Luminatrix Unveils New Album, Antihero
LUMINATRIX has released their fourth album ANTIHERO (mixed, mastered, and post-produced by Kramer / Noise Miami).
An entirely original Santa Fe, NM-based rock band fronted by two women who sing while playing guitars – Luminatrix is Jenna McGrath: lead vocals, rhythm guitar, analog synth, songwriter; Montana Joanna Standish, bass and vocal harmonies; Westin McDowell, guitar; and David Darby, drums. For live performances, Jenna and Montana often double up on lead vocals, creating complex moods and harmonies over catchy riffs. Vivid, poetic lyrics and strong instrumentation are a hallmark of the band.
First off care to introduce yourself to our readers?
I’m Jenna McGrath, and I front the three-piece rock act Luminatrix for which I play guitar and sing and write songs.
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
We released our album “Antihero” on digital and vinyl in September 2023, and did various live performances in support of it, which was super fun.
We had written a historical song about Ghost Ranch (where Georgia O’Keeffe painted) and were given permission to make our official video on location there. The landscapes are incredible! It’s usually reserved for major stars like Beyoncé or Spielberg but they let us squeeze in.
For our song “Among Us” we did a guerrilla shoot in a parking garage, during which I climbed a nine-foot fence into a fan ventilation chamber. That got a lot of views after fans noticed the connections to the multiplayer video game “Among Us”.
Also for the release, we created videos of live performances to share with our fans who don’t live nearby. People on our YouTube (@luminatrixmusic) seemed to really like them. We smiled at comments comparing our sound to Nirvana and Sleater Kinney. It’s fun to see people’s responses and it’s true that Luminatrix has a wide range of influences. Sometimes we even forget what they are until someone reminds us.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
I have been thinking about music since I was a kid. I hear all kinds of songs in my head, and they can be very distracting. At times I’ve had to close off that aspect of my thinking so I can function okay in consensual reality.
So I strive to remain open to inspiration while also navigating daily life. These days I mainly collect bits, to start. Something fleeting comes to me, a melody, a lyric, a title that carries with it a feeling of potential. I note down the bits that arrive and when I later sort through them they seem to fit together.
I always compose on guitar although I’ve formerly used bass, synth, and piano. I used to write alone, but now I’m bringing band members in earlier to form arrangements and parts dynamically.
I do have a couple of rules for songwriting. One is that the lyrics have to make a good story or poem, and the music has to get stuck in people’s heads.
Another rule is that my song characters be presented as fundamentally empowered. Some may struggle, but they believe in their own agency and in the value of the struggle to make a better future.
I’m not interested in talking about people who have given up on life and given away their power. The message I’m sending in my music is that all transformation is possible. People have the power to shape our existence if we love ourselves enough to fight for positive change.
One review said something like “Luminatrix is dark but oddly never turns evil”. That resonated; we like to find power in what’s been hidden from the light. The Jungian shadow side. Like your favorite Hitchcock movie heroine; it’s good-bad; not evil.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
Yes! We are very proud of our two official music videos for the singles “Among Us” and “All the Pretty Horses” on our YouTube channel. We are constantly posting new content from live shows because a lot of our fans are in Europe and South America and can’t make it here.
Three live videos from fall 23 shows are fresh out of the editing room and will be on the Luminatrix YouTube channel by the time you read this.
We are also in the studio recording our next album which will be released September 2024. It’s about half done. We don’t have a title yet.
We record our studio albums live as a three-piece band and then I will do some overdubs to bring out the more classically inspired symphonic elements of the composition. I’m often thinking in symphonies but lack the patience and backup to write those so I refine it down to a rock arrangement with extra guitars.
I’ve recorded in many top-notch studios (including Electric Lady in NY) but after COVID concerns forced us to record most of “Antihero” in a living room, we kind of got addicted to the DIY ethos and will be making the next record with our video director Andy in his garage. He’s super talented and that’s why we can do that but yeah. Literally wood shedding, haha.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
Yes!! “Antihero” made the NACC college charts in the US in November 2023. I’m still taking it in that this happened. We got to reach our listeners and they said “Play it again!” and what could be better than that? Industry people said we did as well as an indie band can do on the radio and that feels fine.
Connect with Luminatrix:
Website
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Instagram