THIS Saturday Luna The Professor headline Barras Art and Design at what will be their biggest headline show to date. Rising through the ranks of Scotland’s flourishing indie scene, the four-piece from Wishaw have had a massive year so far dominated by sold-out shows, popular single releases and triumphant festival slots and this weekend looks set to add another milestone to their increasingly impressive catalogue of achievements. With all eyes on the band ahead of Saturday, we catch up with them to see what they have in store.
“We are absolutely buzzing for it, we’ve seen a few gigs in BAaD and the atmosphere is always booming and the venue is minted.”
“We’ve got a belter of a show planned due to the fact it’s the biggest one yet. We’ve spent a lot of time planning lights and visuals so it is going to be a full on assault on your senses. We can’t wait to play on Saturday.”
BAaD proved itself worthy of staging some of the country’s finest rock & roll talent at this year’s Tenement Trail and once again, it prepares to host hundreds of avid music fans for one of the weekend’s most eagerly anticipated gigs. And the band are eager to get everyone down early. With support coming from Cloud House, The Latitude and Kai McAvoy, Luna The Professor have ensured that the bill is made up of bands from their local area of Wishaw and Motherwell. The ties between the bands run deep and the band are keen to use their platform to shine a light on a part of Scotland’s music scene that not everyone sees regularly.
“It’s mega important. I used to play Foo Fighter tunes with Jack from Cloud House in his shed when I was 14 and my wee brother is playing on the same bill as me.”
“Good bands have come out of Wishaw and Motherwell but they have worked hard all over the country to build a fanbase. I wouldn’t say there is a local scene that will make you, it’s down to hard work and we just want to get out on the road and build our fanbase that way. The only live music in pubs near us is karaoke and that’s frustrating because it would be great to go and check out other bands in our hometown. Thats why we’ve brought local bands into town with us.
”Through a combination of hard work, determination and a knack for writing great catchy tunes, Luna the Professor have grown a massive word-of-mouth following since they first came together in 2017. Now making their presence known well beyond the confines of their hometown, their advice for bands who are just starting out in similarly far-flung areas is to “keep writing new music, keep playing and never stop chasing your dreams.”
The band’s avid following has led to sold-out shows in Glasgow, Edinburgh and a competition win that saw them open up the Belladrum Main Stage at this year’s festival. While there has been no strategic plan of action, they put their fast rise down to “wee things” like “our bassist’s Dad plays the tunes in his taxi and spreads the word”.
Ambitious and anthemic songs like ‘Dreamers’ and ‘You’ seem to have really resonated with a new generation of indie fans, particularly in Glasgow where they have sold out four shows in a row, including two at the legendary King Tut’s. Why do they think this is? “Real recognise real. We don’t pretend to be anything that we’re not and people like that”
The band stopped off in the city again earlier this year to play our very own Tenement Trail festival, a day that will be remembered by many for years to come. After setting Firewater alight at the 2018 edition, they came to honour our very first year in the East End with a rousing display at the Barrowlands 2. It may only be a matter of time until they head up the stairs to play the iconic venue’s Main Stage. Looking back on their Trail 2019 experience, they say”We’ve played TT twice now and we never expected last year to be topped but this year was on an absolute new level. We loved it.”
After a year of many highlights, they cite their Main Stage performance at Belladrum and selling out King Tut’s at the start of the year as their most memorable moments. Their show at Barras Art and Design is sure to slide on nicely alongside them after what is expected to be an unforgettable night for all involved.
What comes next for Luna The Professor though? “We take it as it comes. We aren’t setting targets that aren’t achievable. We’re living the moment and loving every minute of it.”
