24 days in to the year and we present you with our 24th Band of the Day. There’s just so much musical talent around!
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
If the city of Coventry was the Sun, and England was the Solar System we’d probably be from Mercury, Venus and Mars. We’re an interplanetary band.
How did you meet?
On a day trip to Earth – no that’s a joke. We met at college taking a music course. When we finished college we thought we should probably start a band and take the world by storm.
How long have you been playing as a band?
It hovers around 7-9 years. The early years are a hazy mess of youthful exuberance.
Before you get sick of being asked, where does the band name come from?
Well the moon is a mysterious object that sways tides and controls werewolves. Luna is the goddess of the moon. And I don’t need to tell you how sexy kissing is, let alone kissing a goddess. And we liked the symmetry of two four-lettered words.
What are your influences?
This is such a tough question. All four of us listen to different music, and that results in the music we create. But I guess you want a tangible answer right? Queens of the Stone Age and Muse to Nils Frahm and Sigur Ros to Jeff Buckley and Manchester Orchestra. With a sprinkle of Snarky Puppy.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
Our overall goal when songwriting is to create songs with a catchy element but underneath the surface there’s complexity, to keep the listener coming back for more and not even know why. I think Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon is a classic example of this, the songs themselves are very accessible but if you actually go in and learn them they are pretty hard.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
The lyrics are really open for interpretation, a lot of them are about human interaction and relationships, but often there’s a double meaning or metaphor which means you can take it down one of several paths.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
We’ve played hundreds and hundreds of shows, in the UK and Europe. Our live shows are energetic and engaging. If you are up there having a laugh and enjoying yourselves that really translates to the audience. It took us many years to learn this, but the only way to get better is to gig and gig and have the bad gigs and have the good gigs. Some of our best shows have been when something technical has gone wrong, you have to include the audience in everything that happens on stage.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Lets just say what happens in Hamburg, stays in Hamburg…
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
I personally use a Duesenberg Starplayer TV most of the time, it’s officially the best sounding guitar of all time (send me free shit Duesenberg). We’re a big fan of the telecaster, that’s a work horse of rock in our opinion. I think what makes us stand out is our use of samples and sounds triggered from a Roland SPD-SX and occasional electronic drums from the TR-8 Rhythm Performer.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
We have our new album Following Shadows coming out 12th April 2019. Our first single “Not Afraid” has just been released go check it on YouTube!
What are your plans for 2019?
Well other than releasing the album we will be going on a UK tour. Go to www.lunakiss.co.uk to find tickets.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
The middle spot… Often the best one! I think an absolute dream of a band would be to open for Manchester Orchestra, just because they are heroes of ours. And before us… Oceansize… Mainly because they will have to reform in order to play the gig!
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