It’s the cardinal rule of songwriting: never let your audiences get bored. Some artists will opt for the fiercest grooves they can muster to combat this, others will spin narratives into records. Alexander Luck finds his balance in ambition.
Recently splitting from his band Wet Bandits, the New Zealand artist doesn’t allow himself to be bounded by genre or style. Rather, he navigates music’s many corners, searching for new textures to channel his creative vision through. Each track is unique yet bounded together by his defining sonic sensitivity. It’s music that you truly can’t turn away from.
As a songwriter you have one main job: keep your audience listening. Alexander Luck has journeyed to the ends of music, and back, to do so. Soft songs that burn through with a comforting honesty, his work is utterly captivating.
Charging through the last two years with the Wet Bandits, Luck recently turned his attentions back to his roots, setting out on a solo endeavour. It wasn’t until lockdown struck that the songwriter was able to fully immerse himself in his new material. The isolation allowed for deeper reflections, more rich nuances, while the added downtime gave leeway to more ambitious melodies. What emerged was his most formidable work yet, The New Deep.
Marking his final debut from the group, the Alexander Luck and Wet Bandits’ nine-track collaboration is a shining example of the artist’s musical reach. These are songs that command space; conjuring their surroundings, defining the edges with soft hooks and sultry acoustics, and then flooding the soundscape with biting nuance. With lyrics that candidly trace the edges of our everyday, the EP boasts a cadence that’s impossible to ignore.
View this post on Instagram
There’s a link in my bio to the full video+a stems/beat download if you fancy. Take care out there 🌻
It’s as though he’s experimenting with his art but using the same colours. Each work emerges distinct in its own way, a new addition that you wouldn’t expect. Yet, these pieces are painted using only blue, a sonic colour that is uniquely Alexander Luck’s. It’s adventurous yet comforting, almost like travelling around the world and finally returning home.
Citing Kings of Leon, Ben Howard, RHCP, and Chet Faker as his influences, Luck’s work certainly doesn’t leave you wanting for more. Yet somehow, his latest releases seem to push even further.
Toying with bass grooves and stretching the qualities of an acoustic guitar as far as they can possibly go, the man seems unstoppable. With his 2019 stacked with Europe-bounded recording sessions and a new EP on the horizon, there’s a lot more to be seen from Alexander Luck.
Check out The New Deep below.
