{"id":3075,"date":"2025-06-24T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/the-evolution-of-luke-spiller\/"},"modified":"2025-06-24T14:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T14:00:00","slug":"the-evolution-of-luke-spiller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/the-evolution-of-luke-spiller\/","title":{"rendered":"The Evolution of Luke Spiller"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_DevilInMe_LSowns_Spotify-and-apple-music-banner-.jpg\" width=\"\" height=\"\" alt=\"Luke Spiller (Credit: Joseph Lynn)\"><\/figure>\n<p>In case you missed it, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lukespiller.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Luke Spiller<\/a>, frontperson of British rock group the Struts, released a solo album earlier this year\u2014and it\u2019s an absolute stunner. Titled <a href=\"https:\/\/lukespiller.lnk.to\/LoveCigsWineAlbumWE\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes and Wine<\/em><\/a>, it\u2019s an orchestral, theatrical masterpiece that lays bare Luke\u2019s soul. Crafted alongside ubiquitous guitarist-producer Jason Faulkner (St. Vincent, Beck, Air) and Jon Levine (Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa, Drake), the songs carry the drama of a Bond theme, the storytelling grandeur of Elton John, and the exploratory spirit of the Beatles at their most adventurous. Yet, he was dropped from his label less than a month after the album\u2019s release.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m keeping a stiff upper lip, old school British attitude,\u201d Luke says over the phone. \u201cClinging to the proverb that \u2018all bad things happen for a good reason.\u2019 Maybe it wasn\u2019t meant to be. It\u2019s quite frustrating because I poured my heart and soul, and an incredible amount of energy, money, and time into something\u2026that I thought people were going to really connect with.\u201dIt\u2019s easy to picture Luke when hearing his friendly voice. Whenever he\u2019s out and about in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles, he cuts quite the figure, prompting the question: \u201cWho is that guy?\u201d Then you realize\u2014\u201cAh yes, that\u2019s Luke from the Struts\u201d\u2014a bona fide rock star in both the classic and timeless sense of the term. But one who\u2019s outgoing and affable, who makes eye contact and is generous with his smiles. He connects in real life the same way he does on <em>Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes and Wine<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>More from Spin:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2025\/06\/james-mcmurtry-gives-us-the-protest-album-we-need\/\">James McMurtry Gives Us the Protest Album We Need<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2025\/06\/from-louisiana-bayous-to-rock-royalty-clifton-cheniers-lasting-legacy\/\">From Louisiana Bayous to Rock Royalty: Clifton Chenier\u2019s Lasting Legacy<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2025\/06\/tropical-fuck-storm-batten-down-the-hatches\/\">Tropical Fuck Storm Batten Down the Hatches<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1230\" height=\"912\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_Album_LoveWillProbablyKillsMeBeforeCigarettesAndWine_CoverImage_JosephLynn_LSowns_FNL.jpg\" alt=\"'Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes And Wine' (Credit: Joseph Lynn)\" class=\"wp-image-466637\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_Album_LoveWillProbablyKillsMeBeforeCigarettesAndWine_CoverImage_JosephLynn_LSowns_FNL.jpg 1230w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_Album_LoveWillProbablyKillsMeBeforeCigarettesAndWine_CoverImage_JosephLynn_LSowns_FNL-340x252.jpg 340w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_Album_LoveWillProbablyKillsMeBeforeCigarettesAndWine_CoverImage_JosephLynn_LSowns_FNL-768x569.jpg 768w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_Album_LoveWillProbablyKillsMeBeforeCigarettesAndWine_CoverImage_JosephLynn_LSowns_FNL-498x369.jpg 498w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1230px) 100vw, 1230px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u2018Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes And Wine\u2019 (Credit: Joseph Lynn)<\/p>\n<p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cEvery artist goes through their own journey,\u201d he says. \u201cSome people find their true, authentic voice straightaway. That\u2019s what legends are made of. They\u2019re amazing anomalies. Other people, it takes them a minute. I\u2019m the latter. It\u2019s taken me all this experience and time and living enough life to draw genuine inspiration and find my own way of writing songs that comes natural to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes and Wine<\/em> is a portal into Luke\u2019s life\u2014one through which listeners can visualize the memories and moments that shaped him. It may not align neatly with the Struts\u2019 glamour, outrageousness, and party vibes, though there\u2019s certainly a place for all of that. Over the course of 10 years, four albums, and countless tours\u2014another of which kicks off in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestruts.com\/tour\/\" target=\"_blank\">July<\/a>\u2014the band has hit many milestones and developed a devoted global fan base. But <em>Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes and Wine<\/em> is where Luke is now.