Ontario metal outfit Lutharo has been grinding since 2014 with no signs of slowing down! Blending symphonic melodrama with more than enough grit to give the music a hard edge, this band has persevered through many challenges (including most recently, a broken down van on their US tour) to build an international fan base. And this spring, they'll be off to Europe supporting Frozen Crown!
Here's what vocalist Krista Shipperbottom had to say about keeping the band running:
Tell our readers all about your band! Where are you from and when did you get started? What is your music like?
Lutharo is a heavy metal band based in Ontario, Canada which began back in 2014 by myself (Krista Shipperbottom) and guitarist Victor Bucur. Our music is kind of hard to point your finger on. It’s a mixture of everyone’s favorite genres smashed into one but in a really harmonious way. If you want to really pinpoint it as a metal genre, I would say it fits best under the melodic death metal umbrellla.
What are your goals for your band?
We have a ton of goals for Lutharo which change daily, but the biggest one for all of us is to make this our living.
What do you do for a living?
Some of us do have regular 9-5 day jobs and some of us do part time work and odd jobs. I personally work at a hospital stocking supplies.
How do you balance your work and personal life with the band?
Making a schedule for everything and staying organized is the absolute key. We’ve realized as a band that the only way we can get things done is to plan in advance and have hard deadlines.
What do you consider to be the best investment you've made, music-wise?
Hmm that’s very difficult because everything we have invested in, either big or small, has been a piece of the puzzle. One of the biggest and most helpful decisions was going fully DI and getting an in-ear rack system. Though it was an expensive and tricky process, it has changed our live performance for the better in so many ways. Not to mention not lugging around a ton of gear!
What's the worst or least helpful thing you've ever spent money on as a musician/band?
Maybe working with people who turned out to not have our best interests at hand -- although without this, we wouldn’t have learned important lessons.
What kind of merch sells the best for your band? And what do you purchase most often as a music listener?
Definitely t-shirts and patches. Even though it is a cliche, it is what sells best. For myself personally, t-shirts are a give in but I’m also a sucker for really unique merch items or limited edition things.
Can you share some tour budgeting tips?
The biggest thing that has helped us on tour is to buy food at the grocery store instead of constantly eating out. Unless you have a daily budget or decent buyout, food costs add up quick.
Which online music or social media platforms are most helpful to your band?
Spotify and YouTube have been really helpful when it comes to people actually being to consume our music but if we are trying to advertise ourselves, Instagram and Facebook are the biggest go-to.
What does "making it" mean to you, and what do you think a band needs to make it in 2024?
Making it to us means this is our full-time gig. No 9-5s or side jobs just fully reliant and focused on music. However, I don’t think there is any secret formula to get there. Just stay dedicated and authentic, and advertise yourself in any way you can.
Catch Lutharo across the pond in April and May, and be sure to visit their website for melodic metal awesomeness!
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