Artists | Issues | CD Reviews | Interviews | Concert Reviews | DVD/Video Reviews | Book Reviews | Who We Are | Staff | Home
 

Luna Kiss

Interviewed by Gary Hill

Interview with Luna Kiss from 2010

MSJ:

Can you catch the readers up on the history of your involvement in music – both individually and as a band?

Ross Morris - My Background is much more electronic than the other guys. Got turntables at 12 and by 16 was working in record and equipment shops. Thankfully only a short lived time. I didn't start playing "real" instruments til I was about 17. Now I'm studying music technology.

 

Chris Butler - Got my first guitar when I was 12 and have been playing ever since., I’ve recently started collecting other stringed instruments: I have a sitar, ukulele and this weird old African lute thing and I really want to learn the cello! I studied music at college and am doing the same in university.

 

Wil Russell - I started playing drums at 11 but at the time I knew no guitar players so I decided to take up the guitar. When I was 14 I started a band with drummer James Pedley. We grew up with that band and it ended when we we're 17. I met Chris at college and when college ended we spoke about starting a band with James and I. It happened and that’s how Luna Kiss was born. I'm starting University this year doing music.

James Pedley - I started playing drums at the age of 11, having weekly lessons at my school. I got my first kit when I was 13 and by 14 was talking about starting a band with Wil. Me and will formed a band which went on till we were about 17. I studied music at college and this is where I met Chris. We started jamming together and realized our tastes in music were quite similar and from this formed Luna Kiss.

MSJ: If you weren't involved in music what do you think you'd be doing?
Ross Morris - Probably still alphabetizing CD's and Records, although I always wanted to be a pilot. But I’ve noticed being a pilot and music tech just involve lots of buttons and knobs. Maybe that’s the attraction.

Chris Butler - I really wanted to be an actor before I realized being a musician was for me. I guess I liked the idea of performing and having everyone’s attention!

Wil Russell - I would really like to be a carpenter. I love being creative.

James Pedley - I think I would train to be a chef if I didn’t want to do music.

MSJ: How did the name of the group originate?
Chris Butler - We messed around with several names, we were a band of no name for many months. We just tried different words and meaning until something stuck, Luna Kiss describes our sound quite well, it’s dark and ambiguous but its also a little bit sexy.

Ross Morris - Think Luna Kiss is good, it doesn’t say anything about the band. You can’t instantly tell what genre we are from that name!

MSJ: Who would you see as your musical influences?
Ross Morris - The first band I dedicated myself to at an early teenager was Funeral For A Friend - just a Welsh rock band that were doing well at the time. They aren't doing so well now I don't think. I think the first band to have a life changing effect on me were Placebo. I still think they're one of the greatest bands to have ever graced music - them and Brand New. They both seem to be able to crate album after album of incredible music. Each better than the last and yet neither of them seems to get any more or less famous.

Chris Butler - The Red Hot Chili Peppers were my big idols when I was younger, and I think John Frusciante is phenomenal musician. I suppose Jimi Hendrix will always be there for me, pretty typical response from a guitarist! But I suppose The Mars Volta and Pink Floyd would be my influences at the moment, just from a song writing point of view. Their songs are so well thought out. I tend to listen to music as an overall picture now, instead of endless guitar soloing. I also love classical impressionist music, so I suppose you could put Ravel and Debussy in there too!

Wil Russell - For me it would be Pink Floyd. David Gilmour was a huge influence when I was younger and still is. He can catch emotion in one small guitar lick. The Mars Volta are also a great band who have influenced me rhythmically. I have a interest in classical music as well, more so with classical film music. That’s how the “Silver Lines” ending came about. We wanted to put more than just rock into our songs.

James Pedley - I am influenced by many different bands and musicians. Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd are definitely my greatest idols. When I was younger my dad used to play Zeppelin to me and I was fascinated by the power of them. John Bonham has been a massive inspiration, as have many other drummers such as Thomas Pridgen and Banny Greb.  I really enjoy Jeff Buckley. I love his album Grace. It’s a shame he died so young.

MSJ: What's ahead for you?
Ross Morris - I just intend to use Luna Kiss as a platform to re-invent the Trip-hop scene in the UK. (laughter)

Chris Buter - Real support for the band from Ross there! We've been getting our name out there on the radio world wide, we've been played in Texas, Honolulu, Montreal and Australia which is nice for a band from a small city in the UK. We've also got a meeting with a small record label in London soon.

Wil Russell - For me it’s to get this band known and just carry on enjoying what we're doing.

