An exchange of energy

Hailing from Green Bay, Luma Knotty is delivering a sound so unique that even band members themselves struggle to describe it.

“It’s kind of always been a thing that we don’t really know how to describe ourselves,” said Luma Knotty Founder, Guitarist and Vocalist Ryan Patrick. “We have a foundation in reggae music and that’s always going to be our comfort zone — our home base — but we’re definitely not a reggae band. If you’re coming to a Luma show expecting Roots reggae, it’s going to be different. It’s a more modern approach. I like to bring in all sorts of genres to fill that void and I think we have a lot of heavy funk influences and a lot of rock influences as well. We’re kind of like a hybrid of reggae, funk and rock… It’s hard to really pinpoint our genre, but it’s a very unique sound and there’s really nobody else that sounds like us.”

Creating a unique sound, though, is exactly the reason Patrick started Luma Knotty in the first place.

“We formed back in 2017, so we’re getting a little long in the tooth now,” he said. “I was playing in another band called Focus at the time and that was my main group, but I wanted something where I had a little bit more personal freedom about what type of music we can do. I really didn’t want to have any boundaries as far as creativity and things like that. So I started Luma as kind of a side project and you know how that goes — once things started picking up steam, it just seemed like the natural choice to move and make that my full-time project.”

And a full-time project it has become, as Patrick not only performs in the band, but also records, mixes and masters the band’s albums at Luma Lab Recording Studio in Green Bay.

“We spent a lot of time building up the lab and being able to have our own recording studio and a space where we can just keep writing and adding to our collection of songs…” Patrick said. “It’s been a growing process because a lot of the stuff that we’re taking on, it’s not that we didn’t have any experience in it, but it’s been a learning process. We’re learning how to do all this stuff without seeking outside help and still put out quality products. That’s been really huge for us — still being able to continuously put out quality content, whether it be visual or audio.”

Although the process has been demanding, Patrick said it has allowed him and fellow band members Luis on Keys, Steve Scott, Nick Rodello and Neji Khang to produce exactly the type of experience they want their audience to have.

“We wanted to create a space where we were able to write, record and do art,” Patrick said. “That is part of what we try to present as Luma Knotty. With Luma, it’s a lot of the visual side of things. When we play live, we like things to glow and pop and we use lots of bright colors and things that kind of illuminate our audience… When we really break down our name, that’s at the heart of what we try to do. Luma, we try to bring people light through music. And Knotty, because we’re rocking the dreadlocks and the reggae lifestyle, if you will.”

When Luma Knotty plays live, Patrick said it’s about much more than simply sharing music.

“Performing live, to me, is about the exchange of energy from the performers on stage to the people in the audience,” he said. “When they start reacting to what we do, it brings a different level of focus to what we’re playing… It’s an energy you don’t get from playing in the studio… In the studio, you’re being more meticulous. You’re trying not to make mistakes. You’re trying to create the best possible polished product. Playing live is more reactionary. You’re just interacting with the musicians on the stage and interacting with people in the audience and that’s one of the main reasons that I keep going and I keep wanting to perform.”

For Luma Knotty, Patrick said it hasn’t always been easy to find an audience willing to take a chance and take part in that interaction, but that hasn’t deterred the group from continuing to perform.

“Especially being an original band, we don’t necessarily fall into the mold of what all the other successful bands in the area are,” he said. “I’m not knocking on cover bands, but that’s what controls the scene over here… People just really get into listening to music that they already know. The challenge is presenting them with stuff they don’t know while still maintaining their attention… Just being an original and in Wisconsin is going uphill right off the bat. But that’s who we are and we don’t want to succumb to the cover band archetype just to be successful. To me, it’s more important to be able to play what makes my heart happy.”

And members of Luma Knotty have much to be happy about, as their latest album, Favorite Dream, launched at the end of September.

“I’m really proud of the title track, ‘Favorite Dream,’ because it has a lot to do with family and staying true to those close to you,” he said. “‘The Shore’ is another really good one that I like how it turned out… I had our friend Cujo write a verse for us and he came in and did a guest performance, so that was a really good one. Today is a Gift’ is another good one because it’s about being present and enjoying the time that we have… They all turned out really nice, and they all have a very special meaning so it’s hard to pick a favorite.”

“They’re like your kids, you know? They’re all your babies,” Patrick said. “You definitely have some that speak to you a little bit more than others, but they’re all kind of written out of personal experiences. Everything I write is either related to some part of my life in one way or another or how I’m feeling or certain experiences I’ve had. Those are all the things that made me the person I am today and shaped who I am as a musician.”

As the group prepares for a tour of the West Coast coming up this spring, Patrick said the support shown at the recent Favorite Dream release show illustrated that Luma Knotty and other original bands could find their audience in Northeast Wisconsin as well.

“We were kind of made for music festivals,” Patrick said. “That’s the type of vibe that we’re trying to bring to people when we play smaller club shows, too. That’s kind of what was so nice about the album release show that we just did. Because it was an all-original lineup, everybody that was there we’ve played festivals together before. It felt really nice having an all-original show. It felt like a real event and it wasn’t just people showing up to get wasted and drink beer. Don’t get me wrong, people were doing that too, but it just makes a difference when people are really there for the music versus just going out to party at some random place and you’re just an afterthought. It lets you kind of appreciate everything a bit more and lets you know that you can put on those types of shows in this area and it can be successful.”

To learn more about Luma Knotty, stream their music and stay up to date on upcoming shows, visit lumaknotty.com.