The Luna Lovegoods

If you are a fan please read on....

2011-03-16T04:43:00.001-07:00

My new site is here: www.heatherjanesteeley.blogspot.com - soon to be featuring news of my Fender Vista Venus playing and new music! xx

Kathleen Opium in The Fly Magazine July 2009

2009-07-03T05:23:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Although this blog is kind of defunct as I changed the name of my musical adventures, I thought I would post and tell you that I have received my first mention in the national music press...see page 73...

http://www.the-fly.co.uk/media/magazine/5395/july-2009

Kathleen & The Dreaded Opium - Radio 18th March

2009-03-12T03:06:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I will be played again on Sideways Through Sound radio in Sydney on 18th March - the first time as Kathleen & The Dreaded Opium and not The Luna Lovegoods.

If you want to listen live from anywhere you can stream at : www. 2ser. com/stream, starting at 21:00 Sydney, Australia time.If you miss it the show will be available as a free download to you after transmission only from the Sideways Through Sound website.
www.sidewaysthroughsound.com

I am writing a new song using my beloved power chords - it has a PJ Harvey feel.

The Luna Lovegoods has changed their name!

2009-03-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

Yes I've decided in a bid to just consolidate the various parts of my personality and make life easier for myself that I can't carry on with The Luna Lovegoods name any longer and so I shall now be known musically and in every other way as Kathleen & The Dreaded Opium (Kathleen Opium for short).

You will soon be able to find everything you need to at www.kathleenandthedreadedopium.com and on www.alicemagazine.co.uk

Keep an eye out for some interviews and more radio plays!

Alice Magazine

2009-03-06T03:15:00.000-08:00

Hi all, just updating you all on my personal blog news.

As well as The Luna Lovegoods info which you can find here I also write my own perosnal blog called Alice Magazine featuring posts on style, design, writing, art, music etc.

Take a look if you get chance... www.alicemagazine.co.uk

Interviews With Luna Lovegoods

2009-03-03T06:19:00.000-08:00

I've been answering a few questions for some people recently which may make it into print, I'll let you know. It's been mainly info about being a music journalist and a songwriter, some were quite focused on women in music.

There are plans for more re-records and some new songs. Sit tight!!

Going Back To Ulverston

2009-02-08T01:42:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone - I am heading back to Ulverston for a week long holiday tommorow. I think I need to re-charge my batteries.

Over the past few weeks I have done a little tentative practising and am working on a cover of REM's "Let Me In" as well which is one of my favourite REM songs. I am finding it fun, tough on the jaw and the fingers but fun nonetheless.

Anyway, I shall see you all when I return! x

"Magpie" & "Such A Sweet Mess" Demos Now on LastFM

2009-01-20T03:51:00.000-08:00

My demos for "Magpie" and "Such A Sweet Mess" are now up on LastFM - I have six or seven songs in demo form, enough for an EP. I'll probably call this collection of songs "Lacewing" when they are all properly recorded and finished.

http://www.last.fm/music/The+Luna+Lovegoods/Lacewing (to hear all the tracks)

But for Lastfm users - now you can hear the bare bones. x x

Radio Shows Now Available For Download!

2009-01-15T03:50:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone

At the end of last year we were played on Sydney's Sideways Through Sound radio - the shows featuring us can now be downloaded from the following urls:

October 2008 : http://www.sendspace.com/file/wqkq7n

November 2008: http://www.sendspace.com/file/wrsyrg

I missed the October one myself. The November one was fab, do Sideways Through Sound a favour and add them, they play good stuff as well y'know!x x

Influences - Veruca Salt - American Thighs

2009-01-05T12:10:00.000-08:00

Veruca Salt are best known for their 'Seether' single but that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Although I am a fan of all of their albums, Veruca Salt were fantastic in the beginning with this debut 'American Thighs'.

This has influenced me so much it's hard to know where to begin. They are the perfect blend of Aerosmith and Belinda Carlisle, (I've lifted that straight from my own interview with Nina Gordon, one of the original founders), because it's just the best way of describing the band's sound.

I think what inspires me the most about it and the reason that I can still play this often and never get tired is that I don't know of many other female musicians who can marry soaring harmonies with those perfect guitar solos. Finding a female who can play a really great guitar solo is a joyous thing.

If you don't know this album...get to know it, its fab!

Happy Christmas from The Luna Lovegoods

2008-12-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

Hello to all Luna Lovegoods listeners and readers of my blog - just wanting to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and I hope to see you over the festive season!

x x

Hallelujah Christmas Number 1

2008-12-22T10:10:00.000-08:00

So Hallelujah by the mighty Leonard Cohen is the Christmas Number 1 single.

It's my all time favourite song ever so this increase in popularity is a bit of a bummer.

Just thought I would get a word in and say that my favourite version of Hallelujah was performed by Kathryn Williams (a Mercury Music Prize nominee from good ole Newcastle).

I once interviewed Kathryn Williams for a magazine and she had to be woken up mid-day to talk to me by her PR or PA or whatever. Ah, rock and roll. The only person who ever wakes me up these days is my five year old!!

Local Shows & Stuff

2008-12-16T08:21:00.000-08:00

I've been out-of-action in pretty much all ways this month - flu, (yes real flu not just the over exaggerated kind), and a cough that has lasted four weeks. It's put a downer on me doing anything, plus finding out that my jaw is out of place and that I can't open my mouth too wide for fear of it locking.

