I'm really grateful to be playing with these wonderful people. They've helped me create a family away from my own.
From Futuro Media and PRX, It's let you Know, Usa. I'm Marie Rosa. Today Luna Luna, a band from Texas, on how the Stars aligned, bringing them together to live out their dreams on this show some music this time from Luna Luna, the rising band based in Dallas, Texas. Luna Luna is best known for mixing nostalgic sounds of the past and fusing them with elements of funk and dreamlike pop. We had Luna Luna on the show back in twenty twenty two, and we're happy to have them
on with us today. One of Luna Luna's favorite things to sing about is young love. You know, from the joys of a newly blossoming relationship to the withering of love and oh the heartache. Each member of this millennial four member band comes from a very different walk of life, and that's part of Luna Luna's DNA. They're made up of vocalist Kevin Gonzalez, who also goes by Cave, backup vocalist and keyboardist Danny Bonilla, drummer Kaylin Martinez and bassist
Ryan Gordon, who goes by Gordo. The band has had different members throughout the years, but they say destiny has brought them together from across the Lone Star State. Now they're having a good time creating music and going back on tour across the country. I'm going to hand things off now to Kevin, Danny, Kaylin and Ryan of Luna Luna.
We're gonna get to know more about the people behind the instruments and hear about how the universe brought them into each other's lives to let them live out their wildest dreams. Here's Luna Luna in their own words.
Hey, my name is Kavi. I'm the singer and producer of Lula La Yeah. So Lula Luna started yay back in twenty seventeen in Dallas, Texas. We're all Latino and that's a La Luna.
I'm sure.
Yes. I was born in Colombia stayed there until I was like six years old. You know, I feel like a lot of Latino parents are like this where they'll film like everything. So even back in the day, my mom had a lot of videos of just old parties that they would have with her family, and it was just all music and every like nobody's like sitting down. Everyone's dancing and listening to music. So I just kind of was like, whoa, Like, she's just telling me about
how life growing up in Colombia was. It was always full of music and family. And I think like the music comes from the music that my mom showed me from Colombia, and you know, like sasabout checked all of that, and then obviously growing up in America you get all the English R and B pop hip hop. I think that's what created the sound. Then my mom brought me and my older sister to Dallas, Texas. She came here
as like a missionary for the church. Yeah, you know, I started like getting the urge to make music when I was fourteen, but I really didn't have any tools, and I didn't have anyone to show me like how to like record music or anything. So I used to have a big, fat, like desktop computer, and I had like a little like microphone that you like plug in the bag that you put on your ear, so right there, I would just record my voice and just make ideas and just throw it on there. But you know, you
can't really do much for that. But later on I found out there's someone that you can use like an app called Garage Band on an iPhone and I was like, oh, I can do that, and they downloaded that and I was life changing because right there you can do like multiple tracks. It has all these sounds you can actually like make a song. Even on our last album Flower Moon, like three or like three of the songs were started like on Garage been still on my phone like to
this day. It was just like a really helpful tool.
Again.
Yeah, so back in the day, Uh, it just started with me and a friend making music and just like a room. And one day we got offered to perform at a record store in Dallas and I was like, yeah, we can play there, Like I'm down to play, but I didn't have a band yet. I said yes before like having an actual group to perform with. So I figured it out from there, found some people to play with, kept getting hit up to play shows or did open mics. So at that time it just came time to recruit people.
And my Danny had an open mic. So I have been going to this open mic thing for like a couple of weeks already in deep ellenm it was called Drugstore Cowboy.
Yeah.
At that time, it was still like the old cast, the season one cast. And then I see Danny with one of his friends about to go on. They're getting ready on stage while we're about to leave, and then he gets on the microphone and he says like wait, Luna, Luna, like like listen to this or like wait around, and we were like, okay, we'll listen. So then they performed and I was like, okay, like this is actually like good. And then like we talked to each other, exchange info,
met up later, had some studio sessions together. We got asked to perform another show in Denton, like a house show, and then I asked Danny to play the keys for us if he wanted to, and he said yeah, and then that's that's the rest is history.
