Luna Luna | Live on the JME Soundstage

Attempting to label Austin, Texas band Luna Luna using any contemporary sonic descriptor — say: indie, dream pop, fusion, retro dance pop, etc. — is a reductive exercise. The band draws on such a wide array of influences to craft their sound, that striking a bullseye with an apt characterization can feel like trying to hit a moving target from song to song — and often within the same song.

Originally a Garageband and iPhone-fueled solo project of songwriter Kevin González, Luna Luna’s 2018 debut, the eclectic For Lovers Only generated a fair amount of buzz within community-driven streaming spaces like Soundcloud. That newfound popularity demanded González form a band.

Subsequent releases, 2019’s Carousel and 2021’s Flower Moon fuse funk, hip-hop, ’80s pop and all manner of danceable beats. The latter record, which, despite dropping in the midst of the pandemic, only increased the band’s visibility.

During a recent cross-country tour, Luna Luna stopped by WJCT Studios to perform two songs — the dreamy, bilingual ballad “Commitment” and the funkified “Golden” — on the JME Soundstage. The group also discussed their arguably meteoric rise and how their latest full-length, Flower Moon, came together during the pandemic. Hit play above to watch the full performance.

Credits:

Kevin González – Vox, Synth

Kaylin Martínez – Drums

Ryan Gordon – Bass

Danny Bonilla – Vox, Keys

Brennan Shrestha – Guitar

Host: Matthew Shaw

Audio Engineer: Cheikh Walker-Williams

Mix/Master: Luna Luna

Cameras: Rich Conner, David Luckin, Andrew Weichman

Editor: Rich Conner