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Interviewed by: Barbara Slossen |
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I would like to thank Luke for taking the time out to talk to me. We had a bit of a time getting everything together for the interview but it was well worth the wait. “Night Kills the Day” is a band that will not disappoint. Barbara: Tell us about the name of you band, Night Kills the Day. Luke: The name of the band “Night Kills the Day” there’s the dichotomy of man, the duality of man. It is like light and dark. It is all encompassing the human experience so to speak, and that struggle between the light and the dark. I just think “Night Kill the Day” is a pretty cool name for us. It sums us up in some ways. It could also be looked at either way. It can be looked at 2 ways it can be reversed. Depending on how you look at it, you know. Barbara: That pretty much sums up life. You are either happy or sad. Barbara: From what we have read about you, it seems that the members of this band have lived a pretty rough life. The band has experienced everything from the 911 attacks; to a father being killed by a drunk driver to testing the abilities of God. Tells how all this fits into your music and how has everyone has coped. Luke: It basically fits into our music because it is our music. I think the music is one of many ways that helps us cope you know with life. Everyone is coping with life. We all have crosses to bear. Either you accept them or you don’t. This band is made of people that have learned to accept their crosses in life and tried to remain positive and to grow from all those experiences. I think that some of the most trying times in our life individually have shaped us into who we are now in a positive way. There are many personal ways to cope with life. For me the simplest most natural way is to create. There is energy and either you can use that energy to destroy yourself or use that energy to create something. Even if that thing you are creating might look destructive. The job of every artist is to translate their human experience into a form of art. The form of art that our band does together is we play music together. And, we get to perform and that is a very great release for us all. Barbara: And fulfilling a dream! Luke: And fulfilling a dream 100%. And the challenge of that. Which is intriguing and it is also fulfilling and it is also occupying. It occupies the mind. It is all good stuff. Barbara: The Study of Man...And The Developed Shadow, your debut album on Score Records, releases March 27. Tell us a little about this album. Your best sales pitch to sell it to our readers. Luke: There is a chameleon type of appeal to this album. I think as people we are chameleon like in many ways. I think this album is about removing the many masks that people have on. To find out who we truly are. We are still in that process. I know that a lot of love and dedication a lot of pain a lot of life has been put into this one album. For me personally, it is a powerful experience. I hope that translates into other people and they experience that as well. We have definitely put our heart and soul into this album and we will continue to do so. Barbara: And on that note, I listened to the entire CD and I have to say I liked every song on it. Luke: Well, Thank you very much. I really appreciate that. Barbara: You have a tour coming up towards the end of March. How are you preparing for this tour? Luke: As a band, we are an extremely hard working band. We have the basics down. Aside from that, we also do a lot of mental preparations together and individually. The live part of our experience as a band is an extremely important one to us. We try to translate a lot in those 30 or 35 minute sets. I think it is all body, mind and spirit. I think we do hard work, and we try to stay pure. We try to keep our body, mind and spirit in sync so that it can translate. So we can hopefully touch people and connect with people. Barbara: Speaking of the tour, what is the one item that you will most definitely not be leaving home without? Luke: Definitely, I am sorry but it is my eyeliner. Barbara: Who or what are your influences? It doesn’t have to be musically, just people or things that have influenced your life. Luke: First and foremost it is my life experiences. I have had an amazingly, colorful and interesting life so far. Music has been there with me my entire life. There are a lot of bands that have influenced me. I have to say my mother too. My mother was a Dominican nun. She is a well studied person in Theology and Psychology and she is a woman of deep faith. She is very human, she is very imperfect. She has influenced me in many ways. She has pointed me in a lot of the right directions. That has been a big influence. Aside from that certain people like Timothy my best friend he is part of the band and been with me since I was 5 years old. He has been a big influence and supporter of me my whole life. Unfortunately, every one of my vices are huge influences on me creatively; even if I no longer use those vices. I love mysticism and I am very into theology. And last but not least my dark inner life is a big influence