Ross Morris - Nah i do agree with the others, I’m excited for the future of the band at the moment, things seem to be snowballing. It’s only a little snowball at the moment.

MSJ: I know artists hate to have their music pigeonholed or labeled, but how would you describe your music?
Chris Butler - I guess it’s progressive rock. But it’s not as pretentious as some of the stuff that was hanging around in the 70s.
MSJ: Are there musicians with whom you would like to play with in the future?
Ross Morris - I would freak to work with Brian Molko or Liam Gallagher. Or just to have either of them say they like my music! I would like to work with Ben Gibbard one day too.

Chris Butler - Omar Rodriquez would be my number one. I think it would be fun to work with Imogen Heap too.

Wil Russell - David Gilmour, Florence and the Machine - anyone with a huge creative ability.

James Pedley - I would like to jam with Omar Rodriquez or Thomas Pridgen. They are both immense musicians. But my dream would be to jam with Bonzo, he is a true inspiration to me.

MSJ: Do you think that illegal downloading of music is a help or hindrance to the careers of musicians?
Ross Morris - Well.... Where do I start? I think illegal downloading is the parasite of music. It seems we as musicians are a group of people that people are allowed to walk all over. I just can’t comprehend how people seem to think they should be able to get music for free. I pride myself on my CD and record collection. A huge stack of CD's is much nicer than a page of files. I think Brian Molko said it best "one day you're going to get into a taxi and your favourite singer is going to be driving... and you put him there."

Downloading isn't helping music at all, I will agree there are a few artists who have benefited from it but for the most part it’s destroying music.

Chris Butler - It is very bad for the industry, but I don’t think it will ever stop, the industry needs to adapt. People would much rather stay at home and get music with a few clicks of a button than go walk to a shop and spend their money on it.

Wil Russell - The majority of people don't walk into a shop and steal a CD so why do it online?

MSJ: In a related question, how do you feel about fans recording shows and trading them?
Ross Morris - For some reason this doesn't bother me. I like to go through youtube and watch bands live. I can see why they're angry but it’s nowhere near the same as watching them live.

Chris Butler - If people are recording you so what? They're only going to share it with other fans. Even if you’re going to release a live show on DVD, the sound and video quality is going to be no where near as good on someone’s mobile phone as it is for the artist releasing it, what with all the expensive mics and video equipment.

MSJ: If you were a superhero, what music person would be your arch nemesis and why?
Ross Morris - Ohhhh... errr.... I’m going to be quite predictable and say Simon Cowell. For all the obvious reasons, I think that man has done so much damage to music over the past decade. He has totally outweighed anything good he has done for it.

Chris Butler - Justin Beiber. I hate him. And all that he stands for. It’s not music. It’s auto-tuned, generic, basic, predictable and in no way requires much talent. The thing I hate is that everyone thinks he's great when he's not written any of the music, he just waltzed in the studio gets given lyrics sings over the top of it and then when he leaves the sound engineers tweak his voice so he's actually in tune. And miming…don’t get me started in miming!

Wil Russell - I'm with Chris.

James Pedley - Boy Bands, they just p*** me off!

MSJ: If you were to put together your ultimate band (a band you'd like to hear or catch live), who would be in it and why?
Ross Morris. Liam Gallagher as the front man. That should need no explanation, greatest frontman of our generation and actually that’s it! I just want to see Liam release a solo album and do a solo tour. All my favourite Oasis songs are Liam's, “Born on a Different Cloud,” “I’m Outta Time,” “Songbird,” etc.

I think he could be incredible on his own, and I’m sure Noel could do well too, but I’m more excited about the idea of Liam doing a solo.

Chris Butler - I'd love to see Florence (of Florence of the Machine) on vocals, Josh Homme on guitar, Nick Harmer (of Death Cab for Cutie) on bass and Jack White on drums. Just because they are all musicians trying to do something a little bit different.

James Pedley - John Paul Jones - bass, John Bonham - drums,  David Gilmour- Guitar, Jeff Buckley - Rhythm and vocals. Think that would be interesting.

MSJ: If you were in charge of assembling a music festival and wanted it to be the ultimate one from your point of view who would be playing?
Ross Morris - I’ve thought about this a lot, so in this order:

Death Cab For Cutie, Paolo Nutini,  Imogen Heap, The Dead Weather, Queens Of The Stone Age and then Placebo for finish.

I'd love to see a British music festival too, with just British acts on. The Cribs, Stereophonics, Arctic Monkeys, etc.

