Nikki Lunden and Lora G.
of The Progressive- Rock- Powerhouse 'LUNDEN REIGN'
By Ray Shasho
Interviewed on January
7th 2015
It’s a rare phenomenon
that I write and boast about a new rock band, but L.A. based newcomers, Lunden Reign, packed such a
punch with its debut album … an extraordinary- high-energy- esoteric rock gem,
integrated with profound lyrical content, that I felt compelled to applause
this exciting new progressive-rock powerhouse.
LUNDEN
REIGN’s nucleus is ...
guitarist/songwriter/keyboardist …
Lora
G. (Espinoza-Lunden)
and lead
singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist … Nikki Lunden.
The bands current
lineup
also includes...
Matthew
Denis (bass),
Steve
Ornest (guitar)
and Morgan Young (drums).
But Lora and Nikki are not
just bandmates; they are also engaged to become married. It’s a fascinating
love affair that began when Lora received an unanticipated kiss from Nikki
while she performed with her band onstage at a popular club in Tarzana (San
Fernando Valley region of the city of L.A.) called Petie’s Place. Nikki was
hosting a jam session there with some local musicians. Lora G. lives a
transgender lifestyle, which is certainly nothing new in the world of rock and
roll. But Nikki and Lora’s inspiring musical association, unified by a genuine
respect and love for one another is exclusive.
LORA
G. (Espinoza-Lunden): is Mexican-American. She
began performing with her band at age 16 on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood.
Lora’s drummer in high school was Matt Sorum (Velvet
Revolver, Guns N’ Roses, The Cult). Lora left music and developed an
amazing Emmy winning career in television and radio including working for
Disney over 14 years. Lora and Nikki joined forces in the spring of 2013, and now
she begins a new chapter in her life as lead guitarist and songwriter for
Lunden Reign. Lora defines the band’s sound as “Big Beat Progressive Rock.”
NIKKI
LUNDEN: grew up in Iowa
City, Iowa and became lead singer & songwriter for a band called The
Trollies, before becoming an acoustic artist. Lunden enjoyed a 15 year career
of performing for live audiences before moving to Los Angeles in September of
2012. After arriving in L.A. she immediately entered the Musician’s Institute
where she graduated in 2013. Nikki says one of her most gratifying professional
experiences so far has been to record at Abbey Road Studios in London.
AMERICAN STRANGER: is the incredible debut album from Lunden Reign. The album was
recorded at Capitol Records in Hollywood, Abbey Road (Studio 2) in London and
Stagg Street Studios. Luis
Maldonado produced,
played guitar and co-wrote with
Lora G. on various
tracks. Maldonado is a platinum-selling songwriter & recording artist who
has collaborated with John Waite, Patrick Monahan (Train), Lisa Marie Presley,
Glen Hughes, Michael Schenker, UFO, and with his own band, 'Into the Presence.'
Other album credits include mix engineer Geoff Pearlman (Linda
Perry), Morgan Young on drums, Hector Maldonado (bassist
for Train) and Cellist Ana Lenchantin (Queens of the Stone Age, The Eels).
The album's concept is
a complete story from end to end. It was designed to be a sort of 'rock opera'
about intolerance and those willing to stand up to it as well as those it's
destroying. Lunden Reign has also signed a distribution deal for American
Stranger with Cleopatra Records in Los Angeles.
-Watch for the
official release March 17th.
American
Stranger is a magnificent
and seasoned debut production … every track is commanding while emphatically
seductive …the album has it all, but also entices the listener to cry out for
more … Lunden Reign validates musical fortitude and secures the elements needed
to develop into a colossal rock group (5) Stars!
-Ray Shasho
Lunden Reign’s music
is now playing on over 50 radio/internet stations through Europe, the U.S.,
Australia and Japan.
I had the great
pleasure of chatting with Lora G. and Nikki Lunden about the band’s new release American Stranger …Their musical collaboration and
how they fell in love … My infamous ‘Field of Dreams’ wish question … And
much-much more!
Here’s my interview
with /lead guitarist/songwriter/keyboardist/ Lora G. and
lead singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/Nikki Lunden of
… LUNDEN REIGN.
Ray
Shasho: Lora, you wrote “The Savage Line” which was
dedicated to the families and soldiers of “The Chosen Company” who bravely
fought at the deadly “Battle of Wanat” on July 13, 2008.
Lora
G: “I thought
we had to do something to preserve the memory of those guys, and that’s where
we came up with that concept of “Savage Line”. My dad was a marine and
used to tell me how lonely and cold it was in Korea, and he went over there
twice, I can’t even imagine anyone going over there once. So I just wrote from
what he told me and from what I read about ‘The Chosen Company’. This happened
in the Nuristan Province of Afghanistan, I read about the description online,
about what some of the people wrote about, how alone they felt and how they
missed their families. The description of the battle is in the song, and is
very specific to that battle. But I kept it somewhat vague so any soldier could
relate to it, but the specifics were about that particular battle in Wanat.
