Luna recorded a pair of New York City shows at the Knitting Factory over the weekend for an upcoming live album, the first planned offering since the group's former label, Jericho Records, went under.
Singer-guitarist Dean Wareham told MTV News than the group has already received a few offers from labels about picking up the concert LP, which was recorded during gigs on July 14 and 15, although Luna is also considering issuing the album online.
"We recorded both nights," Wareham said. "See, we're between contracts right now, so we decided that's the moment to do it, because if you're under contract to someone, then whatever recordings you do are owned by the label. We figured we could sneak one in before we get a new record deal." [RealAudio]
Wareham also indicated that the NYC gigs weren't the first time Luna had attempted to capture its recent live shows which have featured the band's newest addition, bassist Britta Phillips.
During the July 14 gig, Luna helped celebrate Bastille Day by performing its cover of decadent French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg's "Bonnie And Clyde," an unlisted track from Luna's 1995 "Penthouse" album.
For the song, Phillips assumed the "Bonnie" vocal part that Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier originally sang on "Penthouse."
"I was very happy the way it turned out," he said of the Knitting Factory shows. "We [also] recorded a few months ago. We did a show in D.C. with a mobile truck, and it felt like just because we knew the tape was rolling, all of a sudden we started making mistakes. That's why we did two nights this time, and it was sort of more relaxing. I felt we played really well." [RealAudio]
Luna plans to mix the live recordings later this summer, and in the meantime, Wareham will start work on an independent film he's been cast in, titled "This Little Piggy," in which he'll play an ex-junkie and credit card thief.
"I'm supposed to be making a movie in August," Wareham said. "Someone gave me the lead in a movie. It's an independent film with this woman I know [Alison Bagnall], she co-wrote 'Buffalo '66'. She's making another film, and she gave me a part in that."
"This Little Piggy" is set to begin filming in upstate New York next month. Luna's next scheduled appearance will come on September 16 at Mass MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts.
