What are your names?
Paula
What is the bands name.
Paula Luna
How did you come up with the name?
My mom and dad are kind of hippies, each in their own way. My dad wanted to name me Luna (which means Moon in Spanish), or to at least have it be my middle name. My mom was like “yeah, no”. She thought I’d get bullied with a name like that, but here we are, I ended up choosing it haha
What is your genre of music?
I’d say it’s indie with a bit of pop and garage rock in it. You should see for yourself, really.
Give us a little bio about you.
It’s a little strange doing it this way, I’m so used to reading bios in the third person haha! Well, I’m from Chile and I moved to London almost 3 years ago. I moved here specifically to do my music career. I had been in other bands before, and the last one being featured on MTV, VICE, Rolling Stone Mexico, etc. We also went to South by Southwest and on other international tours, it was really fun! However, even though the band was good, it was a very toxic environment. I left the band and did what I always wanted to do, which was to pursue my solo career. I recorded the majority of the things on the upcoming EP in Chile and then moved to London. After arriving, I then recorded a few remaining parts of the EP here, and mixed and mastered it here as well. I’m on the brink of releasing it in full and I can’t wait to see how people feel about it!
What made you go in to music?
Ever since I was little I sang and performed. I still remember the shows I’d put on when I was like 9.I’d set up a stage with curtains and all in my room, and I’d charge my parents to watch the show hahaha. But hey, a beer (which I sneaked from the fridge of course) was included in the ticket!
Are you a signed?
No
Your new release ‘ The Degradation Of Memory’ has dropped tell us more about it.
It’s been a song that had been brewing for a long time. I wrote it about 7 years ago actually, it’s one of the first full songs that I ever wrote. It’s really exciting to unveil it. I have other more recently written songs of course, but there’s something symbolic about choosing the first fully produced one to be shown before any other.
What is the meaning behind the release.
It talks a lot about the feelings and the process of letting go of a romantic relationship that came to an end. I wrote this song as a reflection on my first breakup years after it happened. In it, I ask myself many things under a new perspective given to me by the passing of time. It’s questions like, “what really happened between us? How and who is this person now? What would happen if we met again, would we make it work?” I think these are questions that many of us have asked ourselves when looking at the past.
Describe the track in two words.
Nostalgia, closure
What was the writing process like?
I usually write the lyrics first from scratch, but for this song it was a little different. I was reading an old diary from years ago and there were so many thoughts regarding a relationship that I had. I put them all together and it just kind of flowed easily. When I wrote it I was at the stage where I was over this guy 100% and I could look back with full clarity.
What was the recording process like?
Recording it was great. Late nights were the only time my producer, the recording engineer, and I had free all at the same time before my departure to London. We had sessions from about 11 pm to 5 am, it was crazy. It was very fun.
Who did you work with on the track with?
The track was produced by Juan Francisco Meza and myself. He also played the guitar and bass on it, and the drums are recorded by Diego Ormazabal. The studios we recorded at were Estudio Suecia, Estudios Foncea (in Chile) and M.A.I.A. Studios (London). I then mixed with Ian Flynn at Werkhouse Studios, and mastered at Airlab Studios, which are a part of Miloco Studios.
You are also set to release a second single in April, tell us more about what we can expect.
You can expect something completely different. This single is about love, it’s calm, it’s resolved. The next single is fully the opposite, it deals with hate, frustration, and dealing with a horrible situation. The sound reflects that as well, it’s heavier than this song.
Describe the track in two words.
Anger, sexism.
What can we expect from your EP?
The EP is short but it travels through really different emotions. There’s love, there’s nostalgia, there’s sex, there’s anger. All of those feelings have different sounds, different ways of approaching them musically.
Do you have any shows coming up or a tour in planning?
I just got a band for live shows together, we’re starting rehearsals in the coming week. You can expect to hear about dates very soon!
If so where will you be heading?
We want to play lots in London, but I’d love to head out to other cities in the UK, and hopefully internationally too. Spain and the US seem like potential possibilities.
What else can we expect in 2019?
2019 should be bringing really interesting things. I plan on releasing the second single somewhat soon, and the EP shortly after. If all goes well, there will be a couple of video releases for them too. There will be plenty of live shows (it’s what I live for really). I’d also love to go back into the studio to record soon. Fingers crossed!
Do you have any collaborations coming up with any up coming artists?
No
Would you be up for collaborations if other musicians wanted one with you? and who would they have to contact?
Absolutely! You can contact me on any of my social media platforms, I’m on Facebook and Instagram. My email is paulalunamusic@gmail.com
Do you play any instruments?
A tiiiiny little bit of guitar and keys, enough to compose but definitely not enough to hop on stage with them haha
Who are your influences?
Arctic Monkeys are a HUGE influence of mine. Alex Turner is an absolute genius. I’m also really into Queens of the Stone Age, Mini Mansions, Foo Fighters, things like that. On the other hand, my heart definitely has a space for pop. I mean, I wrote my thesis about Beyoncé, I think that speaks for itself haha
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
Generally the lyrics will come to me first. Writing is very important to me. A concept will pop into my head and then I shape things around it with words and then the music just kind of makes the message and the music all make even more sense
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
I don’t want to jinx it, but what I can say is I dream big.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
Aside from doing music, I teach Spanish. I love the teaching aspect of it and I really appreciate the freedom it gives me to be freelance. It was really helpful during this release, for example. If I’d had a 9-5 I would’ve been bored out of my mind and used up all my energy in trying to just get through my day, and it wouldn’t leave me any time to think of music or to do anything with it.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more in to the music scene?
I am really not sure, I always wanted to be in it. I did listen to a lot of Nirvana when I was 13 though, and I remember vividly listening to In Bloom and thinking “Fuck YES. This is everything, I definitely need the stage.”
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
Don’t let fear paralyze you.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
Remember to PLAY. And I don’t mean just play as in “play your instrument”. I mean play WITH your instrument. Music is a game, music is light, music is fun. Actively play when you play.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who you are –Kurt Cobain
Where in your hometown is a must go to visit?
I’m from Santiago, Chile. If you’re headed there I’d say you NEED to stop at Cerro San Cristobal. Go up the hill, take in the views, have some drinks and/or a bbq with friends at the top. Head down later on at night to Bellavista and party on.
Your coming off tour;
1/ Where do you go first?
The shower hahaha
2/ Who do you see first?
My mom, definitely. And not just because I love her to death, but also because I’m sure she’d kill me if I didn’t.
3/What do you eat first?
Empanadas and red wine
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
5 things I can’t forget to take with me are water, a bomb outfit, my connection with myself, my in-ear system, and energy to party it up on stage
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
