New chapter begins

Luke Andrews Band takes off again with “Universe”

Bassist Tom Traint and singer Luke Andrews

(Bild: Georg Buxhofer)

The Luke Andrews Band is opening a new chapter with "Universe". "The song is a declaration of love and at the same time a new musical start," says Luke Andrews. Produced by Stefan Holoubek, the song brings a breath of fresh air and a new sound.

A fresh sound, a new direction and big plans for the future: "Universe" marks the start of a new musical era for the Luke Andrews Band. The song is particularly important to bandleader Lukas Ehrenhöfer, who comes from Lower Austria: "I'm getting married to my fiancée this year, and 'Universe' is a declaration of love to her in a way - but not a classic wedding song. "Rather, it's a feel-good song that reflects the positive energy we're experiencing as a band at the moment. An incredible amount is happening in London at the moment, things that we've wanted for a long time and that are finally coming true." For the band, "Universe" marks the start of a new chapter, a new universe."

A new sound for the future
Musically, "Universe" clearly stands out from the band's earlier songs. "I would say that the song is a lot poppier than our previous ones," Luke explains. "Our albums have always been inspired by the artists I particularly like at the time. On the first album, it was mainly country-pop artists like Zac Brown and Chris Stapleton, so it was very American country-influenced. On the second album, we went in a more pop direction, and the third album was heavily influenced by Harry Styles." On the current fourth album, the band is now adding its own touch: "I'm listening to a lot of classical music at the moment, and that has also influenced "Universe" a little - there are subtle classical influences in the melodies."

Cover image of the single "Universe"

(Bild: Luke Andrews Band)

Collaboration with star producer
The production of "Universe" was not without its challenges. "We originally recorded the song in our own studio last year. But as a band, we weren't entirely happy with the result, so we put the song aside for the time being," admits Luke. "Nevertheless, we knew it had a lot of potential and we wanted to develop it further." The solution was to work with Stefan Holoubek, a star producer from Austria who has worked a lot with Pizzera & Jaus, among others. "He put the finishing touches to the song and turned it into an energetic, really strong number. Now we're really happy with the result."

Future plans: more releases and international collaborations
After "Universe", the band will release the single "Maniac" in April/May. For this song, they worked with renowned musicians such as Dave Clayton (Georg Michael, Simply Red, Paul McCartney, U2) on keyboards and Kevin Robinson (Simply Red, Paul McCartney, Incognito) on the horn section. At the end of March, the band will travel to London to record new song material with British producers Patrick Murdoch (Michael Jackson, among others) and Adrian Hall (Tori Amos, Depeche Mode, among others). Alongside band leader Luke Andrews, bassist Tom Traint is also an integral part of the band. "Tom and I studied together in Eisenstadt, but at some point we wanted to get out of the Austrian music scene," says Luke. "London was the logical choice because the city has an incredible musical history and embodies exactly the sound we want to make. We see the Luke Andrews Band on an international level right from the start, which is why we went to London in 2016. The city is a creative outlet for us, a place full of motivation. We have collected countless memories there that drive us. Why London exactly? I can't really put it into words, but it's our city at heart." A total of four single releases and an album are planned for 2025.

A look into the future
The band's long-term goal? "Our big musical goal is to play at the Royal Albert Hall in London. That's our dream that we've been working towards for a long time. Realistically, it might not happen in 2025, but who knows?" says Luke. The band also wants to expand their team and present their music to a wider international audience. "We've already made initial contacts to get a song on BBC Two - that's Ö3 times ten," says Luke happily. The band's motto: "Go full throttle and see where this new "Universe" takes us!"