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The Luka State recently announced the March 10th release of their eagerly anticipated second album ‘More Than This’ by sharing its title track. The song was inspired by an encounter that frontman Conrad Ellis had with a single mother of two while he was delivering food parcels during the pandemic. “She did everything she could for her boys working 2 jobs a week to put food on the table but she was let down by the system” says Conrad. Her tale is a tragedy, symptomatic of what should be a national scandal with so many families going through similar experiences.
People are worth more than this. Listen HERE.
When it came to making a video for the track, The Luka State decided to donate its budget to The Trussell Trust and make their own DIY visual, instead using electrifying live footage from the band’s recent North American headline tour The Trussell Trust supports a nationwide network of food banks, provides emergency food and support to people locked in poverty, and campaigns for change to end the need for food banks in the UK. Their work is needed more than ever. At present, an emergency food parcel is handed out every 13 seconds and for the first time ever, food banks are giving out more food than is being donated. The Luka State are also hosting a fundraiser for The Trussell Trust. Please see HERE for more details and to donate.
The ‘More Than This’ video captures a snapshot of a nation in crisis, with footage that depicts the blunt reality of homeless people across the land. But you don’t have to be homeless to be struggling. The innocence of the young boy shown in the video stands in stark contrast to the permanently closed shops on an estate in the band’s hometown of Winsford, Cheshire - ironically just north of the prosperous Alderley Edge, home to several players from both Manchester football teams. The video was directed by the band’s regular collaborator, Jim de Whalley. Watch the video HERE.
The Luka State commented, “The Trussell Trust is the largest food bank charity in the UK. It’s a subject that’s very close to our hearts so we want to put our money where our mouth is and donate. The little lad in the video and on our album cover is from our home town Winsford. We wanted to show the reality of working class towns like ours so we photographed him in front of one of the permanently shut shops on one of the estates.”
The ‘More Than This’ album fearlessly explores the struggles of modern working class life, with aggressive, visceral and immediate songs that echo influences such as Arctic Monkeys, Biffy Clyro and The Jam. The songs that have previewed the album have been supported at 6 Music and BBC Introducing, while widespread international streaming has included key playlists at Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon and Deezer. The record features production from Dan Austin (You Me At Six,Pixies) and the Grammy Award-winning Adrian Bushby (Foo Fighters, Muse).
The ‘More Than This’ album is available to pre-order / pre-save HERE.
This year has seen The Luka State embark upon their debut North American headline tour, which also included a set at theLouder Than Life festival while a highlight of their UK shows came when they packed the tent at 2000trees. They recently announced the following ‘More Than This’ 2023 tour dates - tickets are available HERE.
MARCH
23rd - Birmingham, Rainbow
24th - Bristol, Crofters
25th - Southampton, Heartbreakers
31st - Leeds, Hyde Park Book Club
APRIL
6th - Aberdeen, Tunnels
7th - Dundee, Church
8th - Glasgow, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
12th - Hamburg, Hakken
13th - Cologne, Helios37
14th - Berlin, Maschinenhaus
15th - Amsterdam, Paradise Bitterzoet
21st - Manchester, Academy 3
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