Oslo, Norway act Lukestar initially grouped during 2002, and issued a debut EP entitled "Code: Distance". In 2004, inaugural album "Alpine Unit" arrived. Jr. Ewing guitarist Erlend Mokkelbost, alongside producers Tommy Hjelm and Kjetil Draugedalen, aided the process. A video was filmed in support of "It's O.K. Amigo", with the album culminating in tours of the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, and seeing the group perform alongside the likes of AFI, Jr.Ewing, Delaware, Amulet, and Surferosa.
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UG: Could you talk me through the formation of Lukestar, and the motives behind the formation?
Lukestar initially began as kids fooling around, and that was at the age of twelve. We're in our mid twenties as of 2008, and that's the only difference between then and now. The Nirvana revolution swept us up somewhat, and we were inspired by the beauty of simplistic pop-melodies wrapped up in energetic rock fur. Nowadays, we're inspired by many various acts. Lukestar aims to pen music which still lends us the spine chills of a long lost youth.
A press release issued in support of 'Lake Toba' states that Lukestar possess "an ambience akin to Blonde Redhead, Sigur Ros or Mew yet with the pop sensibilities of early Weezer". Do you agree with such sentiments?
Those are all humbling acts to be compared to. Of those groups, Mew is the only outfit we haven't listened to much. We share the pop-aesthetics of Weezer, I think; we aim to author a catchy pop tune, and wrap it within a noisy packaging. We're all huge fans of Blonde Redhead, and have been since the release of 2000's 'Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons'. We also opt towards high pitched vocals, and I guess that's why comparisons were made between Lukestar and Sigur Ros. The high pitched vocals aside, Sigur Ros dwell within slightly mellower territory in comparison to us. As we grow old and wrinkly, our music might possibly become mellower.
Lukestar also reportedly take influence from such diverse sources as Medieval mythical creatures and post rock. In what ways do they influence Lukestar, and what other influences does the group particularly cite?
Mostly, the Medieval influence lies within our lyrical content. Fables, and mysticism, are certainly two subjects which fascinate us. In our music, we strives towards a somewhat other-worldly atmosphere. Post rock is a pretty vague term - who really understands its actual meaning? Although pop tunes form the basis of the music we pen, we want the music which lies underneath the melodies to be additionally engaging, as opposed to merely being a simple accompaniment to the vocals. In writing such music, we likely draw influence from groups which could possibly be labelled as post rock. Other overt influences upon our material would be (in random order); nature, Destiny's Child, black metal, defunct Ohio group Guided by Voices, and Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdal.
"The Medieval influence lies within our lyrical content."
Our inaugural EP is a culmination of Lukestar's earlier years, whilst 'Alpine Unit' is a good record. We're proud of that album, but feel that it didn't live up to our potential in the way 'Lake Toba' has. Birthing 'Alpine Unit' was a lengthy process, halted by production difficulties. It's a good album however, and we still perform several of its tracks during live concerts.
This culminated in tours of the UK and mainland Europe, so what are your memories of these tours?
Of those tours, we have extremely fond memories. We embarked upon several tours in Spain; when it comes to performing live, that is likely the one country we love the most. Spanish individuals are so warm and generous, not to mention charmingly unorganized. We were in Spain for several weeks during September and October, and we loved our time in the country. The United Kingdom is also a great country, and we've performed some great shows in that country as well. We particularly love the Scottish hills, and the Welsh rural countryside. We're returning to the UK in November, and are extremely looking forward to that time.
Could you provide an introduction to 'Lake Toba', and background information from its beginnings to its eventually completed state?
Many of 'Lake Toba''s tracks had been in existence for several years, and we'd performed those tracks live on numerous occasions. In recording the album's tracks, many parts were revised at the final moment. For example, some of "White Shade"'s melodies were authored in the studio, and that was immediately prior to cutting its parts. This lent both spontaneity and immediacy to tracks which were already of a pretty good quality, I think. That could be deemed icing on the cake, I guess, and that's what 'Alpine Unit' possibly lacks.