I'm Danny, I'm the tree leader of Luna Luna. I also played the keys, and twenty two one night, I see these guys, I'm like, oh, they kind of looked like me, and I was I was skeptical, and then Kevin.
Goes, we made this song last night, So then I'm like, oh my gosh, because be awful.
And it was Revelation, and I remember the intro hit and I was like, okay, and then when the drums came and I was.
Like, oh my god, is so good. I was.
I was blown away. And for some reason that night, my mom was there, my friends were there, and my aunt was there. For some reason, this is the night everyone showed up. And then so I'm setting up because I'm excited. I'm like, I got to show these people. They're going to love me because they never seen somebody like this before. And I remember like just like getting ready to perform, and I turn around and they're leaving. They're like walking out the door, like they already passed the door.
My ah, no, wait, you want to see this. Trust me.
So then then they come back in and then I just I go in like I'm like, this is my audition. They're gonna love it. They're gonna they're gonna make me join after this. And then yeah, so I was just singing my heart out and then uh yeah, we exchanged numbers.
After that.
It was like the world was waiting for us to collide. So my dad came to America when he was I want to say, fourteen, and my mom came to America when she was in second grade. Man, my parents loved to tell stories, especially my dad. They were there in the eighties and and that was when there was a
civil war happening. So they would tell me horror stories, like just walking to school, they'd be dead bodies, or you'd see someone die or see someone drown when they're just trying to cross the river to go to school. So their stories remaining like we had to survive, We had a grind to get here. You better not waste the opportunity that you have to go to school and learn something. So that's what I was always pushed to work hard. I've always had a connection with music. I
think it's just it's one of my first memories. I remember when I was eight and I told my dad, like, I want to be a singer. He's like, sings for girls. And I was like, man, you sing all the time, and that's what you listen to male singers, Like how is this? I didn't even take it that personal because like, I'm gonna do it anymore. I'm not asking you, I'm telling you that I'm going to do it. And anyway, learned how to read music and it just clicked It's.
Something that I understood.
It's like a like an Isaac Newton with math.
It just felt like it just happens.
I didn't have to try. I just instantly got it. I'm a very confident person. I'm well aware of what I what I'm capable of, and I think that's just from how I was raised. So I have strong self confidence. I'm believe in myself more than anything. And I knew this is the time. You know, I've been waiting for an opportunity unity. I've been trying to find it this whole time. It's right in front of me. I'm gonna take the moment and seize it. I don't care what
anyone says or anyone does. My moment, I'm gonna make it happen. That's my thing. I'm gonna make things happen. When I say I say something, I do it. I knew instantly I needed to be in this band. It wasn't like I hope I need to be in this band, So I made it an.
I'm Kaitlin and I'm the drummer for Luna Luna, and I am twenty six years old. So I grew up in Lufkin, Texas, and yeah, it's a really small town next to Louisiana, Deep East Texas and very conservative, very close knit, lots of churches around there. So my parents are my dad is Mexican American and then my mom is white. Then yeah, I just ended up up playing well. Around fifth grade, my mom asked me if I wanted to play music, and I'm the only one in the
family that had any interests. So I started playing drums and then throughout my life I started playing it throughout church and whatnot, and that kind of, you know, led me into starting to play live much more and with bands and stuff.
I'm around Gordon, but I also go by Gorda. I played bass.
So I too, am from Plano, Texas, grew up there, born and raised. I think my initial connection to music, that perception of it being really beautiful, was when.
I went to Mass Sunday Mass.
You know, I grew up Catholic, and I remember being in the service and just listening to everybody, you know, singing together and live band and you know, everything just got It was really moving to me. And I think I was like four or five at the time, but I just remember being really touched by that.
Yeah, like I too cried.
This is the music that was like making me tear up. That was a new feeling for me.
At the time.
I was like, that was weird, but it was also like a good weird, and so pretty much then on, I always like to look after that sort of lump you get in your throat and you hear a song so beautiful.