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAuthenticity and honesty are not things that are written or instructed, you feel them,\u201d he says. \u201cWith the Struts, we\u2019ve definitely had moments, but I wanted to make something you\u2019d be able to feel is real. I\u2019m already working on a follow-up record. I\u2019ve got some great ideas and a great vision to where this all can go next.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Luke shares the 10 most essential items he keeps around his Los Angeles home.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LEADLukeSpiller_P_DevilInMe_LSowns_Spotify-and-appple-music-alt1-.jpg\" alt=\"(Credit: Joseph Lynn)\" class=\"wp-image-466638\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LEADLukeSpiller_P_DevilInMe_LSowns_Spotify-and-appple-music-alt1-.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LEADLukeSpiller_P_DevilInMe_LSowns_Spotify-and-appple-music-alt1--340x227.jpg 340w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LEADLukeSpiller_P_DevilInMe_LSowns_Spotify-and-appple-music-alt1--240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LEADLukeSpiller_P_DevilInMe_LSowns_Spotify-and-appple-music-alt1--768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LEADLukeSpiller_P_DevilInMe_LSowns_Spotify-and-appple-music-alt1--498x332.jpg 498w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Credit: Joseph Lynn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-yellow-1974-mercedes-benz-450sl\"><strong>Yellow 1974 Mercedes-Benz 450SL<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>I\u2019ve had many loves in my life, but one of the most long-lived is my love for classic cars. I have this beautiful yellow 1974 Mercedes-Benz 450SL, which is my absolute pride and joy. I got it right after I made the move to L.A. in 2020. I had a friend in Miami who runs this classic car shop and classic guitar showroom called <a href=\"https:\/\/waltgracevintage.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Walt Grace Vintage<\/a>. I was like, \u201cI\u2019m moving to L.A. and I\u2019m not going to be driving around in a Toyota hybrid.\u201d He sent me a bunch of videos and pictures of this beautiful Mercedes. I\u2019ve seen them around L.A., but I\u2019ve never seen a bright yellow one. It was beautiful and rare. It had been kept in the collector\u2019s showroom for the best part of 20-odd years, so it was in fantastic condition. Before I got it shipped to me in L.A., I fitted a sound system that rounded up to about $10,000, which, at the time, felt right. It\u2019s the perfect car for L.A. I can ride around with the roof off. If I\u2019m having a bad day, or I\u2019m under an extreme amount of pressure, I can take it out in the valley, where I\u2019m living, and if it\u2019s golden hour and the sun\u2019s coming down and I\u2019m listening to great music, I have these genuine moments of gratitude, thinking, \u201cThe 16-year-old Luke would be very proud of you right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-acoustic-guitar\"><strong>Acoustic Guitar<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>I live in an apartment building and about three years ago, one of my neighbors said, \u201cI\u2019m going to be leaving. Would you be interested in this acoustic guitar I have?\u201d He brought it around, and it\u2019s this really beautiful old Spanish guitar with nylon strings. It was built in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and it\u2019s just battered. The action on it is absolutely terrible. I\u2019ve never considered myself a guitar player, but I know enough to write music and figure out chord progressions. But over the last couple of years, I have written some great moments and great songs on it. I work with Taylor Guitars and all sorts. But this one\u2019s got a little bit of magic to it. It\u2019s the only guitar that I felt I\u2019ve had some sort of emotional relationship with. My spare bedroom is my office and where I do a lot of my writing. It has a nice view. I sit there and hold the guitar and think. It\u2019s become quite the companion. Maybe that\u2019s the lesson to be learned: If you show your instruments love, you shall get some in return from them.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_237_ShesJustLikeCalifornia_CoverImage_JosephLynn_LSowns_FNL.jpg\" alt=\"(Credit: Joseph Lynn)\" class=\"wp-image-466640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_237_ShesJustLikeCalifornia_CoverImage_JosephLynn_LSowns_FNL.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_237_ShesJustLikeCalifornia_CoverImage_JosephLynn_LSowns_FNL-340x227.jpg 340w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_237_ShesJustLikeCalifornia_CoverImage_JosephLynn_LSowns_FNL-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_237_ShesJustLikeCalifornia_CoverImage_JosephLynn_LSowns_FNL-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_237_ShesJustLikeCalifornia_CoverImage_JosephLynn_LSowns_FNL-498x332.jpg 498w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Credit: Joseph Lynn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-vanity-table\"><strong>Vanity Table<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>People might be thinking, \u201cOh gosh, a guy having a vanity.