interview with Bella Lune
played in other bands? Yes. I also started a shoegaze/dreampop project called Dreamgaze, with guitarist/bassist Mike Wooley out of Detroit, MI. Our debut album 'Sound Colour' was released in 2009. My first band was called Annadyne, which was very much indie/shoegaze, but was never released. However, I am doing a handful of Cocteau Twins covers with the guitarist of Annadyne currently as well.
How is it that you started playing music? I started playing music on violin when I was 8 years old in the school orchestra.
What are your names? / Who plays what? / How old are you? Fuchsia - Lead singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist. Hurley - Singer/Multi-instrumentalist/songwriter. Beeka - Violin. Mike Jenney - Drums/percussion, and soon Mike Wooley on guitar. We are timeless. :)
Have you had other previous members? We have had many other members, including Kal3id (founding member/songwriter/guitarist), Dy (guitarist), Tim (drums), JJ (drums), Divad (guitar) and Teresa (violin).
Did you make music even when you were young? Absolutely, although I didn't start recording seriously until the early 2000s.
Where are you from? Phoenix, AZ USA
What year did the band form? I started writing Bella Lune songs on my guitar in 2005. I was joined by Kal3id in early 2006, who taught me sooo much about writing, recording, production and music theory. Our first album 'Abstracted Visions' was released in 2008. We recruited Hurley to play keyboards when we became a live band in 2008, and have grown from there.
What's your style of genre? Our songs range in genre/style. We do everything from electronica, EDM and EBM to indie, new wave, shoegaze, dreampop, synthpop and alternative.
What inspires you? Music, film, travelling the world, love, philosophy, fiction, poetry, etc.
How often and where do you rehearse? We rehearse as a band once a week in our studio in Phoenix. I rehearse on my DJ setup a few times a week at least.
How have you developed since you started with the music? I have learned so much about music and myself! I have even taken singing lessons, which helped my voice and confidence a ton. I don't get as nervous before shows anymore, and I am able to record ideas faster now.
Do you have other interests of work outside the band? I also do makeup and hair for events, such as weddings, fashion shows, photo shoots, editorial work, commercials, videos, short films, flyers, etc.
Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? I would love to have a manager and a booking agent. I do it all myself now, and it's quite overwhelming.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? I would love to have a reputable label, to provide tour support, industry connections, etc. My ultimate label goal is 4AD.
What made you decide to make this music? It's not really a decision as much as it is a compulsion.
What are your songs about? Mostly love and feelings, but I also get a bit political and philosophical at times.
Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? I do most of the composing and 99% of the lyrics.
Do you start with the music or the lyrics? They both happen separately, as I am inspired. When a new song is ready for lyrics, I go through my journals and choose the best concept for the music and reformat it to fit the song if necessary.
Do you compose in a certain environment? It usually happens in my studio.
Have you done any covers live? We used to do Dead Souls by Joy Division live.
What language do you sing in? English.
What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs? The least would probably be 80-100, and the most maybe 500.
What ages are most of your concert attendants? 20-50
Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary? We mix it up a lot. We are currently doing all new material from our latest album Tranzendance.
Do you have a regular place you play live often? No. We don't play live that often. We are very selective.
What was your first gig like? A lot of fun. We opened for The Strand.
What was your latest gig? We played at Valley Bar in November 2015.
Have you had to cancel a gig? No. We did have to move a show once though, due to the venue breaching the contract.
Where have you played live this year? We are doing a DJ set this Saturday 3/19/16 at Shadowplay.
Where do you plan to gig the coming year? That remains to be seen. I would love to do more shows throughout the USA. It is kind of strange that we have toured in Europe and Japan, but not much in our own country.
When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale? We have a merch page on our website. We sell CDs, hair fascinators, dog tags, necklaces, booty shorts, T shirts, Tank tops, stickers, posters, etc.
Where can people buy your merchandise? http://bellalune.net/merch
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? I am fine with it. In fact, people can name their own price (with no minimum) for our latest album. If they want to download it for free, they can get it directly from us here: https://bellalune.bandcamp.com/
How do you think the music industry has changed because of this? It is becoming harder and harder to be a musician, from a financial standpoint. Even many well-known major label bands have day jobs.
What do you think of my work? I think it is fantastic that you are spreading the word about new and underground music to your readers.
How do you think and know that this interview will help you in the music business? It may generate some new interest with your readers.
Do you have any role models or idols? Robert Smith from The Cure and Liz Frazier from The Cocteau Twins are two of my favorite musicians/vocalists.
Why do you think that they exist? They are creative people who are driven by the need to make music.
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? Both. There is a lot of great new music coming out. Its very exciting.
What have been your biggest obstacles? Not having a booking agent is probably the top obstacle right now, to be honest.
What advice would you give other bands or artists? Do it for the love of the music or you will get burnt out.
How do you get psyched for a gig? Lots of practice.
Do you have any new material? We are writing our 5th album now, and will be releasing it 1-2 songs at a time throughout the year.
What are your web sites? Official website: http://bellalune.net/
How can people reach you? By email: [email protected]
What are your plans for the future? Keep writing, producing, performing, and marketing ourselves.
Do you have something to add? No, thanks.
