Band Bio — Luke Tooze.                                                                           
Written by Stanley Mcintosh. 

An Australian singer/songwriter with a distinctively melancholic sound, Luke Tooze is reminiscent of artists like Elliott Smith, Nick Drake and Thom Yorke. If your idea of a good time is sipping on late night espresso’s or swirling around a red, you’ve most likely found your new obsession in Luke Tooze. An artist for the crowd, a compelling songwriter with a sense of humility that’s worth your evening. 

After quitting his day job as a draftsperson, Luke moved into a house in North Coburg with a primary school teacher named Lena in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne where he lived for a time. He recorded hundreds of demos in a bathroom with a four track and a couple of old mics. Luke believed that a nine to five work structure was getting in the way of hashing out his ideas and spent every day writing and recording for a year. The Northern Suburbs of Melbourne were a breeding ground for raw talent, influencing many musicians such as the late Spencer P. Jones whom he supported at the infamous Tago Mago in Thornbury, and at the time you could have watched Courtney Barnett for free in front of eight people as it was a place for discovering new artists. Rowland S. Howard and many other notable Australian artists such as Michael Hutchence and Nick Cave traipsed around these parts, all taking a chance on the uncertain path of musical artistry. 

Tooze is distinguished by a vulnerable demeanour, conveyed by an intense vocal and personal lyrics that refer candidly to subjects of lost love and time, addiction, depression and alienation. His music's character is also shaped by artful chord transitions and the recognisable timbre of his melodies. 

Luke eventually produced his own solo album in 2018, with record in hand he toured the cities of Australia, then travelled along the West Coast of America, performing at venues such as the Whisky a Go Go, Hotel Café in Hollywood L.A. and Columbia City Theatre, Seattle. Other notable touring spots were the Beauty Bar in Las Vegas and Ventura Saloon, where America’s “Queen of the California Coast,” lies, a surf break made popular by one of Luke favourite vocal group’s The Beach Boys.”

If you’ve just been dumped, listen to Luke Tooze.