Luke Easter - new EP

I can't help but think that "How to Die Alone and Broken" is about us. By "us", I mean those of us who were on the original Tourniquet discussion zone forum and were the pioneer members on the original CMR board. Those of us who would hide behind usernames, alter egos, etc. and state our somewhat honest opinions or feelings without regard for the feelings and hard work of the actual musicians and human beings that created the music. Thank your sir, may I have another?

Excellent new interview with Luke by Doug Van Pelt -  

http://dougvanpelt.wixsite.com/heavens-metal-mag/single-post/2018/10/17/LUKE-EASTER-Exploding-with-Pop

Thanks for the heads up, what a fantastic interview that was!

If Luke pops in this thread I'd like to ask him if he has written any new demos and is this "major key" music the direction he's going for in future or has he thought about writing some minor key melancholic songs too? I mean musically melancholic. This debut EP shows he has the talent to write solid catchy songs but I miss him singing melancholic minor key melodies. Those are my jam.

Thanks for sharing, Wigeon!

Airola, I don't have anything new at the moment. I'm just getting back into writing; I've mostly been focused on The Pop Disaster. Not sure what the next batch of songs will sound like. I tend to write more in major keys, but I imagine a more melancholy, minor key song could happen.

To be honest I don't think I've heard Luke sound better than he does on this EP.  It fits his vocals perfectly.

Oh, and yes, that was a great interview.

Album still in heavy rotation and standing the test of time. Luke Easter has been a big part of my adult life. I was first exposed to him in Houston in 1993 after he joined my favorite band at that time. It was a little weird at first hearing him sing the songs I had been listening to over and over since 1990. When the first album featuring him on lead vocals came out in 1994, I immediately became a fan of his and the new, interesting direction of the band. In 1996, I petitioned my wife (fiance at the time) to have a certain beautiful love song be played at our wedding. It didn't happen for some reason or another, but that illustrates the impact that Luke's voice made on me. New things were possible, both vocally and musically. The range of mellow, clean singing combined with lower guttural vocals and high pitched screams were unique but still offered the irony and contrast I had originally grown to love. Each new album after that with Luke on vocals continued to amaze me and keep me wanting more. 2012 was no different, but we would later learn it would be the last we may hear from Luke.

Fast-forward 6 years as I popped "The Pop Disaster" CD in my truck as I began my commute to work. It was the day after the album arrived in my mailbox. I was nervous. What would it sound like? Will it live up to and am I going to compare it to past efforts? Will it be weird? Sub-par? Cheesy? The uniqueness of Luke's writing and the poppy rock sound allowed no room for comparison to anything we have heard from him before. Let's just say that by the time I got to work, the last song "Sleep" had started. I sat in the parking garage while the song finished. I was a blubbering, sobbing mess with chills and emotions that no album has ever invoked in me since the 80s, and no album has yet since. I can't wait to hear more of Luke's singing and songwriting in the future. A while back I vowed that I would not do any more crowdfunding. New campaigns by Luke Easter will most likely be the only exception to that vow based on the greatness and quality of the music and the super fast turnaround on the campaign.

Thanks, Wigeon! It means a lot to know that you and so many others are enjoying the record.

Luke Easter wrote:It's a rock record. Guitars, bass, drums and lots of vocals. Did my best to not do anything reminiscent of my old band. 

I'd say you succeeded!   

So, what is this, pop-punk?

Got to give some props to you guys, esp. Wigeon. I've never been a big TQT fan, so when their lead singer leaves and starts his own thing, I wasn't much interested. I would never have checked this out. But reading the glowing reviews here, I decided to give it a spin on Spotify. This is great! I'm loving this. Just good rock and roll, with tons of emotion in the vocal delivery. The lyrics are also really good. Someone mentioned the layers of vocals and I agree. I really like the vocal deliveries here. I've only listened through the album a few times so far, so I've got to get to know the songs better before I can decide a favorite, but my early favorite would be "Sideways". There's so much emotion in this song. But I like them all. 

So I'll add my voice to the chorus of fans of this album. This makes me eager for a full length LP.

Sabbatharian wrote:So, what is this, pop-punk?

 
No. It's just a rock record.

Follower of Jesus wrote:Got to give some props to you guys, esp. Wigeon. I've never been a big TQT fan, so when their lead singer leaves and starts his own thing, I wasn't much interested. I would never have checked this out. But reading the glowing reviews here, I decided to give it a spin on Spotify. This is great! I'm loving this. Just good rock and roll, with tons of emotion in the vocal delivery. The lyrics are also really good. Someone mentioned the layers of vocals and I agree. I really like the vocal deliveries here. I've only listened through the album a few times so far, so I've got to get to know the songs better before I can decide a favorite, but my early favorite would be "Sideways". There's so much emotion in this song. But I like them all. 

So I'll add my voice to the chorus of fans of this album. This makes me eager for a full length LP.

Thanks, FoJ. Put a lot of work into this project. happy to hear the great response.

Nice work Luke!  This is a fun album to listen to, it's got several good cruising down the road with the windows open and the music blasting tunes on it and some nice, thoughtful ballads.  I hope no one blows a gasket if I say it has a real Bon Jovi feel about it.  The good Bon Jovi before he decided he was a country singer.

Thanks! I'm cool with the Bon Jovi reference. Jon was one of the best, up to a point.

This shows pretty well how slow I am on everything.

I just recently got to listen to this one. I was pretty suspicious to it to be honest for some reason I really don´t understand now. Now I´ve been listening to it quite a lot.

There´s something.. not know how to say it right.. very appealing in this record. The sounds and music just fits in my situation and how I react to music at the moment.

So to say, this is a great record and the musical style fits perfectly with Lukes sound. Vocal work is great on this, maybe the best work I´ve heard from him. This is not to say that his work in Tourniquet was bad, it wasn´t. This just sounds more of his own.

I lost my interest in Tqt at some point. It just didn´t fly anymore like it used to be.. and it was not about the vocals to be honest. But that´s enough of the comparison.

Great record. I´m trying to get the physical copy as soon as it is possible. I see myself listening this while I´m driving my car or grilling stake at my back yard with cold beer in my hand. I think this goes especially with easy drinking lager.

Stand against the wind wrote:I think this goes especially with easy drinking lager.

Good beer should be like good metal: black.  

As I’m getting to know this record more, the lyrics are really grabbing me. The honesty in “As Damaged As You Are” is striking and I really appreciate it. I also like the almost older-brother approach in “How To Die Alone and Broken”. There’s optimism in “Life Goes On”, and a melancholy in “Sideways” that really tugs at the heart. I’m liking this album more and more and more. I think “How To Die...” may be my favorite. But really the entire thing is stellar.

One cool thing about this album and a sign that every song is great is the fact that I think I've seen every song on the album referred to as someone's favorite song. 

Sideways deserves some serious radio air play. I also think it would make for a very good video, which may help further promote the album. I picture a guy in the video driving down the highway crying for some reason, similar to the theme of the video for Stryper's "Sorry".

Kerrick wrote:

Stand against the wind wrote:I think this goes especially with easy drinking lager.

Good beer should be like good metal: black.  

I lived one year in Manchester, England late nineties and I really learned to enjoy stouts. And yeah, with metal

But I still stick to my statement. This album requires easy drinking beer.

Wigeon wrote:One cool thing about this album and a sign that every song is great is the fact that I think I've seen every song on the album referred to as someone's favorite song. 

Exactly.  When I posted over two months ago I couldn't pick one favorite.  I still feel that way.  The fact that this thread has continued for so long is another testament to how good it is.

What is next for the great Luke Easter? I'd personally love to hear anything, whether it's another album like the Pop Disaster, a collection of acoustic ballads or covers of ballads, worship songs, etc., and/or another heavy collaboration with Gary Lenaire or another metal/hard rock band. I'd also settle for him just opening the phone book or dictionary and singing the words while someone records and releases it to us.

Wigeon wrote:I'd personally love to hear anything, whether it's another album like the Pop Disaster, a collection of acoustic ballads or covers of ballads, worship songs, etc., and/or another heavy collaboration with Gary Lenaire or another metal/hard rock band.

I´ll double that.

Wigeon wrote:I'd also settle for him just opening the phone book or dictionary and singing the words while someone records and releases it to us.

And I'll double that.  

Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it very much. Kris and I put a lot of work into this project, as did everyone involved, and it's feels good to hear that the songs are connecting with people.

I've been meaning to order the downloads of this for some time.  I am doing so now.

Yeah, I have been enjoying this a lot. I think he found his niche...

I want to hear more with Luke with the heavy style of music like TQT. Doesn't have to be exact of course but his voice fits that style so well.