Rising indie-folk artist Luke James Williams has returned with his new single Full Moon. The track is taken from his highly anticipated second album Limes Hotel which is due for release on 17th April.
Full Moon opens with powerful guitar strums which add urgency as we jump straight into the story behind the track. The opener of “On a night like tonight it feels like all that’s between death and life is a faint line” sets the scene and lends a dark air to proceedings. Williams’ vocal is smooth and has an indie-rock-band front man inflection. The fast-paced beat with guitars overlayed pushes the story forward at a racing pace and the veil of darkness continues as we reach the chorus of “Green eyes will follow you down, be stealing your crown when no one else is around.” The themes of greed and unrelenting desire in the lyrics are prominent and given a sinister twist when mirrored in the deep, almost twisted-sounding synths that break through the unrelenting beat. The track could arguably be a modern retelling of an old fable expressing the dangers of gluttony and selfishness. The outro of haunting female vocals ends the track on a spine-tingling note and you can hear the folk influence shine through in the accompanying percussion.
When speaking of Full Moon Luke James Williams said “Full Moon is about the dangers of not knowing where to stop in our pursuit of what we want. Gluttony can lead people to do very stupid things that put themselves and others in grave danger. The hunter becomes the hunted in this part fable, part cautionary tale.”
The accompanying video for the track, made by UK-based filmmaker and photographer Matthew Oaten, is equally as intriguing as it features two ballet dancers bringing the lyrics to life as they meander their way through London’s Barbican. “When I listened to Full Moon, I was struck by the sense of pursuit running through it — the idea of desire becoming predatory” says Matthew. “I saw it as a reflection on greed, competition and the futility of capitalism, and wanted the video to express those ideas physically. I’m grateful to Luke for trusting me to follow that instinct and create something true to the song.”
Williams, originally from Cambridgeshire, released his debut EP Drove in 2018 and it received support from BBC Radio 6 Music’s Tom Robinson who selected the track Still in Bed as his 6 Music Recommends Track of the Week. In 2022 Williams released his debut album Our Blood is Red which received positive reviews from various indie and folk publications. Williams has supported artists including Thea Gilmore, Mark Chadwick (Levellers), Charlie Dore and Megson and following an appearance at Cambridge Folk Festival, he embarked on his first UK headline tour in autumn 2022.
Full Moon is available to stream now. Find out more about Luke James Williams here and have a listen to Full Moon below.
If you like what you hear, Luke James Williams will be embarking on a UK tour this May, full list of dates below.
Wednesday 6th May — The Harrison, London
Friday 8th May — Mary Street Live, Sheffield
Thursday 14th May — LTB Showrooms, Coventry
Friday 15th May — Wax and Beans, Bury
Friday 12th June — Junction J3, Cambridge
Thursday 23rd July — South Mill Arts, Bishops Stortford