To the Moon and Back with Luna Luna
“Feel It Now” features a baseline that is impossible to resist, and acts as the ideal backtrack for a euphoric dance party. While “Call Me Up”, inspired by classic early 2000s R&B hits, is the quintessential breakup song — made for late nights reflecting on love lost. The album presents an array of moods, but the one thing that remains true — from start to finish — is that Luna Luna’s evocative psychedelic sound and funky vibes will have you hooked instantly.
Check out our interview with Luna Luna’s four members, Kavvi, Danny, Kaylin, and Ryan (Gordo), below.
How did the band come together; did you all know each other before you started making music?
Kaylin: The band came together in stages. We were all relatively strangers when we joined! Kavvi was writing songs and needed a band, so he went out one night to an open mic and met Danny by chance! Ryan and I were a team and eventually left our local pop-punk band when Kavvi asked us to join. And the rest is history!
Although one commonality you all share is your cultural background, I’m sure it takes a lot of compromise to work functionally as a group with different interests and styles. How do you navigate melding together four different individual personalities into one uniform group?
Kaylin: There are always going to be compromises and challenges that come with being in a band. I think for us, it comes down to how much respect and love we have for one another. We’ve grown up together, in a way, and formed a bond that’s bigger than our differences.
Some of your songs feature Latin guitar riffs and rhythms, as well as Spanish lyrics. Is it important to the group to pay homage to your collective roots through your sound?
Kavvi: Yes! I grew up listening to a lot of Spanish music that my mom would show me. She showed me a lot of salsa, bachata, and vallenatos. I always felt a deep connection to that music and that’s what I feel influences me to make the music that we make. Our sound combines all of the English music we grew up on with the Latin.
Your retro, psychedelic synth pop sound, reminiscent of the 70s, is hard not to want to dance around to. Do you take inspiration from artists from past eras?
Gordo: There’s something timeless about the 70s and 80s that we still hear and feel to this day. Artists like The Bee Gees, The Isley Brothers, Michael Jackson, and Prince had such a huge impact on music all around that you can’t help but be inspired by them.
You started by performing locally, at universities and small gigs in your home base of Texas — how does it feel to know that you have now leveled up to performing at your own headline tour this November?
Gordo: It feels so crazy and unreal to think about how far we’ve come over the years. I think about touring everyday and can’t wait to perform again. Tour can’t come soon enough!
Your upcoming album, Flower Moon, was a project conceived during the pandemic. How did that turbulent time assist or stifle the creative process? What were the highs and lows of the project?
Kavvi: The lows were definitely at the beginning of the pandemic. I felt very detached and uninspired. It wasn’t till a couple months in that we started to work on music, but once we started we didn’t stop. I think being in quarantine helped us become more in touch with our emotions and were able to be more honest and open on these tracks because of it.
There are two features on the upcoming album, a collab with The Undercover Dream Lovers as well as one with Pretty Boy Aaron. Are there any artists you would like to work with on future projects?
Kavvi: Yes, there are so many. Personally I would love for us to work with Remi Wolf, Riovaz, Serena Isioma, Pink Pantheress, Kali Uchis, Pharrell, and Tyler. Each song on Flower Moon has a different vibe — some are brooding love ballads while others are upbeat celebrations of the present moment.
Although the songs all exude varied emotions, is there an overarching theme or message the group wanted to convey with this album?
Kavvi: The tracks on Flower Moon really just reflect our lives over the past year and a half which were full of ups and downs. I think that’s why there’s variety in the emotions of the songs. The theme is to just be in the present moment and to fully embrace it. Whether you’re having a great time or you’re feeling down, to know that it’s just a moment and that like the phases of the moon, a new one is bound to come.
Aside from touring, what other things are you all looking forward to in the future of your music career?
Kavvi: I really hope we start collabing and producing for other artists. I love being a part of the music community and I see a lot of talent everywhere. To be able to build something with other artists would be amazing.
Along with the album, the group will be releasing a music video to accompany the focus single, titled, “Feel It Now”. The director of the video, Ash Rosas, says he, “Wanted the video to show a group of friends that seem cool and fun — like you’d want to hang out with them. I wanted to create an inviting energy combined with 1970s vibes.” Flower Moon will be released August 13th on all music streaming platforms.
