We recently connected with Mars Luna and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Mars thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

Absolutely yes! This is a multi-faceted and loaded question. I don’t have a specific story because I feel like I’ve been misunderstood or “mischaracterized” throughout the entirety of my existence on Earth. I admit that I’m pretty “out there” in terms of presentation and personality and I always aim to “embrace the strange” in everything that I do. I’ve heard from some of my peers in music that I come across as “odd”, “gimmicky” or “weird” but that’s fine by me. I take those perceived insults as compliments because I’m just being my truest and most authentic self. (Insert alien emoji here)

On a general note, I feel like humans have a tendency to categorize, compare and put people in boxes to make it easier for them to understand others. But I believe everyone is unique and different in their own way and that’s how it’s supposed to be. Once we learn to appreciate everyone’s distinctive qualities that make them who they are, then I believe there will be less interpersonal misunderstandings out there in the world.

On a creative note, I explore a variety of genres in my discography so its nearly impossible to categorize me. That is by design. Musically, I’ve explored and ventured through acoustic singer-songwriter material, to alternative rock jams, to pop and R&B tunes. A lot of the shows I’ve done have been with rappers and I’m usually the only singer on the bill. I’m presented as an oddball and that’s honestly the position I feel like I shine in the most. My music is meant to transcend genres and on a personal note, it’s meant to show how I’m adaptable and mendable to change. My hero David Bowie was the epitome of innovation and I strive to replicate that same quality in my own art.

Mars, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

According to the United States government, my name is “Joshua Luna”, but I go by “Mars Luna”, the “space alien singer” and “Cosmic Prince” from the Sixth Dimension. My story started when I descended to Earth in the year 1993.

While adjusting to life on Earth, I had speech problems and while I was learning how to talk, I started singing and that came naturally to me. Music became my form of escapism and it also became my primary form of communication. Because I had speech problems and I had trouble acclimating to my surroundings, I was frequently misunderstood, bullied and felt like an outcast. But over time, through music, I became embraced and accepted by my peers in school. In May 2016, one of my favorite earthlings passed away after an arduous battle with cancer and that invigorated a desire to take a chance and make music a career. Music became a foundation of my life from that point forward. As a result, I released my first two EPs Genesis and Prelude in September 28, 2016 and April 17, 2017 respectively and I’ve been performing and creating music to this day.

The creative accomplishment I’m most proud of is a body of work called the “Cosmic Chronicles”. The Cosmic Chronicles is essentially a fancy way to describe my discography and it is a tetralogy of albums (or episodes) that explore the trials, triumphs, dimensions, seasons, emotions and the entire spectrum of the human experience. The first two albums of the Cosmic Chronicles, “Lost In Space” and “Dark Matter” were released on April 11, 2019 and November 19, 2021 respectively. I’m currently working on my third album (episode) “New Orbit” and it’s sonically my happiest record to date. It’s set to be released in summer 2023.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal and mission for my creative odyssey is to encourage people to “embrace your odyssey and to “embrace the strange”. That statement has helped me navigate through various seasons of my life. It’s also a reminder for me to embody all of my quirks and eccentricities. On a more practical and general note, once we embrace our odysseys and the strangeness of life on Earth, we develop our character and our resolve. Perseverance also makes us stronger and more complete individuals. Being resilient and channeling our truest selves will help propel us to higher stratospheres in life, and in art.

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

I started working on my second album “Dark Matter’ in the summer of 2019 and things were progressing well initially. But as time went on I felt like Icarus and flew too close to the sun when it came to the progress of that project. That’s because the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 (I call it the panda invasion), and it was difficult to make music out of enjoyment. As a result, I had to postpone the production for Dark Matter for about eight months while I was learning how to navigate through everything that was happening on Earth and subsequently with my own mental health. Once production on Dark Matter resumed in February 2021, it was still difficult for me to fully enjoy making music due to the aforementioned circumstances and I wanted to throw in the towel numerous times. I lost a lot momentum and time. But I realized that the only way out of this process was to finish it, and I did! On November 19, 2021, I got through it and Dark Matter was released into the universe. Dark Matter can now be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music. That whole process reminded me to always finish what I start.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.itsmarsluna.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsmarsluna
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/itsmarsluna
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/joshuabluna

Image Credits
Holokahiki Toves, Kainalu Kamai & Valor Perry