Carl Vikman helmed production. How did he come to produce, and why was he specifically chosen for the role?
Carl had produced a few groups whom we happened to be really big fans of, and that material is mainly comprised of punk rocks acts like Trapdoor Fucking Exit and Seven Feet Four. Furthermore, we had previously worked together upon an album by Kaospilot, which is another group I'm a member of. From a technical perspective, Carl is extremely reliable and sufficient. Additionally, he's an extremely creative individual that contributes to a track's overall sound. With producers, that's a fine line. They need to possess both those qualities, but cannot get greatly involved in the music. Carl can document material from a slight distance, and lend creative focus, which is collectively a perfect balance.
Musically speaking, what colours and textures does 'Lake Toba' opt towards?
'Lake Toba' is a melodic indie rock album, and boasts simple, hopefully catchy tunes. At the same time, we attempted to lend the record a floating ambience. Driving guitars and drums form the music's basis, and that is coupled against high-pitched vocals as well as some reverberated keyboards.
Inaugural single "White Shade" was issued in Norway during late 2007. Could you talk through the filming of "White Shade"'s music video, and the meaning behind its lyrical content?
In support of "White Shade"'s music video, we travelled to a farm our friend owns, and that farm is located just north of Oslo in a valley called Maridalen. The farm's scenery is extremely beautiful, but especially during the fall, and that's when the video was filmed. We boasted very few specific ideas, and no script - we just wanted a simple video based upon gorgeous forest locations. For several days, we just stayed at the farm, spoke to the horses, drank coffee, and occasionally made improvised shots in the nearby woods. It was a great time. As far as the track's lyrics are concerned, they're difficult to logically explain. It would be better if people read "White Shade"'s lyrics, and formed their own opinions.
"Lukestar initially began as kids fooling around, and that was at the age of twelve."
That has certainly changed the group's notoriety in Norway. Following "White Shade", two further singles were playlisted via national radio, and that has definitely enhanced our Norwegian profile. It opened many doors, and we now perform at greater clubs, and play countless festivals. During 2008's summer, we performed at most of the central Norwegian festivals. We'll never become accustomed to performing before thousands of music fans at outdoor festivals, I think. That's certainly much fun, and extremely inspiring. Spending your time travelling, and coping with the logistics associated with being part of a touring group, is also exhausting. Of course though, it's always worth it.
Sophomore single "The Shade You Hide" has also been issued, so what does that track's lyrical content delve into?
As previously stated, we prefer individuals to draw their own lyrical interpretations. A video was actually filmed in support of the track, though we disliked the eventual result. For that reason, it wasn't released. Following that, a video was cut in support of our third single. That third single was the album's title song, and we're extremely happy with the video itself. Semi-animated, the video was made by our very talented good friends in Mads Hornsletten and Steffen Saether-Larsen.
What live plans do Lukestar have, and what aims do Lukestar have when performing at concerts?
At the moment, we're in New York so that we can perform at the CMJ music marathon. Since this is our first North American trek, we're really excited about that. Following that, we'll tour Germany, France, Benelux, England and Scandinavia during November - before 2008 ends, we have many good plans lined up. When performing live, our aim is (aside from correctly performing the songs) to connect with the audience in some way. Each concert differs, though if you perform in front of thousands, or before fifteen punks at a squat, then you have to gain the appropriate feeling, and communicate with the audience through passion. Otherwise, performing live is pointless.
Where do you feel 'Lake Toba' stands in Lukestar's musical evolution?
We're extremely satisfied with 'Lake Toba', and we're really proud of the album. After issuing a record, it's extremely rare for musicians to be 100% happy with the results I think. In making 'Lake Toba' though, we cut the greatest album we could. For us, this is an extremely exciting phase, as we don't really know where our music will take us next. We're looking forward to entering our rehearsal space, as we know 'Lake Toba's follow up will be great. The feel and chemistry within Lukestar has never been as good as it is right now - maybe we'll just title our next album 'Feelgood'?
Interview by Robert Gray
