Lunarcode was formed during the pandemic when Ronny Minuche (guitars) and Vincenzo Carubia (vocals) began constructing melodies in Los Angeles. Jason Booth (drums), later joined, and Lunarcode was born by blending a variety of styles together in the name of art.
The most recent release from Lunarcode will have fans submerged in heightened senses as they launch their latest single and video for “Heartbreak.” Dissecting the lyrical content at hand, Lunarcode can be heard dancing around topics such as the act of dating in the age of social media and their reflection on how it occasionally appears that we may not be doing enough.
With the tantalizing narrative of “Heartbreak,” dousing their cinematic component in a chronicle that tells a tale indicating the struggles exposed through their subject matter, we find ourselves relating to the cinematic appeal as they dive into the despondency that the protagonist in this video is handling. Hues of blue and gold administer an enigmatic essence as we fixate ourselves upon the visuals exploring an energy-packed live band performance with the members dressed to kill. Panning between their lively illuminate set, we see the protagonist taking her rage to the boxing ring as she transitions between her frustrations in the gym and as she floats amongst the enticingly edgy song progressing through our speakers.
Swimming in the rage filtered through the fusion of the sonic and visual effects showcased, we can’t take our eyes off of the screen as our senses collide. Lunarcode has nailed their inclusive quintessence through the opulence shimmering around charismatic guitar riffs, tight drum patterns, and vocals that offer a grippingly raw emotion as they plea in confusion. “Heartbreak” seizes the battle of oneself in love.
Diving into the ingenious pairing of your music video and single for, “Heartbreak,” we admire the detail that went into this masterpiece! Could you please share with us what it was like on set fulfilling the creative direction you had envisioned?
Masterpiece!! wow. So flattered. We knew for the first video we wanted to keep it simple while still making a powerful statement. The intro scene was added at the last minute on the day of in order to add to the emotional internal struggle of our lead played by Jessica Gillette. Jessica is a photographer and boxer who brought a unique flair to the video. Partnering up with her in the direction of the video was an easy decision and one we're really happy about. The most important thing for me as the lyricist (Vincenzo Carubia) was that the power of the words was conveyed in the shots, location, and performance. I myself consider the piece pretty iconic and memorable with a driving force and message that is easily relatable. It's all about inner struggle and frustration. There were a couple of alternative scenes and shots that we had on our schedule to shoot, but in the end, we thought we had enough to get our message across.
What is it like for you to tap into the vulnerable sector of art as you continue to portray relatable content for your fan base?
For me personally, as a film director/songwriter it comes naturally but it's definitely a process and comes at a price. This also taps a bit into the first question in terms of relatability. Music is a subjective experience. Everyone connects to it differently. Sometimes you hear the song and you can dig it, but when you see the visual with it, it takes it to another level. I can remember times when I saw videos that made me love a song that I normally did not care about at all. I don't think that's the case with our song as I feel we created a strong relatable hook which is important. So my goal was to really capture the energy of the song. It's really easy and affordable to grab your friend and a camera to just shoot a video and get it out, but as a storyteller myself it became a super important opportunity for us to really create something visually memorable and beautiful. Especially as our first video as a band. The video became just as important as the song itself, and I feel that we should and will carry that mentality moving forward into our future videos as well.
How did each person contribute to the overall sound and vision achieved? How do you feel about the outcome of “Heartbreak?"
From the beginning, I myself came in with an extensive background in film and television. Ronny Minuche (guitar) had a lot more relationships with working producers and an understanding of the music industry through the years of touring he has under his belt. He has the music thing down pretty solid, so it was a great collaboration from the start. Ronny has the grip on the music side of production and I support his decisions 100 percent and help him in making them as well and as for me I pretty much handle the visual component of things such as music videos and I edit them myself as well as our BTS documentary footage and rehearsals. Jason contributes heavily to the rhythm parts as well as the structure and design of the song in rehearsals. He is very supportive and heavily involved in the direction and evolution of Lunarcode and we all have a good time together. The chemistry is there for sure. In terms of the sound of "Heartbreak", working with Neil Engle was a fantastic experience. He was so welcoming from the start and super excited to bring it to life the way we envisioned it and beyond. Visually, Justin Aguirre brought his A-game when filming the video. He always shows up and performs with a willingness to help that is pretty unmatched. I've paired myself up with him multiple times and you will be seeing more of our videos from Justin moving forward. Highly recommended.
Are there any memorable moments from the creation of both the song and video that you felt enhanced the experience?
The video was memorable because it was a milestone for us. Our first video, like how unforgettable is that! That moment is priceless and I feel we really grabbed it by the horns and gave everything we had as a team. As for the music, The process was pretty easygoing. We recorded in Portland which we had never been to and had some pretty bomb tacos that Ronny still talks about. Watching each other in the studio can be pretty surreal seeing everyone in their element. Jason, layering his drums gave me chills I remember that. Ronny laying down 41 guitar tracks on one song with a sense of ease and passion was just unreal. There's never a moment when I watch him perform that I don't thank god for meeting him and being creative partners. It's a true adventure and great dynamic the three of us have. Ronny has said watching me sing in the booth is exciting too. I did get choked up a bit when I edited our BTS footage. It all just became so real. Also receiving the first mix of one of our songs I definitely cried. Now we have 4 tracks produced due to being released throughout the year, and I just think, this train is definitely moving and fast. Here we go. I'm totally here for the ride.
What can we expect to see next?
More songs! More Videos! And now that the world is starting to open back up we are really focused on our marketing and performances. We are scheduled to shoot our next video in April and the release date of that single has yet to be released. However, we welcome fans and supporters to begin to follow us!