There’s a little bit of commentary in the beginning where … this wasn’t against
our soldiers but against our government …because even though I am so pro-
U.S.A., I felt horrible that we sent our troops to war without the support they
needed. I’m not pro-war just pro-soldiers. There’s a line in the song that says
… “Is it war or is it crime” and that’s my one commentary in the song.”
“We hear a lot of
music today that is angry but not directed at anything, we wanted to not be
angry but issue based and directed. That’s what we wanted to do, it’s nothing
new, but it’s kind of been forgotten, and we’re trying to bring that back.”
Nikki Lunden: “The
music you hear on radio today sounds like the same thing repeated over and over
again but with different singers and we’re a little burned-out over the Top 40
stuff. We’re just trying to make a change in the music and trying to get people
to start thinking again.”
Ray
Shasho: Nikki and Lora, you both mesh so well
together, musically and personally.
Nikki
Lunden: “I’m very fortunate that Lora and I found each
other, and in what I thought was a very huge city, turns out to be kind of a
small town.”
Ray
Shasho: How did you both meet, I know you had your own bands at the time,
did one of you open for the other?
Nikki
Lunden: I was hosting a jam
session in Tarzana (Los Angeles) and Lora had brought in a couple of the
singers that she had been working with at the time. We talked a little but I
was pretty busy that night and wasn’t really able to sit down and chat with
her. So a couple of days later I found her on ReverbNation, left her a message,
and she called me. We were on the phone for probably two hours talking about
music and what I was doing out here in Los Angeles. I had just moved here from
Iowa City, Iowa and she invited me to one of the bands rehearsals, and the rest
is history after that.”
Ray
Shasho: Let’s get back to ‘Lunden Reign’s debut album “American Stranger” …
the official release date is March 17th and some critics are already labeling
the sound of the band as ‘Original Big Beat Progressive Rock’ … But I’d like to
characterize the group’s sound as … Progressive-Powerhouse-Rock! “Mary” was
originally released as an EP … and “The Light” a heavy rocker with a very cool
melody is definitely one of my favorite tracks.
Lora
G: “Mary” and “The Light” were recorded
with ‘The Lora G Band’ and I wasn’t completely happy with them, but when we
recorded the new album, and working with Luis Maldonado, we were able to
remodify the tracks to fit the Lunden Reign sound. So several songs were
reworked from previous periods when we were in other bands, and other tracks
are brand new like “Hush and Whispers,” “American Stranger” etc. Once we nailed
the sound we wanted for Lunden Reign, we realized we could go back and get some
of our other material, and that has worked out really well for us.”
Ray
Shasho: I find it remarkable that I couldn’t contrast the Lunden Reign
sound to anyone else’s, and that’s a compliment in itself. I don’t give many
new bands kudos, but Lunden Reign has all the right tools to become successful
in this haphazard music world.
“Love
in Free Fall,” another favorite could easily be a James Bond film
intro-soundtrack!
Nikki
Lunden: “We’ve been getting a lot of good responses on
“Love in Free Fall,” when we were putting together the track order and we kept
coming back to that one …then decided to use it as the opening track of
‘American Stranger,’ and I think it’s a perfect fit because everyone’s been
going crazy about that song, so we decided to shoot it straight out of the gate
and not holding back anything, and just gets right to the point right away.”
Lora
G: “That one really shows a lot of Luis
Maldonado’s chunky guitar styles. I’m more of an open note kind of dreamy
player. Dreamy notes and sort of things like that, the melodic chords, and I
create the riff, but that really chunky heavy stuff is Luis. He’s a world class
guitarist. He performed with John Waite for years, also Glenn Hughes, Michael
Schenker, and he just finished a tour with Lisa Marie Presley and Bigelf. He’s
also a demonstrator for the Rivera Amplifier Company and we got lucky because
Hiwatt endorsed me, which was fantastic! When we found out that Hiwatt was
going to endorse us … we were shocked and we quickly looked on their webpage
and it had all these legendary acts from Nirvana to The Who. Then there was
Lunden Reign and it was sort of like …Who? (All laughing)”
Ray
Shasho: Talk about the track… “28 If” (Without, Which Not) which has sort
of a Joan Jett & the Blackhearts tempo to it.
Nikki
Lunden: “That song is geared towards the artists
that we lost at the age of 27 … Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison,
Richey Edwards … written mostly about Richey Edwards of the band Manic
Street Preachers. Every time I get onstage I really enjoy singing it.”
Ray
Shasho: Have you performed all the material from the new album onstage yet?