Chris Butler - Pink Floyd, The Mars Volta, Sigur Ros, John Frusciante, Bon Iver, Imogen Heap, Florence and The Machine, Foo Fighters. I don’t care in what order, I’d be there for all of it.

Wil Russell - I would have the line up of Chris and Ross mixed together.

MSJ: What was the last CD you bought and/or what have you been listening to lately?
Ross Morris - I picked up a copy of Nirvanas Nevermind from a Jumble sale / Carboot Sale (which ever side of the Atlantic you're on) But I got it for 50p and loads of other CDs: The Used, Hard-Fi. I got a copy of The Beatles - Abbey Road on vinyl for £2. People laugh at Carboot Sales here but I’ve furnished much of my vinyl and CD's from them and charity Shops.

Chris Butler - I've recently been listening to M83 and Broken Social Scene, I like their style. Before then I was exploring Pink Floyd’s discography, and listening to a lot of Imogen Heap.

Wil Russell - I'm not to sure what CD I last bought but I’ve been listening to a lot of Florence, Pink Floyd, Friendly Fires, Newton Falkner

MSJ: Have you read any good books lately?
Chris Butler – Yes, I got this book for my birthday called “What It's Like To Be Eaten By A Shark.” It’s first hand accounts of people who have been in crazy situation and survived. Like what its like to be shot in the head, die and come back, drown, caught in an avalanche. Pretty dark, but it’s nice to see the resilience of the human race when in such awful situations.

James Pedley - I just read Led Zeppelin’s bio (When the Levee Breaks)

MSJ: What about the last concert you attended for your enjoyment?
Ross Morris - The last live thing I saw... I think I watched James Zabiela rock a local nightclub. As usual, he tore it down. All my best live moments are electronic to be honest. Saw Rusko a year or so ago, back when he was really good. He was mindblowing. Basement Jaxx are an incredible live band, if you ever get the chance to see The Jaxx, I strongly advise you do, such an incredible live show!

Chris Butler - I went to a sitar concert in London, that was insane, the guy was blind and he was shredding the hell out of it - had a full Indian ensemble with him, too. It was such an amazing gig. Real good atmosphere and he thanked everyone for coming all the time, something a lot of people don’t do anymore. I’m also going to see the London Philharmonic Orchestra perform Ravel's “Daphnes et Chloe: Suite 2.” I think I probably will cry when I see that.

Wil Russell - I went to V festival and the highlight would have to be Madness. They were so good live.

James Pedley - The Mars Volta in London was amazing.

MSJ: Do you have a musical “guilty pleasure?”
Ross Morris - I think mine is You Me At Six. Everyone d**ks on them so much but their lyrics are fantastic and their sound is so polished and good. I haven't seen them live in a couple of years, to be honest they weren't very good, but they were just the first support on for Fightstar and they didn’t even have an album out yet.

Chris Butler - Extreme, a big ass cheesy rock band from the 80s/90s. I love it. The riffs are so big and funky and Nuno's guitar tone is so tasty - the only band of that sort I like. I hate Guns n Roses.

Wil Russell - 30 Seconds To Mars, their new album is pure epic.

MSJ: What has been your biggest Spinal Tap moment?
Chris Butler - When our old bassist quit the band, he said "you might wanna find another bassist, because I’ve Luna Quit the band"
MSJ: If you could sit down to dinner with any three people, living or dead, for food and conversation, with whom would you be dining?
Ross Morris - Billy Connolly, John Lennon and Liam Gallagher.

Chris Butler - I reckon I could get on with Ricky Gervais pretty well, Jimi Hendrix and Omar Rodriguez

Wil Russell - David Attenborough, Michael McIntyre and Will Ferrel

James Pedley - Peter Kay, Syd Barret, John Bonham

MSJ: Are there any closing thoughts you would like to get out there?
Ross Morris - Seems things are going well at the moment, the ball is rolling...... bring it on!

 

Chris Butler - *shameless plug* Add us on facebook, myspace, blogspot and soundcloud! Feel free to message us and talk to us, we do reply to every fan message we get. Just search "Luna Kiss" or "Luna Kiss Band" on the relevant websites and you should find us!

 

Will Russel - Just want to say thanks to everyone who has been supporting Luna Kiss, and if anyone wants to know what we're about you can download the songs off soundcloud.

MSJ: This interview is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2010  Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.
 
Return to the
Luna Kiss Artist Page
Artists Directory
 
Google

   Creative Commons License
   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

    © 2024 Music Street Journal                                                                           Site design and programming by Studio Fyra, Inc./Beetcafe.com