Anyhow, there are good things on the horizon. I have been asked by a few people if I would like to do some local shows and private events - answer is certainly yes but only when I am ready.

When I get my vocal chords back I am going to start rehearsing with the songs I have so far and who knows? Maybe 2009 will see me on stage. It would be nice if I could get there this coming year.

I Love My Fender Vista Venus

2008-12-07T08:13:00.000-08:00

This is my guitar of choice - a Fender Vista Venus co-designed by yes you have guessed it, Courtney Love and the Fender Custom Shop.

I bought it for a few reasons. First I wanted a guitar that was not complicated. I was looking for something along the lines of a Telecaster but when I saw and heard the sounds coming from this I went with it. Also, it's now quite a rare guitar, though not valuable as yet.

It is to me though, I fought hard to gt it and I love it!

Updating Social Network Sites

2008-12-03T03:05:00.000-08:00

Just a little note to let you know that I am updating all of the social networking sites that The Luna Lovegoods are joined to such as Facebook, Reverbnation, Myspace etc (full list of links in the sidebar over there to your right).

So if you use any of them come and say hi! x

Coughs & Colds = No Singing

2008-12-03T02:23:00.000-08:00

Yep, no singing because my throat is on fire whilst the rest of the world freezes.

I have been writing quite a lot of lyrics whist I am forced into this break and also have some other projects on the go.

I've started to blog about some of my influences and inspirations here as well as adding some new photos (my mum thinks I look like Peaches Geldof but shes practically blind so we'll let her off).

There should be some new and interesting stuff on the myspace and lastfm soon x

Influences - Hole - Live Through This

2008-11-25T05:18:00.001-08:00

In 1994 when this album was released I was leaving school at 16. I was very influenced by Courtney Love when growing up, not so much by her actions but by her music, her lyrics and her image. In 1994 it was ok to look like Courtney Love.

I did not sound like her though. In my very first 'band' a year or so later I was the singer but I could not emulate 'Doll Parts' I could only do it my way, a softer, subtler way. I must have been a disappointment to the others!

Visitors To The Luna Lovegoods

2008-11-21T04:38:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone - a massive thank you if you visited this site yesterday. I had a bumper number of visitors - my analytics showed that traffic was up by 998%! That is a lot of visitors. Many thanks, keep rocking! x

Influences- Carole King - Tapestry

2008-11-20T02:26:00.000-08:00

One of the most fantastic, mainly piano based albums in the world ever. Written by one of the world's greatest songwriters ever. Although Carole King's songs mainly appear on the albums of others.

Think of a few of your favourite classic songs and you can be sure that she has had something to do with them.

When I listen to this it's like listening to an older sister going through all the heartbreaks first and softening the blow.

Influences - Kristin Hersh - Hips & Makers

2008-11-16T02:13:00.001-08:00

One of the major influences of my musical life is Kristin Hersh's solo album from 1994 titled "Hips & Makers". I think it was her first solo acoustic album and it did really well, probably outselling all of her previous work.

Most of it is just a guitar or two and one vocal but some cello creeps in with some harmonies and Michael Stipe makes a guest appearance...which probably boosted the sales!

Her voice is very unique but her chord structures and her lyrics are truly outstanding. Long live Kristin Hersh!

Music That Sounds Like Tanya Donelly

2008-11-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

Once again I find myself in a pub being told I sound like Tanya Donelly. I've been looking for some good reasons for propelling music higher onto my list of priorities...yes children and work often have to come first! But compliments such as comparisons to Tanya Donelly are always welcome and always the kind of evidence I need!

You may have noticed the "I" instead of "we" - I guess I have realised that for the moment the music may be better executed solo until I find another singer to fill the harmonies in a live setting. Vic's still my bass player when playing live or recording full sounds comes about and it seems my sister Rosie wants to join as drummer. She's only just learning so for now I think it's Kathleen Opium as The Luna Lovegoods. Singing, writing, playing and generally feeling good about positive reactions from people I respect.

Yesterday's Radio

2008-11-04T08:08:00.000-08:00

Hi all, hope you listened in to yesterday's Sideways Through Sound radio show - it was really great to hear some excellent, positive stuff about our music and our taste in stationery!! The track played this time was "Black Ink Spells", available on promo CD.

We are about to record a little sting for the show - check it out if you have not already - folky, psychy stuff - www.sidewaysthroughsound.com/playlists.html - I have amended this link, I posted the wrong one yesterday. xx

The Luna Lovegoods - Sideways Through Sound Radio - Today

2008-11-03T02:25:00.000-08:00

Hiya to all, we are on the Sideways Through Sound radio show again today at 11.30am UK time or 10.30pm Sydney time, (it's a Sydney show!).

You can catch this on the internet at http://www.2ser.com/ or check out the last playlist we featured on at http://www.sidewaysthroughsound.com/

New Demo - Magpie

2008-10-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

I put a new demo recording up on the myspace - www.myspace.com/thelunalovegoodsmusic the other day, titled "Magpie". I use my little Boss palm recording studio 4 track for demos and then upload them but I was thinking perhaps of using computer software to record with once again.

I am in the middle of writing something a bit poppyand more upbeat so I will upload as soon as it's ready.

On The Radio Today! 11.30am UK Time!

2008-10-06T02:34:00.000-07:00

Hi, hopefully I have worked out the time difference right between the UK and Sydney, Australia, but if I have that means that we are going to be played between 11.30am and 1pm today over at www.2ser.com/stream

That's an hour from now folks. If you have nothing better to do or are working your butt off like me.