Lora
G: “Every one! I think
the toughest to perform live was “American Stranger.” We finally nailed it when
I went to the twelve-six string double neck and that’s how we pulled it off. I
switched to the twelve-string much like Jimmy Page did in “Stairway to Heaven”
and it allowed the song to come through. Then I do six strings in combo with it
on my guitar. It took us awhile to get that one ready for stage but now we can
do them all onstage.”
Ray
Shasho: “When Love Lies” had a bit of a Blondie
melody…
Lora
G: “It’s basically a heartbreak song, somebody I
was with for about seven or eight years and then we broke up … the seven year
itch kind of thing, but going on and learning to forgive that person and that I
could emotionally move on from that relationship. But it didn’t mean that it
didn’t hurt and the concept was that I thought we were in love and I realized
that love can lie. It was exactly what the title says … “When Love Lies.””
Ray
Shasho: “Hush and Whispers” … let’s talk about that
track.
Nikki
Lunden: “About standing up to intolerance. It
was actually one of the songs that we had gone back and forth about making it
the opening track. I really love the beginning of that song. In the end we
thought that “Love in Free Fall” was more of a powerhouse with cleaner vocals,
we get a little bit more gritty on “Hush and Whispers,” it’s a little darker,
having two faces, knowing who this person is one minute and not the
next.”
Ray
Shasho: Nikki is “Love in Free Fall” your favorite song to sing?
Nikki
Lunden “Oh my gosh,
it’s hard to say, it depends on what mood I’m in really … “Love in Free Fall”
is extremely fun to sing, I love the part going into the bridge. “The Savage
Line” is another favorite, drawing a lot of emotion inside, and sometimes I’ll
cry while I’m singing it because the story that I’m telling is just so intense.
“American Stranger” does the same thing. And sometimes on “It’s About Time”
because that’s my story. It’s about leaving home and coming to California, it’s
my moving away song, and so that one can get pretty emotional too. So to pick
one is an impossible task, but I guess “American Stranger” will take the number
one spot today.”
Ray
Shasho: Lora do you have a writing process for composing these inspiring
lyrics?
Lora
G: Nikki can tell you …
when I write a song, I’ll rewrite it like four hundred times because it’s in my
edit nature from working in Television. I’ll edit and edit until I like the
song. For “28If” it originally had over 42 verses … I’m not kidding you.
But I finally cut it down and finished writing it.”
“I was driving with
Ana Lenchantin who wanted to meet Terri Nunn, the lead singer of Berlin in
person; we were going over to her house for lunch. They had played together at
a show a long time ago but never formally met. During the drive, I was telling
her about the concept, the most bizarre thing; the concept came from Grace
Slick, who I had met during the time I had lived in Santa Rosa. On the drive, I
was chatting with her and she looked at me really shocked. I thought you don’t
like the concept? She said no, do you know about my Brother Luciano? I
said I know about your sister Paz who was the bassist for Perfect Circle, and
then said, what about your brother? She said my brother died at age 27, he committed
suicide. I had no idea. Because of that I had to rewrite the lyrics over again,
because I couldn’t write a song that she could potentially be playing on and
take a risk of hurting her feelings or insulting her. So I rewrote the entire
bridge. I wrote it as if I was her talking to her brother, and that’s what that
bridge is about. So the bridge is my tribute to her little brother. When I
played it for her, I was so nervous, and she liked it. Later she came back and
did that amazing cello on the bridge of it. Isn’t that a crazy story? So that’s
how I write, it’s more inspirational.”
Nikki
Lunden: “I’m more of a
lightning bolt type writer, I’ll get one little short lyric line in my head and
it’s …Go! If it’s not written down … melody thought out and chords pretty much
figured out in about half an hour. A lot of times I don’t even come back to it,
it’s too much of a struggle. It’s got to come out like water in a faucet … if
it comes out clean and clear that’s good … if it’s brown and icky, not going to
do it. (All laughing) I’ve has some times when I’ve woken in the middle of the
night and written out a song right then and there. And I’ve lost a few things …
oh I don’t want to get up and get out of bed! But you have too. So Lora and I
have completely different writing styles and we’ve been learning how to
co-write together. She always comes up with the riffs first and the concept of
what she wants the song to be about. Where I’m wham bam thank you ma’am, write
and get out of there. But Lora is a peach to work with and I love her to
death.”
Lora
G: “We’re almost opposite in everything we do
musically, but we complement each other, the things I can’t do, she can do. And
a lot of the same … what she can’t do, I can do.”
Nikki
Lunden: “I’m pretty
blessed to have Lora as co-writer, teammate, bandmate, business partner and
life partner … she pushes me harder than anyone ever has. In the past two years
or so that I’ve been in Los Angeles, I’ve worked harder than I’ve ever had,
become more disciplined than I ever had, I have a better understanding of how
to communicate with people, and without that I don’t know what would have
happened to me. I’d only been here for a few months when I first met Lora and I
don’t know what would have happened if she hadn’t come into my life, I might
have been working at the local hardware store in Iowa City for all I know. (All
laughing) I doubt that, but she definitely keeps that fire lit in me. I learn
constantly from her every day.”
