The Luck

Brother and sister indie folk duo, The Luck, have just premiered their video for the track “Vertigo” on ArtistDirect. Fans can watch the video here. “Vertigo” is taken from the recent Dave’s Room Sessions, and will be featured on a live EP to be released this Summer that will highlight select cuts from the session. Max and Esmay recently spoke about the infectiously up-tempo track that is built for the warmer months:

“This is a very vibrant, up tempo song. The song was born in LA, jamming with a friend of ours on our very first trip to the city. Sitting on the porch of an AirBnb in Laurel Canyon we were surrounded by the heritage of so many of our musical heroes. Elements of that particular energy and influence can be heard in the song.

The song [“Vertigo”] is about pushing yourself to your limits – combating and overcoming your fears. Releasing yourself from your own doubts and rising above them is the message at the heart of the song.”

In addition to releasing the “Dave’s Room Sessions” EP in the coming months, the group are set to play up and down the California coast in June and July, highlighted by a live performance at Sunset Marquis in Los Angeles on July 17th. To keep track of The Luck and their upcoming live performances, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and their official site. - Icon vs Icon

There is just something magical about familial harmonies, and Esmay and Max Luck, otherwise known as musical artists The Luck, are no exception to the rule. Born and raised in West London, England, they currently reside "between San Francisco and Los Angeles." Examiner.com is proud to debut and stream their latest music video single, "Holding On."
The Luck premiere their new music video on Examiner.com
photo courtesy of The Luck Music, used by permission

According to Max, "It was written in Notting Hill, before we made the move to America. It's a song about trying to help someone you love when they are going through a difficult time; when you just want to make them feel better and be the support they need. It was actually the voice of our mother, "watching over" Esmay in the aftermath of a breakup with her boyfriend."

The Luck's story is a tale rich in musical history. They both grew up surrounded by music. Esmay first started singing in Chamber Choir when she was ten years old and later dedicated herself to studying the harp and cello to play in orchestras. On the other hand, Max found he really rather enjoyed playing the piano, and picked up the guitar and bass to play in rock and jazz bands during his teens. Although this brother and sister team started on very separate musical paths, they discovered the powerful blending of their voices while they were writing a song together in the spring of 2011. That was the first time they had ever tried collaborating and it was only after this creation, that they decided to form a duo together and become The Luck.

In July 2014, after having performed hundreds of shows around the United Kingdom and Europe, the duo left the perpetually rainy streets of London for the sun-soaked shores of the Golden State of California. They were drawn to California for its songwriting heritage; it was then, and still is today, a major influence on their music. They wanted to spend time in the places where so many of their idols, such as Joni Mitchell, Crosby Stills Nash & Young and Jim Morrison had written, recorded and performed. The duo found themselves captivated by the legendary Hollywood Hills and Laurel Canyon, so The Luck began playing gigs at venues such as The Troubadour, the Viper Room, The Satellite as well as participating in a number of high-profile showcases. They also spent time writing songs in the very same areas as their musical heroes had spent their seminal songwriting years.

Since arriving in America, the group has toured the West Coast and played shows throughout California, including a spate of street performances at the infamous Pier 39 in San Francisco and Seaport Village in San Diego. They found it was these performances that really paved the way for the next chapter of their journey.

Max and Esmay (or Eme, as she is sometimes called) wanted to try and capture the energy and sound of their street performances and determine what defined The Luck. So they recorded a set of intimate live videos with Grammy-award winning engineer David Bianco at Dave's Room studios in Hollywood, which originally opened in 1970 as 'Mama Jo's.' The Luck plans to release these sessions over the next few months on YouTube, eventually putting out an EP of the recordings, Live at Dave's Room, which will be released both digitally and on vinyl.

The group will be playing Sunset Marquis in West Hollywood on Friday, July 17. To keep track of the band’s other upcoming live appearances and more, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and their official site. - Examiner

The Luck- Muscle & Bones

Brother-sister dream team The Luck have been making an impact on London's acoustic scene for a while now... so it's about time that they make it onto your radar. Max and Esmay have used that close sibling connection to their creative benefit- producing some of the most stunning harmonies we've heard for some time. 'Muscle & Bones' is the latest single to be released from their second EP of the same name and it's a richly layered number that takes acoustic folk vibes to the next level- drafting in the drama of some cello to add to the darkly swelling melodies. They come from an upbringing surrounded by 'pure music'- classic songwriters such as Simon & Garfunkel and Fleetwood Mac having great influence on their timeless sound. It's a strong effort and one we're sure they'll be building on as 2013 progresses. We're happy to say you can catch them playing as part of our Westfield Presents Emerging Icons Live season on the 9th and 22nd August. Don't miss them! - Huffington Post

I heard The Luck on Tom Robinson’s Mixtape last Sunday night. 90% of the time, it makes me cringe when people (over)use the words “stunning” and “gorgeous” to describe music, but in this case, there aren’t really any substitutes. It’s both of those things.

Siblings Max and Esmay Luck grew up singing in choirs and listening to Simon and Garfunkel, Fleetwood Mac, Nick Drake, and Pink Floyd. Muscles and Bones is the title track on their sophomore EP. Download it for free through their website. Lyrics are below.