on me. Barbara: Describe your music in one word. Luke: I would have to say “REAL” Luke: Izzy is definitely a pure soul. Oh, I can have fun with this! Ha! Ha! Barbara: Oh, sure you can! Luke: Timothy is my best friend, and Roger is definitely the”real man” of the band. I won’t tell you what they call me. Barbara: We have found that most musicians have a very eclectic taste in music. If we were to rummage through your music library, what would be the most obscure CD we would find? Luke: How about “The Beach Boys”? Barbara: Getting back to your upcoming release, tell us about the song Rainbows in NYC. Luke: NYC itself is a very big theme of the album. More so the Underground. That song is about the city behind the city. It is about what is going on behind all those walls. There is definitely a strong sexual vibe in that song. Barbara: You recently finished a video for "Dive", the first single off of The Study of Man... with director Darren Doane. How did that go? Luke: It was a cool experience. It was our first video. Darren Doane was like the coolest person I have met in a long time. He is no longer doing videos. Our video was the last one he did. When we were done with the 2 day shoot him and his team brought me and the band out to dinner. I had a very long intense conversation with Darren Doane. He is definitely a person I respect. Barbara: "Enjoy The Ride..." has a lot of anger in it and at the same time a fight to stay alive. I felt it is was inspired by the death of your father and the test of God's abilities. Luke: 100%. That song was a recreation of my fathers’ death that actually happened when I was 16 years old. The first time I ever drove. That song is about when I got behind the wheel. I literally just pinned the car. There was a person in the car with me and it is me speaking to that person while I am driving this car with the intention of crashing it. I am challenging God. I am like ok, let me see what you are made of. That was a person recreating a situation that happened to him. It was a pretty intense experience. I was actually in 4 accidents. Barbara: If you were not in a band, where do you think you would be? Luke: I’m not a good what if person. I think that comes from my father’s death. Let’s just say I didn’t play music or something. The next phase of my life, I would probably go to India. Just to become very un-americanized. On a deeper level, I know what I am getting myself into by being in a rock band. I know what I am getting myself into by living in NYC. There is a reason I am here. This is the capitol of the world for the human ego. I am fully aware I am diving head first into the rat race. I am doing it on purpose. When I am playing my music there is something extremely blissful and amazing about it. But, at the same time there is a lot of energy that is involved in it. I am not a monk living away from society. I’m entrenched in it. Basically all that I am singing about are all these experiences and my struggles. It definitely is a positive thing I have learned when I communicate this with other people on stage. The response has been so tremendous. Even though it deals with my dark inner life. There is a balance to it and it is rewarding. I know that the answers I am looking for at the end of the day are not the road I have chosen. It will lead me to another road. Barbara: Some fun questions. If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only listen to one Night Kills the Day song, what would it be and why? Luke: It would probably be “Blindfolded”. I put a lot of stuff into that song, it kind of sums up the whole album. If I were to take one period of my life with me, I could probably take it with me in that song. Barbara: Your tour begins March 22 in Toronto, ON and ends in Detroit Rock City on May 12 with several dates in between from NY to NC, to CA. What is the one place that you are anxiously awaiting to play? Luke: Honestly, Like every single one of them. Every one of them is going to be an amazing experience. When I get to see new faces and this is our first national tour. Every single one of them. There are so many states we have never been to. Barbara: I recently visited New York City and unfortunately, I never made it out to any of the clubs. Being that you are from there, in your opinion what is the best club that I should definitely go to on my next visit? Luke: What do you like? Barbara: Your music, rock anything except country music. Luke: There is a new place that opened downtown called “The Box”. It is one of the coolest places in the city. Barbara: That is what I wanted to know. Thanks again Luke for taking the time out to talk to us. If you make it out to SC I will definitely go to see your band. Best of luck to you. Luke: Thank You. And if we do ever make it out there be sure to get in touch with me or my publicist so we can get you some tickets. I would love for you to come see us. That is a whole different experience. So, keep in touch. I had the best time interviewing Luke. This band offers a great mix of alternative and rock with a lot of heart and soul. Watch out for their new video and be sure to check out their website.
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