Luna Rosa to release new EP Brutal Nature and play hometown gig

Corby alternative quartet Luna Rosa are back with a new EP and headline hometown gig next weekend.

The band release six-track record Brutal Nature on Friday, June 17, the day before playing The Clubhouse in the town.

Brutal Nature features the title track alongside the songs I In The Centre of Pride, Corrugated Steel, Empty, Drown In Your Love and MK Ultra.

Talking about the title track, McDade says it’s about “meeting your maker at the crossroads.”

Adding: “(It’s) the questioning of the fragility and brutality of our own nature.

“It’s the turmoil and the triumph of that internal war.

“An exorcism of any engrained said to be truth. You at your finality.

“It’s the redemption and celebration of spirit, it’s our Diana Ross’ I’m Coming Out.”

If Brutal Nature is a punishing post-punk assault, on other areas of the EP, the band vary the sound to suit the themes and emotions of each song.

“Some are raucous and unforgiving with no let up for they’re filled with angst, while others take on a slower more reflective mood,” explains McDade.

“Empty takes a more laid-back softer approach, it’s about those two contrasting voices in your head and how they struggle against each other, we tried to create that contrast within the verses and chorus.

“There’s a line, My mind plays Houdini with me, which I feel sums it up, it’s about you holding the key and the ability to lock yourself away but also the power to break yourself free.”

Singer and guitarist McDade is joined in Luna Rosa by singer and bassist Callum Connachie, guitarist Aidan Furey and drummer Jack Connolly.

The EP, which has been preceded by new single of the same name, was recorded at Magic Garden Studios in Wolverhampton, with Gavin Monaghan at the helm.

Two years in the making, frontman Rory McDade says he can’t wait for the record to be finally released.

“There’s nothing worse than sitting on a batch of songs that no one can listen to yet, it’s quite infuriating,” he explains.

“We’re very happy with the outcome, in terms of song writing and the quality of this EP we’ve upped our game and really taken this band to a new level.”

Talking about working with Monaghan – who has produced records by the likes of Robert Plant, Editors and Ocean Colour Scene - and in the Black Country city, he said: “Gavin is a real visionary, he has an incredible aptitude of taking a song and elevating it to its highest peak while staying true to the song, it was a real pleasure and learning experience working with him.

“Recording in Wolverhampton also helped us as we relate to it, it’s got a real industrial feel and this isn’t an insult or a negative but it’s bleak. It’s working class but the people fill you with a hope, humour and enlightenment that a lot of ‘high end’ places can’t attain, which again felt very much like home. Our purpose and reasoning felt natural there.”

For the video to Brutal Nature, Luna Rosa teamed up with the Corby Cube and videographer Michael Pheasant.

Keen to champion the people and facilities in their hometown, McDade adds the arts feel under represented in the area, with a passionate group of people trying to keep its music scene and nightlife alive.

He adds: “I thought by collaborating we could create a genuine professional looking piece that may inspire people in the area not only to create music but any art in general, ensuring that there will be another wave after them to keep art alive.

“If we can do it then anyone can. When you see people from your area making it happen it makes it more believable and attainable, it boosts the faith in yourself and hopefully makes them proud of where they’re from.

“Corby’s filled with talented and creative people but there’s not enough platforms or support to help them fulfil their potential, sometimes people just need a little bit of belief to spark motivation.

“The Cube helped us with this vision and understood the need for it, we’re very grateful they did. “Also, big shout out to Michael Pheasant who filmed and put the whole video together, he understood the project completely and executed it to a tee.”

Brutal Nature is being released on Vandalism Begins At Home records, a label McDade first discovered while picking up the magazine of the same name at Esquires in Bedford.

He adds, it was the DIY ethos of the label which attracted Luna Rosa, explaining the label is “in it for the music and the music only.”

“(There’s a) lot of shady creeps in the business that want to intervene on what you’re creating, concerned more with how you look and if you’ve done the latest TikTok trend,” he explains.

“The genuine belief and support they give us just gives us the space and time to create better music.”

On Saturday, June 18, Luna Rosa will be joined by Phantom Isle and Mundays at The Clubhouse.

Looking ahead to the show, McDade said: “We can’t wait, we always love the Corby crowds. “(They’ve) got to be some of the wildest people out there and its always filled with friends and family so it’s a proper party.”

Following the EP launch, Luna Rosa will be playing numerous gigs and festivals between now and September.

They also plan to release a remix EP which will feature remixes by Jay Russell from Yard Act, Off Peak from Northampton and Rise Bailey Rise who is from the Milton Keynes area.

McDade said: “Just hearing back people’s perception of your own song Is interesting. They’ve all created something very unique.

“You listen to their remixes and wish you’d thought of some parts yourself because they work better than our own. It’s been a bittersweet experience.”

Advance tickets cost £5 and are available via https://theclubhousemusicvenue.co.uk/event/luna-rosa

For more information about Luna Rosa, visit https://www.facebook.com/Lunarosaband

Luna Rosa will play the following gigs in June and July:

17th June - Music Barn Festival - Kettering

18th June – The Clubhouse - Corby

30th June - Moto GP - Silverstone

9th July - Right To Roam Festival - Bolton

15th July - The Castle - Newport Pagnell

22nd July - The Castle – Manchester

30th July – Fiddlers Elbow – London (Camden Rocks)

31st July – Twinfest - Northampton