What was the beginning point for your music career? How did it all start?
We think 2010 is the year where LunariaN was really born after several changes in the past. Funnily enough Rivelino, Willy, and Ekky met each other through a website called Kaskus, which at the time it was sort of like Indonesian Reddit. We also met our first guitarist from there, before it was replaced by Anink a year later.
We released an EP in 2011 called Experimental Thinking through Phoenixx Records in Manchester-UK, performing from stage to stage in Indonesia, before for some reason we had to pause in 2014. Last year we picked up the pace again, finished our first album which will be out this May, while releasing 1 song each month since January. Currently we’re planning a small tour to promote it after its release.
Was there any bumps on the road? What kind of challenges did you have to deal with?
As an independent band, money is obviously one of them, we were unable to accept offers to do some independent tours in the past because of it. Apart from that, the hiatus we did in 2014 until 2021 was mostly because each of us had to settle a few things of our own first.
We’re quite happy that after several years, we still feel like this band is worth it, in fact we would say that this band is more like a family.
What was the most fulfilling and satisfying moment so far?
So far it’s the finishing of the 1st album. It’s yet to be released until this June, but we as the musicians behind it are really happy with the result. It’s really something that represents us, where we are headed, we are confident with it and it will lead us to the next steps ahead.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
We always say that you can try to imagine a mix of Bloc Party or SoaD’s guitar riffs, the eerie Radiohead’s Amnesiac ambience, and Devin Townsend’s eccentricity into one, and then add some splash of European traditional music and underlying quirky electronic sound.
What is your creative process like?
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
We do not want to change anything in the industry, never crossed our mind anyway, however, about the listeners, it would be a world with more dynamics if people would dig for good music instead of just listening from the radio or the recommended playlists produced by streaming platforms’ algorithms.
If you were asked to give a piece of advice to upcoming bands, what would that be?
Don’t stop, keep going even when it’s slow, you’d be surprised how much you’d have learned if you kept pushing.
What has been the best performance of your career so far?
Last March in a bar called Star Live! in Kemang, South Jakarta. That was a blast!
If you didn’t become a musician, what would you be doing now?
If we had not gotten into music, Rivelino probably would have become a scientist, Ekky would have pursued a teaching career abroad, Willy would still be teaching music, and Anink would have been pursuing career in some sort of NGO – he loves that.
What is new with the band at the moment? What are you currently working on and would like to share with the world?
We’ve released 4 singles so far since January, and what’s left is the album. It will be released in June, and we plan to do a release party for it.
