12 Mar Interview – The Luka State: “Our lyrics come from daily struggles and personal battles”

Meet a group that’s going from strength to strength.

French version here.

On the occasion of some dates shared with Last Train in France, we caught up with Conrad Ellis, frontman of The Luka State, just before their concert at Marseille’s Espace Julien.

SOB: So, we meet up again today before your concert at the Espace Julien in Marseille. People say that rock is less popular in the South of France. Many artists only play one date in France, in Paris and sometimes Lyon, and very few festivals in the South. Does this worry you, or do you see it more as a challenge?

The Luka State: I’m not worried. I mean, at the end of the day, we’re opening for Last Train, which is really big in France at the moment. It’s a challenge. No matter where I am in this country, no matter what I am, it’s a challenge to win over the crowd. It’s about expanding our fan base and making a living in the most beautiful way of all: on stage. And obviously, we’re very grateful to Last Train for doing this for us and giving us access to it. It’s very, very, very beautiful. Every show is a challenge because we have to win over these fans wherever we are in the country. So, yes, I’m not worried about that. I’m just here for the journey, paid to play the best I can.

SOB: Right after that, you’ll be in Lyon, Montpellier, Toulouse and Bordeaux with your new friends from Last Train. It’s increasingly rare to see this kind of good relationship between bands, and it’s great to see. Can you tell us about this great project of inviting them to your UK dates and inviting them to France?

The Luka State: Yes, I think it’s great that artists can form these relationships, because at the end of the day, we’re in one of the toughest industries in the world. The goals are always changing, the expectations are always changing as to what’s expected of an artist, a band, and particularly a rock’n’roll band. I think in this case, it allows us to bounce off each other. They played before us in England, and we play before them in France. That’s the beauty of forging these really special relationships and, you know, these guys are going to be friends for life, which is really wonderful, and I’m very happy about that.

SOB: We saw on the networks that you arrived a little early in Marseille! What have you been up to?

The Luka State: I love discovering new places. I’ve never been here before. And honestly, this place is close to my heart. I’m absolutely in love with it. It’s so beautiful. I can’t even imagine what this place looks like in the middle of summer, it’s just amazing. And I’m really, really in love with this place. I’m in love with the people, the town itself, the food, the culture. I even went swimming in the sea yesterday, it was beautiful. So we went for a walk by the sea, in the city. How many people can say that at this time of year? I’ll definitely be coming back to Marseille because it’s a beautiful city.

SOB: Right after this little tour, you’ll be at the Point Ephémère on March 11. This will be the fifth time you’ve played in Paris! What are your best memories of the capital?

The Luka State: I think it’s such a special and important city. I’m not downplaying other cities. But if you really start to make a name for yourself in Paris, I think everything falls into place more quickly moving forward. So yes, we’re very excited. Paris really has a special place in our hearts. Just playing there is breathtaking. I couldn’t really say that one time is better than the other, really. It’s just a really special date, always special. So we’re very excited to be going.

SOB: Your first album Fall In Fall Out was released in 2021, your second More Than This in 2023. However, you seem very attached to the EP format, as demonstrated by the latest one released on February 14. Why did you choose to release an EP? And why did you choose to call it “The Luka State”? There are some great tracks like “True Confidence Is Living” and “Give Me A Reason” that could have been great singles for a 3rd album!

The Luka State: I think it’s a return to our roots. It’s a new logo, it’s a new look, it’s a new image. And it comes with a new sound. I think with a change in direction and the introduction of electronic elements into our rock and roll bands, I think it’s important to mark what you’re doing so that people know there’s a progression and it’s moving forward. I think it’s boring and very safe to stay the same. You know, the best bands in the world right now keep changing and you have to keep moving forward. That’s not to say we’ll all be fiddling in two years’ time, but all bands change, from the Beatles to the latest bands like the Arctic Monkeys, they’re constantly evolving in the musical landscape. I think that’s very important. I’m not comparing us in any way, but I just think that staying safe and staying stuck can lead to a point where it gets a bit boring. So yes, this EP was a return to our roots for the songs, like a foretaste of what’s to come when we release this new album, which will be out in the near future. I think we probably picked the two best songs from that EP and put them on the album.