Ray
Shasho: Nikki, besides performing as the lead singer for Lunden Reign …
you also play the acoustic guitar?
Nikki
Lunden: “I do, I play acoustic, bass, a little bit of
percussion … I was more of a singer/songwriter growing up and Sheryl Crow was
my biggest idol, so I sort of have a tendency to write in that style …Ani
DiFranco, Brandi Carlile … those kinds of female icons in the music industry.
So it’s been a transition for me as well …going from cute little
singer-songwriter … to get right in your face with a wireless microphone,
wearing high heeled boots and black eyeliner. (All laughing) My perfect
description of how I turned from little Iowa rocker to L.A. woman is … I took
my guitar away and put a wireless microphone in my hand … which unleashed a
person that I did not know existed inside of me.”
Ray
Shasho: Nikki and Lora here’s a question that I ask
everyone that I interview. If you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish like the movie,
to play, sing or collaborate with anyone from the past or present, who would
that be?
Lora
G: “It would easily
be Jimmy Page or George Harrison for me. I got to meet Jimmy Page about a month
ago for a book signing here. He doesn’t really sign but he stamped my book for
me. He was very cordial and such a gentleman, I couldn’t believe what a nice
guy he was. He shook my hand and chatted with me. He took my download card and
he said he’d try and download it. I heard that he loves to hear music from
unknown artists.”
Nikki
Lunden: “I’d love to work with Sheryl Crow, and
in a full band it would definitely be Radiohead. I met Sheryl Crow in 2011 and
actually have her autograph tattooed on my arm… I’m that big of a fan. She also
gave me a necklace that I keep in my lockbox for fear of losing it. I take it
out once in awhile and rub it for good luck. I would love to get a vocal track
with myself, Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks doing some backup harmonies … the
three of our voices together would be like heaven.”
Lora
G: “We’re
already really more than half way through with songs for a second album. The
new one will have more ballads on it, kind of like Zeppelin did ballads on
steroids. So they’ll be like that.”
Ray
Shasho: So how did the both of you fall in love with each other?
Lora
G: “Nikki was opening for my band in a club in
Hollywood and I went onstage while she was performing to adjust the volume on
my amps so we could come out and play right away, I don’t like people to wait.
While she was performing, I was behind her doing some adjustments with my amp,
and she came over while she was performing and kissed me in front of everyone.
I had no idea and never even knew she had an interest.”
Nikki
Lunden: “It was kind of an out of body experience and
it wasn’t in my character to do something like that. I’m usually shy when it
comes to that sort of thing. Something just came over me and drew me to her.
Definitely a moment I’ll never forget.”
Ray
Shasho: So how did the relationship develop after that?
Nikki
Lunden: “Well the show must go
on so I finished my set, and then the Lora G. Band finished their set, then I
hung over at her house and never went back to my place again.”
Lora
G: “We have a
recording studio at my house and we started hanging out …and I never forgot the
kiss.”
Ray
Shasho: Lora and Nikki thank you so much for being on the call today ... I
wish you all the best and look forward to great things forthcoming for Lunden
Reign.
Lora
G. and Nikki Lunden: “Thank you Ray!”
…
American Stranger is a magnificent and seasoned debut production … every track
is commanding while emphatically seductive …the album has it all, but also
entices the listener to cry out for more … Lunden Reign validates musical
fortitude and secures the elements needed to develop into a colossal rock group
…. (5) Stars!
-Music
Journalist Ray Shasho
More
reviews by prominent music artists …
“Every
so many years an album comes out that redefines modern music.’AMERICAN
STRANGER' is that next album. Grab some headphones, close your eyes and let
your senses explore the music & lyrics of Lunden Reign’s sound. Today the
cycle goes full with a long-awaited return to music that touches the soul and
embraces the test of time.”
- Prescott Niles (bassist -
The Knack, Missing Persons)
“The
song 'Hear Me' is wonderful & heartfelt.”
-
Martha Davis (lead singer of The Motels)
“Lora
G is a great songwriter and musician.”
-
Terri Nunn (lead singer of Berlin)
“‘American
Stranger' is a masterpiece! Every song is great!”
-
Dale Bozzio (Frank Zappa, Missing Persons)
“What
an amazing album, incredible songwriting, lyrics and groove!”
-Phil
Soussan (Bassist - Ozzy, Billy Idol, Grammy BOD)
Special thanks to the
‘incredible’ Billy James of Glass Onyon PR
COMING
UP NEXT…
Legendary
International Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
("Release
Me")
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journalist
rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com
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