Please introduce the band and their instruments:
I’m Lotte, I play Drum Pads and keys. Elliie plays Violin & keys, Ryan plays guitar and is on backing vocals, Holly’s on vocals and Rob is on Drums.
How would you describe your genre?
Electronic, nostalgic alternative dream – pop, with hints of post-rock overtones.
How did the band form?
I started the band nearly two years with a close friend of mine, George Gretton (who isn’t in the band anymore), we went though a couple of line up shifts and then landed on the perfect line up of the five of us.
What inspired you to create music?
Ever since I was very young I wanted to be in a band and make music, but when I saw The Japanese House play live a couple of years ago, I knew that that was the genre I wanted to be in; before it was a lot of more Rock orientated music. The 1975 were also a massive influence on the start of the band, I remember hearing their song ‘Me’, that inspired me to write the first Luna Pines song, which was a tune called ‘Sooner’.
Do you have a label at the moment?
We aren’t signed to a label no. I have my own Leeds based label called Sixteen Records (www.sixteenrecords.com ), which we released the EP through, but we aren’t signed to it.
You’ve just released your EP as well as the gorgeous single ‘Spring’, what would you say ‘Spring’ is about?
‘Spring’ is a funny one, because I came up with the chorus lyrics and Holly wrote the verses, so it became about more than one thing. I originally wrote the instrumental and the chorus about my Mothers experience when she was in her 20’s and lost her best friend in a car accident. It kind of represented a dream-like conversation between the living and the dead, the main line ‘If you’re lonely won’t you wait for me now, in the city?’ toys with the idea of an afterlife, and the safety of being able to see the ones you love again.
What was the recording process like?
We record everything in my room. The instrumental for ‘Spring’ I briefly worked on with a producer from Texas called The Feel Department who is amazing, and everything was done in Logic, using a lot of sampling from an old 20’s song called ‘Thinking of You’ by Annette Hanshaw, and drum samples from DJ Shadow/Dr.Dre. I then recorded Holly’s vocals in my room on the same mic we record all her vocals on, an SeX1; it’s my favourite vocal mic, despite being relatively inexpensive.
You released ‘The House We Lived In’ at the start of June, tell us a little more about the EP and any overriding themes.
‘The House We Lived In’ I think shows many different sides to our band. Its main theme is centred on the past, and a feeling of finally putting it to rest, hence the name. It’s a very reflective EP, and we dealt with our own issues of depression, anxiety, death, loss and addiction on it. It’s very personal to all of us, and I think it’s our best work yet.
Could you describe each track in two words?
‘Medics’ is almost like a vast landslide, ‘Drip’ is an ‘electronic/rock fusion’, Spring is an ‘80s almost-love song’ and ‘The House We Lived In’ is an ‘introspective reflection.’
What is the main message you feel you’re pushing on the EP?
To be OK talking about the difficult and uncomfortable stuff. With a lot of our songs circling personal struggles with mental health, I think it’s an important message for everyone to convey in their music, we all have it, good or bad, and we should be talking about it more.
Do you have gigs coming up or a tour in the diary?
We’re playing a gig for Futuresound Emerging artists on July 5th at the Wardrobe here in Leeds, then Lending room here in Leeds on August 18th a Belgrave on Sept 5th. We’re currently working on going on tour too.
Do you have any collaborations on the horizon?
Not currently, we work a lot with The Feel Department who I mentioned earlier, whom I’m sure we’ll work with again at some point.
Would you be up for collaborations if other musicians wanted to? Who would they have to contact?
For sure! We’re always up for working with new artists, pop us a message of facebook or email us at lunapinesuk@gmail.com
Who are your influences on the EP?
Our main influences are Explosions In The Sky, The Japanese House, The 1975, Tycho and Bon Iver.
If you had your music played in the intervals of one TV channel, which would it be?
Probably ITV2? I only say that because Love Island’s on every night at the moment and everyone seems to be watching it, (including us).
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
Definitely with at least one album under our belts, and a few headline tours hopefully. We’d love to be signed by then, playing regular shows and making as much music as possible!
When you’re not creating music, what do you do?
We all have full/part time jobs, as music as it stands doesn’t pay the bills quite yet! We all work in bars/retail, and I work part time at Eiger music studios in Leeds.
Was there a song that inspired you in particular to create your own music?
Like I said above, ‘Me’ by the 1975 was a big inspiration for the sound that became Luna Pines. Other than that, ‘The Wolves Part II’ by Bon Iver and ‘Still’ by The Japanese House were all big influences when we were starting the band.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
Take everything one day at a time.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians as an artist?
I guess just to make the music you want to make, and don’t bother yourself with things you think might get you further or people will like more if it’s not 100% you. Also don’t let people take the piss out of you (even more so if you’re a woman), especially when it comes to promoters and the PR side of stuff, there will always be people that promise unrealistic stuff.
What venue in your hometown is a must visit?
None of us are from Leeds but we all met here and it’s where we’ve made our impression so far as a band. It’s such a great, vibrant city with an amazing under rated music scene. Brudenell Social Club is probably the best venue, with hands down the best sound in the city. It’s pretty famous too; I think it does the most gigs out of any venue in Europe every year, as it’s got 3 amazing rooms.
You have just arrived home after a tour:
1/ Where do you go first? Bed or the shower first.
2/ Who do you see first? My mum or my best friend, Evana.
3/ What do you eat first? My mum’s fish pie!
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Yes we do! Here they are:
https://lunapines.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/lunapinesuk/
https://twitter.com/lunapinesuk
