It’s safe to say there’s an unspoken sense of relief among the members of Lunarette as they approach the beginning of a hard-fought second act. The Queens-based quartet rose slowly out of the ashes of beloved indie pop troupe Gingerlys, choosing to take their time as they whittled away at a new sound—and, ultimately, a new identity. Out of that fruitful woodshedding period comes a soon-to-be-released five-song EP entitled Clair de Lunarette. Working again with Connor Hanwick (The Drums), Clair’s immediate charms will surely please fans of their prior entanglements while also promising an exciting path forward.
“Lucky One,” the single the band’s sharing with us today, sees Lunarette trade the jangly dual guitar attack of their previous outfit for a softer, more new-wave focused approach without losing their uncanny knack for huge pop hooks. In fact, shades of vocalist Jackie Mendoza’s synth-y solo work appear throughout, as bright keys and a slippery drum machine break form the song’s infectious backbone. As with previous single “Austin St.,” the foursome seem to be grappling with impermanence and change and the tough choices one has to make as they cross over into adulthood. It’s a promising start for a crew of musicians who seem very eager to start a new chapter.
“‘Lucky One’ was the first song Lunarette wrote as a new band,” Mendoza shares. “When we decided to leave Gingerlys and start our new band we felt like we had disappeared, or like we had gone missing. We thought about runaways, or people who leave home to start a new life somewhere else and how freeing but lonely that must feel. ‘Lucky One’ is about not recognizing your surroundings except for the stars in the sky; the constellations are familiar and help guide you like a compass.”
Lunarette’s debut EP Clair de Lunarette is out via indie heavy hitters Babe City and Topshelf Records on March 19. You can pre-order it here.
