dynamic. Bassist Nick said ‘we write sh*t demos, he makes them good [all laugh]…nah there’s a bit more to it than that’. Ryan described how he and vocalist Tom ‘write a skeleton demo of what we want to record and hand it to Seb and Nick to add their parts…but it’s simply incredible the way that Jack works, the guy is a musical genius’. Seb described how it seems ‘Jack never stops’ and that after 10 hours of recording, he was gleeful at the prospect of adding new ideas.
The band continue to be a big supporter of the charity Animals Asia raising over £1000 pounds during Over the Moon Festival and a live show in Exeter at the end of January 2022. The band also participated in the #SaveOurVenues campaign where drummer Seb helped raise £1375 playing nothing but Nirvana for 24 hours. ‘I don’t think I can ever listen to Nirvana again!’ explained Seb.
What’s next for Luna Blue?
They’re fresh out of the studio and have quite a few gigs lined up all ready. With ‘Lou Lou’ being included in the upcoming three-track EP, Nick believes the other two are ‘ the best we’ve ever sounded…if you think Lou Lou was good you’ve got something coming, the two new tracks just sound so pure, the clarity is incredible’. As well as playing 33 Oldham St for Scruff of the Neck, the band have confirmed gigs across the country and are looking forward to the festival season. You can keep up to date with Luna Blue here, I know I will.
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