It’s a question that comes to mind when you listen to the opening track of Lulu’s latest album, Run the Gauntlet.
The tune is about a group of aspiring musicians who decide to go all out to be the best, to prove themselves in the world of music.
“When we first started writing the music, it was really about how to make music for the world,” says Lulu lead singer Ravi Shankar.
“We wanted to put out music that people could relate to and could hear in their own ears.
And that was a big part of what the album is about.”
Lulu’s album features some of the most memorable songs from the band’s career, but they’re not the only ones with catchy melodies to match.
The band has also been known to make some of its best songs with a more straightforward approach.
“It’s a combination of that old-school rock-and-roll and pop-rock thing,” Shankar says.
“It’s really easy to get into and get into a groove.”
As the music evolves, so too do the characters in the story.
Ravi and Lulu play the role of a young band of musicians, but the two musicians have more than just the music to play with.
They also have the personalities to carry the song on their backs.
“The thing about us as musicians is that we have to make a decision,” Shanker says.
“If we don’t make the right decision, it’s going to be a tough time.”
Lulus’ music is rooted in roots-rock, but it’s more than a musical genre; it’s rooted in love.
“I really want to be able to create music that can bring people together,” Shankers says.
That’s why Lulu has always been a part of the community.
“I’ve always been part of this community, and we’ve always done what we thought was best for the people around us.”
When Lulu started working on Run the Gauntlet, they knew they had a big challenge ahead of them.
“There was so much negativity and negativity and hate towards our music, but we thought we could do something positive,” Shankars says.
They decided to give it a shot.
“We thought it was important to create something that was positive,” he says.
So, they decided to go for the ‘silly’ approach.
“To make the music fun and to make the fans really happy,” Shankard says.
The result is Run the Gathering, which will be available on Lulu Bandcamp from Thursday.
“There’s a lot of people who have been really supportive of us and we know we’re really going to make something that people will love,” Shankari says.
Lulu will release Run the Garages album on Bandcamp on Tuesday, and on its own website on Thursday.