The Luka State Release Sophomore Album More Than This

03-11-2023

Album art

(The Syndicate) The Luka State are thrilled to share their highly-anticipated sophomore album More Than This, out now via Thirty Tigers. A body of work that mixes influences spanning alt-rock, indie, punk and rock 'n' roll, the album is a state-of-the-nation address which explores issues including social inequality, mental health battles and addiction - all told from a very personal perspective. But amidst the turmoil, it's an album in which hope for a better future is a recurring motif.

Speaking on the follow-up to the band's critically-acclaimed debut LP, 2021's Fall In Fall Out, vocalist/guitarist Conrad Ellis says, "This album is a rebirth for us. Like every other band, we want to take over the world, but we want our message to be heard. No one out there must feel alone. There's a way through everything and we can do it together. We can take over the world together."

Today's focus-track, "Losing Streak," encapsulates a range of what The Luka State have to offer with the More Than This album. Its ferocious, granite-heavy riff pulls no punches, but its aggression is balanced by the band's love of an enticing melody. The song's themes also find the equilibrium between a dichotomy, with Conrad being brutally honest about his mental health struggles, but also showing to people with similar issues that there can be light at the end of the tunnel.

Conrad adds, "'Losing Streak' is a documentation of exactly where I was at around the time I wrote it. It follows where my mental health was at: self-medication with substances and going off the rails. My mental health was so poor, but I came out the other side. This song is for those who need it, those who have suffered through trauma or substance abuse or addiction or depression. It's ok to talk about those things. There's always a way through it."