We were lucky to catch up with Mara Luna recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mara, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Being a bandleader, and a female band leader at that, in the rock scene can be extremely trying and stressful. There have been many times during my music career that I have questioned walking away, and many times even now that I really want to. I think the thing that keeps me going is sometimes I really don’t want to do it anymore but something inside me has to. There is a lot of pressure on me being the leader who books gigs, comes up with new songs/concepts, makes hard choices for the group. On top of that I am also the manager of my project in every way, including social media, networking, all of it, and I am the sole financial contributor to anything pertaining to the band, whether it be recording, producing, or even group photos. On top of that I’m just a regular girl trying to make ends meet, to pay my rent and bills and work two day jobs outside of music to cover band costs. I ask myself everyday why I’m still doing it when my life would be a lot easier without the hassle of it all, and I’ve come to the conclusion that sometimes I don’t always do it because I want to, but more so because I have to. As stressful and trying as it is sometimes, I can’t live as myself and not be a performer. I can’t have a full live without doing music. I will never be truly satisfied and happy without it. So the struggle is necessary.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My social media bio says it all: punk rock chick with the voice of an angel. I started out as a young alternative kid with a passion for music, art, and performance. I grew up surrounded by it, with my mom working at the Old Town School of Folk music and having a musical passion herself, which exposed me to many MANY different artists far before my time. I went to Catholic school for 9 years, where I joined the choir at seven years old and learned to sing classically as a soprano. In high school I pursued the visual arts and contemporary performance art, and with more freedoms in public school was finally able to fully express myself. Towards the end of my teenage years was when I started singing and performing rock music and Mara Luna was born, my stage name which comes from my full name (Margaret) and my general witchy behavior. I took a risk and decided to go to school for music after taking a break from singing through most of high school. and it paid off when I met my future band members and started writing music. I’m most proud of my authenticity, my voice, (which has changed so much from where I started) and my performance capabilities. I treat every gig like it is the most important night of my life because I want everyone who attended to remember my name. I am proud of my power as a woman and as a front woman in a scene that tends to take advantage of us. I am proud of my leadership and perserverence.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The reason I stopped singing in high school is because of trauma. I had some medical issues in middle school that made me not want to sing anymore because singing makes me very emotional. I had some medical issues when I was a kid that made singing very challenging and painful at times, and even when the issue was resolved, I chose not to join the choir in high school or audition for a single musical or anything of the sort. I did not sing in public, even in a group/choral setting, until the end of my senior year of high school when a friend convinced me to perform at an open mic. I’m pretty sure to this day only one member of my band knows this story because we are in a long term relationship. I realized that performing was what I was meant to do and it was also the only way to fully process traumas and my emotions as I move through life. So, I took a big risk and decided that music was what I was going to pursue and give myself to for as long as I am able to. I just figured I owed to to the little girl in me that loved to sing.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

This is a subject matter that I think a lot of people in the creative industry like to shy away from, but jealousy. Even to this day, we aren’t perfect and we aren’t emotionless robots either and I get jealous often. Just now I tell myself that we are all in this industry together, and one artist’s success does not diminish or prevent my own. I realized when I was spending more time watching other band’s followings or streams blow up instead of focusing on my own music that it was becoming a serious problem. It’s really hard when you know just how talented you are and your group is as well as feeling like the majority of people have no idea what you’re even capable of. You want that platform and unlimited resources to share those things. But jealousy gets you no where. It’s a lesson I’m still learning to this day.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maraluna_music/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaraLunaMusic
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7sN1ItjX0BQ9LwHcoggs0z?si=L0rkpP6CT4W-Uw88dxikXA

Image Credits

Chloe Dutton