\u201d I\u2019m not like any other guy. It\u2019s a very dainty, cute-looking vanity, one of those with the elegant legs, and it\u2019s got the folded three part mirror and all these little drawers and compartments. It sits in my bedroom, and if these mirrors could talk\u2026 The many hours I spend getting ready if I\u2019m going to be hitting the town. It\u2019s where I spend an awful lot of time doing my hair. It\u2019s got all my products. It\u2019s got my platter of Tom Ford perfumes. I have a signature smell, which is a mixture between two of them that I\u2019ve loved over the last few years. My lovely vanity is great, and it\u2019s always a good talking piece. I\u2019ve had experiences of people coming around and being completely convinced that I\u2019m living with a woman because of the decor in my house, including women who are like, \u201cIs your wife living here?\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-piano\"><strong>Piano<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>When I went back to the United Kingdom for the best part of a year when COVID happened, I rented out this beautiful, scenic cottage, a 3-minute walk away from my parents in the countryside. It was where I began to write a lot of my solo record and take it seriously. I absolutely love the piano I have here in L.A. It\u2019s a Yamaha Clavinova keyboard in a baby grand shell, so it looks aesthetically pleasing\u2014which, I\u2019m sure you can imagine, is what I\u2019m all about. I ended up buying the exact same piano and having it in Devon in the United Kingdom, because I love this one so much. It feels like a piano, but the great thing is, I can plug it into my laptop, and I can use it as a MIDI instrument, which is super helpful. I\u2019ve got all the octaves of a grand piano, which is rare, so it\u2019s really good for creating ideas. Sometimes I\u2019ll sit there with a microphone and headphones, and I play the piano through my laptop, wash myself out with loads of reverb and get soaked up in it. It\u2019s definitely something that I couldn\u2019t live without.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-electric-kettle\"><strong>Electric Kettle<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The other day, I was a little bit high and I was thinking my electric kettle is the ancestor of ChatGPT, which is like my loyal servant. That\u2019s where my head goes when I spend hours and hours on my own. I consume an unholy amount of coffee, which is good for when I\u2019m getting prepared for a tour and I\u2019m running a lot during the early afternoon. That kettle is one of my most loyal companions. It\u2019s never broken, touch wood, and I absolutely love it. If the dishwasher and kettle go off at the same time, it\u2019s like this chorus of electronic birds. It\u2019s quite funny.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cocktail-chair\"><strong>Cocktail Chair<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>I have this dainty lavender cocktail chair. I love cocktail chair vibes and I\u2019ve got quite a few, probably way too many for the size of my place. This one, gosh, the amount of hours I\u2019ve sat in it, it\u2019s literally my writing chair. Where I rest my arms has worn away I sit in it so much. I ponder, write, get angry with myself, get very happy with myself, and do all my business in it. It\u2019s grooved perfectly to my buttocks, which is great. It\u2019s wobbling as well. One of these days it\u2019s just going to break, but I can\u2019t bear to let go of it.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_DevilInMe_Jlynn_LSowns_Press-shot-2_FNL.jpg\" alt=\"(Credit: Joseph Lynn)\" class=\"wp-image-466639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_DevilInMe_Jlynn_LSowns_Press-shot-2_FNL.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_DevilInMe_Jlynn_LSowns_Press-shot-2_FNL-340x227.jpg 340w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_DevilInMe_Jlynn_LSowns_Press-shot-2_FNL-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_DevilInMe_Jlynn_LSowns_Press-shot-2_FNL-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/static.spin.com\/files\/2025\/06\/LukeSpiller_P_DevilInMe_Jlynn_LSowns_Press-shot-2_FNL-498x332.jpg 498w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Credit: Joseph Lynn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-jbl-bluetooth-speaker\"><strong>JBL Bluetooth Speaker<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This little JBL Bluetooth speaker, which has practically seen the entire world with me. Obviously, it\u2019s great when I\u2019m on the road, but it\u2019s also great here. This might sound a bit weird. I have a good sound system when I want to really listen to music, but if I\u2019m writing bare bones ideas, I\u2019ll set it up in the other room or in the hallway, and I\u2019ll attach it to my phone when I\u2019m recording voice memos and I\u2019ll sing into my phone for two or three minutes, just exploring