Name: Cor de Lux
Members: Dawn Moraga (vocals, guitar), Tim Lusk (vocals, guitar), John Bliven (bass), Jacob Richardson (drums)
Interviewee: Dawn Moraga
Nationality: American
Current release: Cor de Lux's new album Year Of The Horse is out September 18th 2026 via Ipecac.
Hometown Recommendation: We live in Kill Devil Hills NC about 900 feet from the ocean. So I’d say go to the Ocean. Maybe Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge seashore, it’s the most beautiful place and we are blessed to live here.
Things that I am passionate about but rarely get to talk about: I’m passionate about encouraging youth to figure out their passions and creative outlets. I think it’s what saved me from depression and or possible drug addiction. I was immersed into Art and Music at a young age and have poured out much of my angst, sadness, joy, into these outlets. My father lost everything to drug abuse and in my family I’ve witnessed it tear everything apart … I sometimes think the outlets to express are what helps a human cope. The last song in the album is about my father who is a drug addict.

If you enjoyed this Cor de Lux interview and would like to stay up to date with the band and their music, visit their official homepage. They are also on Instagram, Facebook, and bandcamp.



Why do you like playing in a band rather than making music on your own?

Every artists has their approach to music. Whether it’s one person writing the material or a band bringing it together. We bring our music and songs together with all four of us always.

I can’t explain the happiness that comes from playing improv with the band before every practice. We build every single one of our songs together through these loose warm up jams that often lead to a riff ... that turns into an hour of us ignoring our practice set and falling eagerly into a new song.

It’s therapeutic and there’s something really special to me about all of us not having any idea of what we are going to play but finding and following the notes blindly. It’s through that trust we found a way to work together.
 
What, to you, are some of the greatest bands, and what makes them great?

Gosh that’s a loaded question.

Older to New:

King Crimson and Early Early Pink Floyd: Robert Fripp is a huge inspiration with his approach to guitar playing and the way King crimson wrote through live improvisation to work out their songs. Incredible musicians that obviously had that magical connection together.



Minutemen + Fugazi: Huge influence on Tim and I. Both bands had that special angst that pushed that sleeping dog inside you to want to bark and be better.



That may sound a little cheese but it’s the rawness and emotions that can be felt through the vocals, instruments, that naturally without forcing it have their own driving force.

Sonic Youth: 15 year old me would listen to Kim Gordon and feel like I could escape into the weird girl I was and be ok, and feel seen.

Sunny Day Real Estate: Tim and I started Cor de Lux over a chance conversation about our love for this band. Jeremy Enigk and the band are some of the best to do it and will always be a huge inspiration to us.



Preoccupations: This band does it all for me. If I don’t know what mood I’m in I can always just listen to this band and feel inspired.

The vocals and guitar work have a way of building and pulling you out of your mind some.. what’s music if it didn’t do that.



Pile: We toured with Rick and the band a few years ago for some shows and Pile is one of the best live Rock bands out there right now.

Talented as fuck, nice, genuine, and all around just such a great band.



I could go on and on but here is a few more to mention: Blonde Redhead, The Cramps, Prewn, BrNDA, Protomartyr, Sour Widows, Chat Pile, Mclusky, Wombo, Editrix.
 
How did the band come together?

Through a chance meeting getting my phone screen repaired where Tim worked. We started talking about music and Sunny Day real estate got mentioned and we hit it off talking about recording ...

The rest is uphill, downhill, and around the hill? Lol
 
What were some of the reasons, do you think, that you wanted to play in this constellation?  

There’s instant unity with certain people that join together and play.

When you and if you ever find that ... you cherish it.
 
How do your different characters add up to the band's sound and in which way is the end result – including live performances – different from the sum of its pieces?

John (the bass player) is the quiet guy that wants everything to go on time and steady ... he holds us together but not in a way that’s putting him in the spotlight. Just the way he is.

Jacob (the drummer) is the friendliest most outgoing never met a stranger type of dude. The positivity comes through his drumming and as we’ve turned a jazz drummer into a rock drummer he surprises the hell out of us with his approach to certain songs. He snores like a mother fucker and wears a big smile almost every day.

Tim just wants to have a good coffee and is more excited about the bands we play with each night and really enjoying the whole experience to be creative and see great music. He rips and is my favorite guitar player even if he doesn’t move anything but his hands on stage lol.

Me (Dawn) - ok let me pass the phone to Tim he will write this one.

Tim on Dawn: The force is strong with this one, even though she doesn’t know the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek haha. Not to be even more cheesy but she is the guiding light, the magnetic force that we gravitate. If she was Mormon she would definitely be an amazing “pusher“, metaphorically, speaking, of course.

Me (Dawn) about above ⬆️ … you are a freak, not metaphorically speaking.

Is there a group consciousness, do you feel? How do you experience it?

I mean there’s a family familiarity that comes when you are practicing once a week with people for 6 years and on the road with them. I feel the group closeness when we play our improv sessions and we all look up at the same time in the moment and smile and realize it’s a special thing.

There’s also times on the road with the sound of Jacob snoring and Tim and John talking to keep each awake that I start nodding off sleeping in the van and feel safe. That’s the home feeling.
 
Tell me about the process behind Year Of The Horse, please.

The release took about two years.

We had lost the previous drummer and started working with Jacob after 4 songs were written. Shortly after learning the songs we realized that every time we played with Jacob we were starting to find new ideas and the songs just started coming to us.

“Ping pong” was the first to be written with the new line up. “Cannibals,” “The Deli,” and “Strawberries “were next.
 
How does the creative process typically get started and what is your sense of ownership like as part of the songwriting process?
 
It’s all equal. Everyone is just as important as the other.

What tend to be the best songs in your opinion – those where you had a lot in common as a band or those where you had more differences? What happens when another musician take you outside of your comfort zone?

The best songs always come with some sort of argument, usually with me and Tim about shuffling or arrangement before it then hits the sweet spot. I’m not saying like big fight just that frustrating give and pull ... then, when we both give up, it comes.

Sometimes outside the comfort zone is the comfort zone.
 
What are your thoughts on the need for compromise vs standing by one's convictions? How did you resolve potential disagreements?

I think I answered above.

Recently, on an upcoming new one not even recorded song, I stood by a part I feel very strongly about. We have about 4 songs towards the next album that are really having me excited. Sometimes we just say ... hey can we try this and if it suck s... we scrap it.

Bending is the best.
 
Do any of the band's members also have solo projects? If so, how do these feeds into the band's creative process?

With what time? Lol
 
In a live situation, decisions between band members often work without words. From your experience and the performances of your current tour, what does this process feel like and how does it work?

We accidentally read each other subconsciously at this point.

It feels like running victoriously up a hill and when one of us slips on a banana peel we don’t even try to catch each other instead we form a fucking human ball and we tumble down the hill and wreck shit up.
 
How has the interaction within the group changed over the years? How do you keep things surprising, playful and inspiring?

Having things on tour to do that interest us all. It’s important to keep in mind everyone’s feelings and needs.

I think the playing improv before set at practice is the glue to be honest. It’s what keeps us excited.
 
Have you worked with outside contributors - from sessions musicians via producers to other songwriters? How did this change, improve or challenge the established dynamic and how do you look back on that?
 
Nope, we keep it monogamous

Most bands eventually break up. What makes you stay together? What are essentials for a successful band?

Damn that’s depressing.

Kindness and being sober or most of the time sober lol. Laughing together and probably food together and honestly just caring admit each other’s opinions.