SOB: If possible, I’d like to go back over the two More Than This covers. Can you tell us why you chose them? They’re great pictures.

The Luka State: Thank you very much. And thanks to our manager who took them. We were hanging out in New York, going from place to place. And it was a bit impromptu, to be honest. But we wanted to capture the blurred lines of modern life in England at that time. It’s very depressing, to be honest. A lot of poverty, a lot of really depressing things going on that shouldn’t be going on in the modern world. And I think that’s what this record captures. And then the other cover, which depicts the young boy he is, sums up his nephew nicely. He’s just lost his father to cancer. He’s a very young boy. And the despair in these songs, what we’re singing about, he exemplifies because he’s so sweet and innocent, isn’t he? And I think that’s what the album is about. It’s about despair. Food banks, people who are poor and living off poverty.

SOB: It’s fair to say that you’re a committed band. In the clip for More Than This, for example, you put the spotlight on the homeless. In Rain, you address the issue of suicide. You’ve also supported the Music Venue Trust and its Artist Pledge program. Is it a necessity for you as a rock band to raise awareness of social issues?

The Luka State: Yes, I think it’s important to use your music as a platform. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to get on a fucking table. I’m not going to get up on a table in the middle of town and start preaching and stuff like that. But I think it’s important that these issues are brought to light. You know, there have always been groups that have done this kind of thing. And I think that’s really, really important. Art can be so powerful. Music can be so powerful. And I think we store a lot of feelings in our subconscious about how we feel about things. For example, more than that, it’s about how we feel beaten down by mental health, how we can’t talk about it. What I’m trying to do as a lyricist is to make other people feel that I’m not the only one who feels that way. Music is power. And music is education. And I think it’s very important to do things like that.

SOB: Last Train are passionate about beautiful guitars. Is this a passion you share with them? What instruments do you like to use on stage?

The Luka State: It’s true that Last Train have a multitude of beautiful guitars. I’m a guitar maniac myself. I’ve got a 1977 Fender Telecaster and a 1981 Fender Stratocaster. Lewis has a Gibson 330 or 335 I think, I’m not sure. Oh, he’ll kill me if that’s not true! So, yes, we’re very attached to our old guitars and instruments, it’s very important. And I think it’s also important for our sound. You know, at the end of the day, we’re a rock and roll band and we’re pretty raw in what we do. Our sound is that of vintage instruments, and I think that’s getting a bit lost these days. A lot of people use modulation now, and it doesn’t matter what guitar you bought. You can have a guitar from the ’60s, but you go through a fucking module. It doesn’t really matter. So it’s nice to have vintage guitars that we grew up with and can make music with.

SOB: You’re originally from Winsford, which isn’t one of the biggest towns in England. Last Train also hail from an even smaller town! Has living far from the bigger, more dynamic towns been a hindrance to your rise? Or on the contrary, is it a strength that feeds your music? A band from London might have an easier time getting discovered, but they might have less to say than you, for example.

The Luka State: What you say is really true. It really is an obstacle, in a way. I mean, because we come from a small working-class town in the north of England, we have a lot to sing about. Our lyrics come from daily struggles and personal battles. However, when it comes to the politics of the music industry, it’s not easy being in a small town, because I think for a band or artist living in a more dynamic city, it’s easier. I think it’s easier to draw crowds, to get interest from labels and all that sort of thing. I think you have to work harder when you come from a small town because you have to go to every town and you know, it’s a long way for five of us and so on. So yes, that can be an obstacle. But I think for the writing, it’s all positive.

SOB: Your links with the world of soccer are numerous: you’re featured in Dream League Soccer, you playlist matches at Old Trafford… In Marseille, there’s a strong attachment to Olympique de Marseille, the only French club to have won the Champions League. Which club do you support?

The Luka State: I’m a Manchester United fan, of course!

SOB: People here support Olympique de Marseille. And we’ve had players in common, Fabien Barthez for example!

The Luka State: It’s true! There’s also Eric Cantona, and I’d like to name my son Eric!

To find our report of The Luka State at Espace Julien, click here!