an idea, then I\u2019ll put it on and I\u2019ll play it back far away so I can\u2019t hear exactly what I\u2019m doing. It\u2019s a great way of hearing things that might not be there, but you think have happened. It\u2019s been a great tool for me to carry on writing. And when I\u2019m shooting music videos, it\u2019s the only speaker I\u2019ve ever used. You\u2019d be surprised, directors and content creators never think of playback, so I always bring it just in case, and they\u2019re like \u201cOh thank god you brought a speaker to mime to,\u201d and I\u2019m like, \u201cYeah, you\u2019re fucking welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-walk-in-wardrobe\"><strong>Walk-In Wardrobe<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>My walk-in wardrobe, as you can imagine, is extremely colorful and has loads of different vibes. I take my clothes very seriously, and I enjoy keeping it neat and tidy and picking things out. It\u2019s inspiring, and again, going back to 16-year-old me, you are able to see the evolution of style I\u2019ve had. I\u2019ve got things I owned in 2014, 2015, which were very androgynous. Then I\u2019ve got things that are more refined, and a lot of custom suits, tailor-made, which I really love. There\u2019s nothing better when you enter the rock crowd, and you\u2019re there in a two-piece or three-piece suit, and everyone\u2019s there with Mot\u00f6rhead T-shirts and leather trousers. I\u2019m bringing a bit of English refinement.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-on-running-shoes\"><strong>On Running Shoes<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>I spend so much time in my running shoes, especially when I\u2019m preparing for a tour. When I\u2019m out with the band, I will do an hour and 20 to 40 minutes a night, singing. It\u2019s very important that I keep up with my cardiovascular stamina. They\u2019re great for assisting me to a life on the road, which can be very, very tough if you haven\u2019t prepped for it properly. A few times I have not prepared for a tour, I\u2019m struggling, and I just hate myself so much those first two weeks. These are basic black ones, but I\u2019ve never had a running shoe quite like them. I always get blisters, but I remember when I first got them, I was like, \u201cGosh, I could go for miles and miles and miles.\u201d I daydream in those shoes on the treadmill. I think of a lot of ideas. It\u2019s helping me get out of my own head as well.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-television-ugly-comfy-sofa\"><strong>Television (+ Ugly Comfy Sofa)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s a duo. The ugly, comfy sofa was left by my old housemate. A lot of the furniture I have looks brilliant, but isn\u2019t necessarily very comfortable. I set up this nook in my apartment where I have the TV perfectly adjacent to this old sofa. When I\u2019m back from being on the road and I\u2019m giving myself permission to be lazy or recoup my thoughts and energy, I\u2019ll spend the first week on that sofa not doing a lot. I\u2019ve napped on it. I\u2019ve spent hours chatting to friends and family on it. I\u2019ve partied on it.<\/p>\n<p>A lot of people say don\u2019t watch television if you want to remain productive. I think it depends what kind of mindset you have. I\u2019ll always be sitting there with a mind that\u2019s thinking, \u201cWhat can I get out of this? Is there going to be a phrase that somebody says?\u201d Or if I\u2019m watching a music documentary\u2014which I love, I love all music docs, I subscribe to as many streaming services as possible just for the original documentaries because there\u2019s always something to learn. I\u2019m always fishing. I\u2019ve discovered so much great music through documentaries and great stories and great lore and been heavily inspired by all things documentary, including history. I\u2019m a bit of a World War II obsessive and I love hearing all the stories. But even actors and directors and artists, I\u2019m always watching some sort of documentary, and I\u2019ve always got my phone out writing notes. I remember seeing a documentary on George Best, the famous football player, and there was a phrase he said: \u201cI can get along with love, liquor, and song.\u201d I completely stole that and put it in my song, \u201cDevil In Me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spin.com\/2021\/07\/the-greatest-rock-stars-of-all-time\/?utm_source=yahoo&amp;utm_medium=bottomlink&amp;utm_campaign=yahoolink\">click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In case you missed it, Luke Spiller, frontperson of British rock group the Struts, released a solo album earlier this year\u2014and it\u2019s an absolute stunner. Titled Love Will Probably Kill&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,1281,24,1950,1951],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-features","category-luke-spiller","category-pushly","category-the-essentials","category-the-struts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3075"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3075\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musictechohio.online\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}