Take me to the start, innocence a world of time
Carried us apart, so naïve I missed the signs
The end was never clear, and I couldn’t find
The winding roads and borrowed clothes, the new renaissance that you chose

Muscles and bones when you’re looking at me
I’m falling apart I’m torn at the seams
I’m broken into bits of what I used to be
Muscles and bones when you’re looking at me
I’m falling apart I’m torn at the seams
I’m broken into bits of what I used to be

I put it in a note, words that I would never say
Wishing well I wrote, can we find another way
To a better place, where you can relate
To all the paintings I can see, they’re signed by you and made of me

Muscles and bones when you’re looking at me
I’m falling apart I’m torn at the seams
I’m broken into bits of what I used to be
Woah
Stripping away all the old remains
I’m tearing apart through the spider veins
Anatomy’s a game, we’re all the same

Oooooo, I’m looking at you Leonardo, I’m looking at you Leonardo
Oooooo, I’m looking at you Leonardo, I’m looking at you Leonardo

Muscles and bones when you’re looking at me
I’m falling apart I’m torn at the seams
I’m broken into bits of what I used to be
Woah
Stripping away all the old remains
I’m tearing apart through the spider veins
Anatomy’s a game, we’re all the same

There’s a ghost of a painter, a face on the wall
My Mona Lisa’s are angels that fall
I’m looking at you Leonardo
There’s a ghost of a painter, a face on the wall
My Mona Lisa’s are angels that fall
I’m looking at you Leonardo
Share this: - Don't Need No Melody

‘The Luck – Muscles & Bones EP’

par Fred Lombard

Ancré dans une culture indie pop nord-américaine, la fratrie Luck nous offre cinq titres aux instrumentaux folks lumineux, parfois harmoniques et au chant partagé entre les deux voix ou unifié.

Avec The Luck, impossible de ne pas faire la parallèle avec ces autres projets géniaux montés entre frère et sœur des Australiens Angus et Julia Stone aux plus jeunes Irlandais Thom et Lucy Southern.

Parfois mélancolique, Muscles & Bones dessine un EP à fleur de peau, sublimé par deux voix très justes. Ressenti qu’on a dès le premier titre éponyme du disque où la voix de Max rejointe par celle de sa sœur Esmay rappellent ces belles ballades pop fortes d’harmonies vocales.

Véritable single du maxi, « Bricks » nous fait assister à un échange lyrique subtil entre les deux protagonistes sur un titre élégant dosant douceur folk et chant fragile.

On appréciera tout autant « Heroes », autre moment de grâce de l’EP, au mariage vocal toujours impeccable, qui nous emporte comme un courant à travers son escalade instrumentale grandissante.

Moment plus folk, « Holding On » laisse s’échapper l’émotion en particules. C’est tendre toujours, touchant aussi, et on reste sous le charme pour autant qu’on accepte d’écouter une pop forcément mainstream, évidemment prévisible dans ses émotions.

Enfin, il y a ce remix de « Light Brigades », réussi par Eastmann revisitant le titre auparavant folk sur instrumentation électronique et symphonique fortement réussie.

Sur cinq titres, The Luck se présente comme une de ces nouvelles formations anglaises pop folk indie qu’on imagine très vite grandir. Le talent est là.


TRANSLATION:
‘The Luck – Muscles & Bones EP’

by Fred Lombard

The second EP, 'Muscles and Bones', released by London's brother and sister duo, The Luck, confirms their dedication to making harmonious, beautifully poignant music.

With their influences firmly rooted in North American indie pop, the duo have recorded five songs, combining powerful lead vocals and harmonies with folk instrumentals.

It is impossible not to compare them to other amazing sibling duos, Australia's Angus and Julia Stone and Irish Thom and Lucy Southern.

The title track, 'Muscles and Bones' is a melancholy and beautiful pop ballad; Max's powerful lead vocals are complimented by Esmay's harmonies and this song sets the sound of the EP.

The true folk single, 'Bricks' explores a subtle lyrical exchange between the two delicate lead vocals.

'Heroes' is another powerful track, with the vocal synergy between the two voices rising with the instrumental crescendos.

The most folky song on the release, 'Holding On', keeps us lulled in its charms as a gentle mainstream pop song.

Finally there is the remix of 'Light Brigade' by Eastmann, who successfully transforms the original folk instrumentation into an electronic anthem.

With these five songs, The Luck prove themselves to be one of the new english groups that we think will grow fast; the talent is there. - Indie Music Fr

When it comes to good songwriting, you can "double down" on the duo, The Luck. Born and bred in London in the UK, siblings Max and Esmay Luck grew up never playing together musically, but it was their mutual love for music and natural harmonization that made their joining forces inevitable. I had the privelege of talking with the gifted brother and sister duo about how they began rather accidently five years ago in New York City. And thank goodness they did! I took a listen to their newest song, "True North," which is the title track from their upcoming EP. The track has everything you would want in an acoustic single -- great melody, seamless vocal harmonies, catchy chorus, and foot-stompin' acoustic guitar rhythms. Read on to learn more about this talented duo...and I'm sure you will be seeing a lot more of them! - No Depression

The Luck are debuting their new single, “If This Is Love,” exclusively for readers of The Boot. They may be from the UK, but this brother-sister duo’s killer harmonies make them a perfect fit for the folk-rock scene in the States.
A heavy dose of summery, West Coast influence from Joni Mitchell and the Eagles adds even more layers to “If This Is Love,” a fun and upbeat track about those fleeting first few moments of falling head over heels. Readers can press play below to hear the song.
The Luck, comprised of Max and Esmay Luck, have been singing in choirs and playing everything from harp and cello to guitar and bass since childhood. As a duo, the siblings first got their start in London in 2011. After touring around Europe, they released “Muscles and Bones,” a track that would eventually go on to win first place in the adult contemporary category at the 2013 International Songwriting Competition in Nashville.
From there, the Lucks obtained artist visas and headed across the pond to the U.S., where they set up their home base in Los Angeles. “If This Is Love” will be on their forthcoming third EP, True North, set for release on Sept. 30. Fans can find more information about the duo on their official website. - The Boot