Chicago-based artist Luke Frees is definitely someone you would describe as a “creative.” A photographer, a musician, a producer, and a performer, he has been releasing music since 2017 (via the debut EP, “After the Rain”). He writes music with a range of influences and aesthetics that can go from Americana Folk on an acoustic guitar to an electrified, ambient, post-punk industrial prowess. His last album “Point of You,” from 2021, is a great demonstration of this range from stripped-down acoustic tracks like “Harder to Stay” to The Clash-Esque “Let’s Just See Where the Night Takes Us” to the synth-laden “Secondhand City.”
His latest singles, “Most Of The Time” and “If There Ain´t A Heaven” (both also covered here on LT1KF) reflected more of his contemporary influences and were more “ballad-like” in nature. Each accompanied by instrumentals as B-Sides. His new single “Moonshine Queen,” slated for release on January 27th, is a venture into his post-Punk sensibilities paying homage to the likes of artists like Depeche Mode and David Bowie.
It is an emotional, darker song by comparison, and you certainly should bookmark it for your Spotify library to check out if you are a fan of any of those artists aforementioned. Like the last pair of releases, “Moonshine Queen” will be accompanied by a B-Side track, a cover of Nick Cave’s classic “Red Right Hand.”
¡OUT NOW!
The single was produced in Luke Frees’ home studio in Chicago and mastered by Garret Edson in Los Angeles. Originally titled, “Authenticity Crisis,” Frees went through about four drafts of the song prior to finding inspiration (Leonard Cohen being a big one) to complete the song as it is today.
Frees states that he wanted to be particularly mindful lyrically and get it “just right.” The lyrical content being a big part of his artistic projection, as most of his songs are kin to storytelling. In “Moonshine Queen,” he metaphorically correlates the inability part ways with a toxic relationship to alcoholism. Frees elaborates:
Luke Frees on “Moonshine Queen”
This is a very passionate song, and it’s inspired by the feelings of anger and clarity you get after coming out of a relationship that was maybe a little unhealthy. It’s a reaffirmation of my own beliefs and my own intuition, because when you’re in a relationship like that, it’s very easy to get swallowed up in your partner’s beliefs and forget your own. It’s similar to alcoholism and drinking, where you get sucked up and become a different person from those external forces, so I used that as a central metaphor in this song.
When asked about the shift to a darker tone on this release from the last, Luke Frees playfully quips:
Last month it was the love song. This month it’s the breakup song.
Frees, who has been writing songs since he was 5 years old, played all the instrumentation on the track. Vocals, bass, guitars, synthesizers, and programmed the drums. For the B-Side track, “Red Right Hand,” he recounts doing several overdubs with random objects lying around his apartment and using them for percussive instruments.
Luke Frees’ music is a great recommendation for fans of Boy Harsher, Nick Cave, The Cure, and 80’s post-punk/industrial music in general. If you are in the Chicagoland area, keep an eye out for his performances! Tune in to AMS Radio at 6pm PST during #LT1KF Indie Hour for a chance to hear “Moonshine Queen” before release!
Don’t forget to support this project and follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, SoundCloud, YouTube, and Spotify. You can also visit his official website. If you enjoy their music and are able to provide monetary support, you might consider downloading it on Bandcamp.
It also helps to stream and share their music; you can obviously find it in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Fresh Singles, Indie Only, Alterindie State Of Mind, Sickest & Dopest, and Unknown But Essentials!
Remember that you can always find me here AMS Radio for all my social media and collaborations.
P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and fresh new music you can subscribe to this blog Less Than 1,000 Followers and follow the Playlist with all the artists that we have presented here!
FOR MORE BY LUKE FREES CLICK HERE
This coverage was created via MusoSoup #Sustainablecurator
Leave a Reply