2022 was a highly creative year for Luke Frees, with the releases of the vulnerable opus, Most Of The Time, and the cinematic and emotive new, If There Ain’t A Heaven, so when we heard that the rising star was kicking off the new year with the release of Moonshine Queen, we couldn’t wait to listen!
Immersing us with a vibrant and unique dark wave meets and alternative rock vibe, Luke Frees opens Moonshine Queen with high octane, textured drum riffs and atmospheric, brooding vocals as he shares narrative-driven and reflective prose.
We can always count on Luke Frees to bring to life his unique brand of storytelling, and Moonshine Queen is no exception. We appreciate the depth of the tale, and the personal elements that Luke Frees sheds a light on. The guitar riffs are exquisite, adding dimensionality to the composition, and the 80s inspired drums give the track a beating heart which echoes the story of the song as Luke sings about “dancing alone with the Moonshine Queen.”
Luke describes the opus as “a dark, emotional, and cathartic song that was inspired by the industrial and post-punk sounds of groups like Boy Harsher, Depeche Mode, and Bowie’s Berlin era.” He confesses, “The lyrics describe the breakdown of a relationship through the metaphor of alcoholism.”
Mid-way through the piece, we are taken on a more transcendental journey with whirring electronica detailing that gives us dynamism, as Luke transforms his flow to share a charismatic and passionate delivery. His references to Bowie’s Berlin era makes total sense, although, as we have said before, Luke Frees is establishing his own unique identity.
The final reprise is super emotive as Luke shares his soul with a robust and commanding essence, before the song breaks down with glitched vocals as our protagonist sings evocatively, “I guess at this point, I should be glad that I survived…”
Luke elaborates on his art by telling us, “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.”
The single also comes with a b-side is a cover of Nick Cave’s Red Right Hand, and we have added both songs to our New Music Spotlight, whilst we continue to stream Luke Frees‘ wider discography!