Interview with Lunar Lagoon

Lunar Lagoon are an alt-electronic group based in Naarm/Melbourne, stemming from the solo works of frontman Joe Nurrish. Now as a collaborative project between Joe Nurrish & Luke Morton, Lunar Lagoon’s live band features members from Heir Traffic, Polly & The Pockets, Everyday Believer + more.

Taking influence from Mount Kimble, King Krule, The Streets, The Style Council + more, the group’s angular & rich sound, paired with the moody introspective lyrics of Nurrish, encapsulates the spaces between, the feeling of darkness coinciding with the light, and explores themes of nostalgia & the unknown.

With the release of their debut EP “Light Seeps Thru My Blinds”, coverage was seen across Triple R, & FBi Radio, with plays on the Breakfasters & Double Bounce shows on RRR, and “Wayw(ard)” being included in FBi’s best new music playlist. A small run of 7” vinyl was also pressed for the debut single “MINISKULE!”, with Naarm/Melbourne band Speed Mullet.

Lunar Lagoon has evolved from a solo project into a fully realised collaborative band.

Can you talk us through how the project began and how it’s grown into what it is now? I started Lunar Lagoon as a sort of bedroom project a few years ago, with the help of Polly (who is still in our live band). It was very much a DIY, moody set up as a means of catharsis for some tracks that didn’t really fit into other projects I was in at the time. As time went on I felt the tracks could use some more help & vision, and from there was how Lunar grew to what it is today.

You’re now working closely with Luke Morton, alongside a live band featuring members of several Naarm projects. What does collaboration bring to the Lunar Lagoon sound?

Luke & I have a very similar process & outlook creatively, so this has helped morph Lunar into a more fully-fledged project. Live, we try to let the tracks have another life of their own, which gives listeners/punters more to enjoy when they see us. Our current live band consists of Luke & I, as well as Polly & our friend Zacca, but as a project we collaborate a lot with others in both recording & playing live.

Your sound balances angular electronic elements with a very human, introspective lyricism. Where do those contrasts come from?

I think it mostly comes from an amalgamation of our influences. Lyrically I take a lot of influence from Mike Skinner & Archy Marshall. Their ability to make mundane situations enticing is something I’ve always admired & tried to replicate. We take influence from a wide pool of genres & artists, and take a lot of care when piecing our tracks together, which is probably where our own sound has stemmed from.

You’ve cited influences like Mount Kimbie, King Krule, The Streets, and The Style Council. How do those artists shape your approach?

Apart from the lyricism I mentioned before, we take lots of creative influence from these bands (I’ll also add on Cocteau Twins as they’re another major influence on us). The textures & sonic elements these artists create make you feel like you’re briefly in a different world entirely of their making, which is something we aim to create with our stuff. Being fully immersed in the songs is important to us, and a lot of time & consideration has gone into trying to create this environment.

As well as this, the full creative vision of all of these artists is a huge inspiration (even beyond the music).

The single “Miles” - What does this track represent for the band at this stage?

A fresh start & a new chapter for us. We have lots of new music & ideas flowing through, and are really stoked with how “Miles” has been received so far. Dusting off the cobwebs & releasing music was a daunting prospect, but now we can’t wait to kick off from here.

You’ve worked with Daniel Devlin & Emma Hall-Phillips on the upcoming self-titled EP. What did they bring into the process?

Dev is one of our oldest & best friends. We’ve played with him for years in various other bands, and he has always been a big support for us. Having him play the live drums on “Miles” only feltright. Beyond the playing, having him support & using him as a fresh set of ears really helped us move the tracks along. Emma, another one of our close friends, provided all of the backing vocals on our tracks. She’s got a great voice & was a godsend to help us finish the tracks off. We’re still trying to convince her to join the live band so hopefully we can continue to expand on that hahaha

You’ve already played standout shows, including Northcote Social Club’s Social Sanctuary and a Jameson-sponsored headline at The Old Bar. How does the live setting shape the band?

As I said before, we like to give the tracks a sort of life of their own when we play them live. It’s taken a long time to get the songs to where they are, and now we’re really happy with how our live sets pan out. We used to play mostly as a fully electronic set up with samples, but now have implemented live drums & more live instrumentation, but still like to play the odd stripped back set where it suits.

With a self-titled EP expected in early 2026, what can listeners expect from this next chapter of Lunar Lagoon?

Hopefully lots more to come. We’re really confident with our new music & can’t wait to start playing & releasing more. We’re eager to get stuck in this year, and continue to build from here.

Onwards & upwards

Bandcamp: https://lunarlagoon.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunarlagooon/