By Morgan James
Desert Native, Luna Elizabeth Thorn, is creating a huge buzz around the Coachella Valley as she performs her live original music along with drummer, Marco Thoma, as their band, Scarlet Lady. Luna’s dynamic vocal range includes aggressive screamo elements which provide a niche for Scarlet Lady in gothic/occult based music here in the desert. Whimsical, yet alternately severe, the music of Scarlet Lady impressively inspires fans to feel hope, to feel pain, not to blindly follow the status quo, and to ultimately be themselves.
MJ: Tell me about how you got started in music?
Thorn: “When I was 13 years old there was a talent show in my school. That was about the time I was getting into heavy metal. I had it in my head that I was going to perform Ozzy Osbournes “Crazy Train” even though I didn’t have a band or even own an instrument. I was obsessed with the idea of playing a dark genre of music in front of my peers who were more interested in pop music and the latest trends. It was supposed to be my middle finger to the teenage mediocrity of the desert I grew up in. Typical teenage rebellion… I have an uncle who had always played in bands and toured. When I told him that I wanted to pick up guitar and play in a band in the school talent show, he was supportive though he warned that it would be an itch that would suck me in. He said that there was a life style that went along with being a musician. He did give me my first guitar, but there was no way I was going to learn “Crazy Train” 3 weeks before the talent show…so that never happened. However, my uncle was right. I could never shake the desire to play music.”
MJ: Your music is filled with passion, emotion, and angst. What influences your music and drives you?
Thorn: “I write and play for the same reasons that I breathe- if I didn’t, I think I would die. I receive relief through release. When I’m on stage and I scream, it becomes a very cathartic experience. Marco brings a very special element to the band. He is very good at bringing out the aggression to its fullest…even when I deliver something soft. Our music is a combination of seduction, distress and hope…and it’s almost like being French kissed by the Cruelty of Beauty. Scarlet Lady is ultimately inspired and influenced by Love for sure. But a lot more goes into its anatomy under Love…its life through the eyes of a practicing occultist and Witch. It’s a mixture of life experiences, from practicing The Craft to experiencing relationships.”
MJ: What other artists and genres do you relate to? You give me a touch of the Courtney Love vibe who I always loved in the 90’s.
Thorn: “Being a vocalist and a guitarist/bassist, my musical influences are many. I get the Courtney Love thing a lot. Though I’m more keen to Kat from Babes in Toyland. I love the whole riot grrrl scene of course, but Scarlet Lady has a very Gothic foundation which is something that hasn’t really been around much in this desert. I’ve always been a fan of more aggressive vocals. But not just any screamo emo eyeliner and tight jeans sounding glam…but the kind of guttural grunts and harsh screeching that inspires fear and feelings of desolation. Occult based music is a big thing with me…from King Diamond, Mercyful Fate and Cradle of Filth to Blood Ceremony, Jex Thoth and Lucifer.”
MJ: Where can our readers find your music and hear you live?
Thorn: “As of right now we are a live band, though currently in the process of writing a full album entitled Babalon Rising. We are looking for a way to record the magical rites that are impregnated within our brains. Our next show is May 20th in Coachella at the 4th street show. We are playing with Rogue Ogre, DieSineGration, Brain Fragment and Panzram.
MJ: Tell me what you hope to accomplish now as Scarlet Lady?
Thorn: “To bring something new to the desert and reawaken something old and forgotten. To bring a little witchcraft and romance to the audience. Scarlet Lady formed in Leo, August of 2015. Its conception and birth was a very special event. The first time Marco Thoma and I played together was at an open mic night at a place called The Range in Slab City. We just sort of went up on stage and made the entire set up. It was a perfect blend. It had sounded as if we had played together for a long time. I have always believed in kindred spirits and it was indeed one of those moments where kindred spirits reunite. After that initial performance we kept playing together and practicing and in such a short time gained a little attention by our sound. The name Scarlet Lady is in reference to Occultist and Magickian Aleister Crowley’s Scarlet Woman and The Red Goddess of Thelema Babalon, which is a fecund theme in our music and image.”