So I'm in a band with Ryan called Digital Candy, and I meet the lead singer of that band because I just pull a number off an ad looking for a band. I think this is twenty seventeen, and yeah, I want to start playing music again. And so I contact that guy, and then that guy somehow gets in
touch with Ryan eventually, and so yeah, I met. We're in a pop punk band, and Kevin finds that out and then he's making music and I'm like seeing his stuff, I know that it's really cool, and I'm like, well, like I would loved to play that kind of music one day. And this band is coming out of Dallas. Like all the music in Denton is like, you know,
emo pop punk, like thrash metal, all that. I don't know, Like I love listening to that, but that's not the kind of stuff that I really wanted to, you know, put myself in. But then one day he like messaged me and I was like, I remember tearing up when I saw it, like because it was just such a special moment, Like I was like he saw me and thought of me, and like I think this is just going to be huge, and I can't believe I'm the
one that he asked. So the message that Kevin sent me like to join the band, it was it wasn't you know some that's something like too spectacular or anything, but it was just like, hey, I don't know if you know, but I'm I'm starting a new project called Lenda Luna, And yeah, I know that you played drums, and I was wondering if you wanted to be in the band. Eventually he was like, yeah, I need a basis. Sounds like I know the perfect guy. Then I think Kevin. Yeah, I took it from there.
Kevin comes by and gets my number and saying, well, that's a good sign. Well, the fact that Kaylin was in the band before me, and I just knew like, oh, like I know if I'm in this band, I'm gonna click because we already clicked previously.
And the sound was there and everything was just there.
And to be quite honest, I didn't really like know like the far extent of their musical releases.
And all that. You know, I've heard for you how long. But that was about it.
But yeah, up until I was asked, you know, I was, I was kind of in the dark in some sense. But like once I was asked, I just saw, like, you know, Cloud's.
Part and I was like, oh, my message is there. Oh well, stumbled upon something beautiful.
So I just kind of ran with it from there and it's been a crazy journey since.
Like I don't know, this whole situation is kind of like fateful. I don't know, it's all not yeah, it's just like it's just destiny, you know. Like I'm really excited to just keep playing. I actually just quit my job. I love music and this is the first time I've ever tried to do this full time, so touring will help with that. And then I'm also playing music outside of you know, Luna Luna as well, so I'm going to be doing that. I'm really grateful to be playing
with these wonderful people. They've helped me like create a family away from my own.
Going back on tour like it. It's very rewarding.
Yeah, very tiring, but it's so refreshing to be back out there seeing you know, our fans.
I mean, we have the best fans. I feel so.
Lucky to have such wonderful people coming to our shows.
Fans have come up and told us like, oh my god, your your music got me through my breakup. The music got us. We met each other through your music. We connected with each other through.
Your music, and you know, we hear that a lot, and so that's just reassuring, like, Wow, we're really onto something as a group, as a collective, as the vision being there, and so that's just a it's just a beautiful thing to see that, that's resonating, like that you call me out.
I just want to say thank you to the big Man, Kevin for giving me an opportunity to showcase all my skills. I want to say thank you to a beautiful drummer Kaylin holding it down Ryan being like the big brother never had craziest faces. I feel like right now is the should is the most finely tuned we've been and I think we're great at what we do now. At the beginning, we were definitely just kids haven't thought of, but now it's we're professionals trying to change the world one melody at a time.
Sununund.
I think we started, you know, it's kind of like a romantic, like hopeless romantic sound that kind of got our foot in the door in the music industry. And then I think with the last album, we're kind of trying to branch out a little maybe get a little more popped in there, and so far that's where we're at. I think the sound that's going to come out of Lunar Later is going to be like a mix of both, and I think it's going to be evolving, and I think it will be better than anything we've had before.
This episode was produced by Renaldo Lanos Junior. It was mixed by J. J. Carubin. The Latino USA team also includes Victoria Estrada and Relo, Quees Crusado, Doriman Marquez, Marta Martinez, Mike Sargent, Nor Saudi, and Nancy Trujillo. Nile Ramirez is our co executive producer. Our director of Engineering is Stephanie Lebau. Our senior engineer is Julia Caruso. Our marketing manager is Luis. Our theme music was composed by Xenia Rubinos. I'm your
host and executive producer Bydieno Kosa. Join us again on our next episode, and in the meantime, I'll see you on all of our social media.
I know.
Baye Latino USA is supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the Tao Foundation and Michelle Mercer and Bruce Golden. You're still the.
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