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Blair R. Fischer
July 15, 1999
From rollingstone.com
The name Celia Green won't mean much to alternative
music junkies. At the same time, the names Blind Melon, Pearl Jam
and
Candlebox should strike some familiar chords.
Those bands represent the esteemed lineage of a new Seattle band called
Luma,
though it's the singer-guitarist for the obscure
band that's fronting this outfit.
"Some people say to me, 'oh, is Chris the new
singer,'" says Christopher Thorn, guitarist for Luma and former member
of Blind Melon, referring to one-time Celia Green frontman Chris Shinn.
"And I say, 'no, I'm Chris' new guitar player.' This is a
completely new band. It's not the continuation
of Blind Melon or anything like that."
It does seem that way, though. With fellow former
Blind Melon member Brad Smith on bass andonetime Pearl Jam and Candlebox
member Dave Krusen on drums, it appears like at least the continuation
of Mad Season -- until you hear them.
The quartet has only a vague similarity to Blind
Melon and more in common with Radiohead than any grunge act. "I thought
Blind Melon were a great band," Shinn says, "but it wasn't something I
kept in my car. We are totally different and I wouldn't be doing it if
it wasn't."
Early material recorded in Thorn's and Smith's home studios has a melancholic art-pop feel with ethereal harmonies and trippy instrumentation. "Brad likes to call it 'millennium rock'," says Shinn. "It's intelligent alternative."
One unintelligent decision, however, may have been the band's name, which is sure to be confused with the alt-pop group Luna. "I didn't even know anything about the band until people started saying, 'Luna?,'" Thorn says. "And then I went, 'oh, no.' I forgot about that band. You know, it's possible the name will change. At this point, the record isn't out, and if we have to make a name change, we have to make a name change."
The band has been in talks with a slew of record
labels -- Capitol, Mercury, Atlantic, Hollywood and Giant, among them --
about inking a deal. In the meantime, the band is considering releasing
an album via its web site (www.luma.net) before the
year's out. The band has also been playing shows
sporadically in the Pacific Northwest and recording new material at its
leisure.
"The way records are made today, it's tough,"
Thorn says. "You write songs and for the month that you book the studio
time, you're supposed to be at your most creative. You know what? What
if you're just not f---ing creative that month? You're f---ed."