Biography

The Lunabelles
Olivia Arciero – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Dominique Arciero – piano, mandolin, vocals
Gabby Arciero – drums, percussion, vocals

It takes a lot of moxie for teenage girls to launch a country songwriters’ night in the heart of New York City, but passionate artists always find a way to be heard, and it’s that combination of creativity, glamour and grit that makes The Lunabelles one of the most intriguing young acts in country music.

“Growing up, we would play any place we possibly could – weddings, school assemblies, an open mic at a café, anything to be playing our songs,” says Dominique Arciero, who formed The Lunabelles with sisters Gabby and Olivia, later recruiting Alex Kline to round out the group. “We started our own open mic in New York when I was 13 and Olivia was 15. There was this café right near the NYU campus, and we set up shop there. We were kids hosting an open mic for adults. It was a blast for us.”

The experience really solidified their desire to pursue a career in country music. “I was 15,” says Olivia, “but I felt like I was closer in age to the people in the audience, and to have them come over to me and say, ‘That song really made me feel a lot better because my girlfriend just dumped me,’ it was so encouraging. I thought, ‘This is why I’m here! This is why I’m doing this.’”

Yet they admit that being three young girls performing in New York City wasn’t always easy. “You don’t want to be a drummer in Manhattan because you have to walk up four flights of stairs,” Gabby says with a smile. “We had a little plastic cart to pile my drums on, and I’d push it in the street like a bag lady. It was awful, but a good workout.”

The Lunabelles have a vibrant sound marked by shimmering harmonies, seasoned musicianship and a love for country music tradition tempered with a cutting-edge musicality that brings a fresh perspective to the genre. The siblings developed a passion for performing during their early years in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, where they would put on plays for their hometown friends and neighbors. Music became an early passion. “Our parents aren’t musical,” offers Dominique. “We just picked up instruments and wanted to be a band.”

Though their parents couldn’t serve as teachers, they were excellent cheerleaders for their daughters’ budding talents. “We all took piano lessons,” recalls Dominique. “Olivia took some guitar.” Most of their musical training came from hours of dedication to their instruments and becoming the best musicians they could be. “We had incredible teachers that taught us practice makes perfect,” says Olivia.

As they became proficient on their instruments, they gravitated to country music, and by the time their father’s work led the family to relocate to New York City, the sisters had already performed on Kenny Rogers’ Christmas show for five years and had a clear vision of what they wanted to do.

“We spent many years playing in New York and did a little stint in London, England, and just kept writing and developing,” says Olivia. “Being a country band, we realized New York City wasn’t the best place for us to break into the genre. We decided to move to Nashville in September of 2009 and began working with our producer Jeff Coplan.”

The sisters first met Coplan while they were still working in the Northeast. They had developed a reputation for their musicianship and professionalism. They bested other aspiring young bands to win a coveted slot touring with the Jonas Brothers in 2005. “It was such a blast because we gained three really great friends,” Gabby says of the Jonas siblings. “It was the year that we met our producer. Jeff did a song that was our theme song for the year that we toured with the Jonas Brothers. It was a song Olivia and Jeff wrote together called ‘Sweet Summer Kiss.’”

When the sisters moved to Nashville, they rekindled their working relationship with Coplan. “We wanted to develop something that was so undeniable,” adds Olivia, “and we knew that we had the opportunity to do that with Jeff, but we wanted another band member. We all play instruments and we all sing, so we wanted a versatile player who would round out our sound and personality. We found Alex in February 2010, and she’s been a part of our band ever since.”

Alex hails from Minneapolis, but moved to Marin County, California, when she was 15. She attended Boston’s famed Berklee College of Music before moving to Nashville where she became the fourth member of The Lunabelles. “I remember the first song I ever heard them play,” says Alex. “I went over to the girls’ house the first night that I met them, and there was a moment where they sang ‘He Loves Me for Me,’ and they came in with this three-part harmony a cappella, and it took my breath away. I was like, ‘Wow! These girls are amazing.’ It was that moment that I knew I wanted to be a part of it, and after playing with them for a little bit, we all realized it was a really good fit.”

As much as their music, the band’s name stands as a unique reflection of The Lunabelles, an elegant tip of the hat to the sisters’ mother – a true Southern belle – and also a nod to their fascination with the moon, sparked years ago in a random encounter on a New York street with a woman who played in an all-girl band in the ‘60s.

When it came time to secure a record deal, The Lunabelles took an unconventional approach. Instead of inviting prospective labels out to see them showcase at a Nashville venue, they invited record company reps to their house. “We work on that intimate level, and we wanted them to see the environment that we create in every day,” says Dominique. Adds Olivia, “There’s definitely a family dynamic within the band, and that’s an important thing to get across.”

The Lunabelles signed to BNA Records and began crafting their label debut, drawing heavily on their years of live experience and the deep well they draw from as songwriters. The lead single, “A Place to Shine,” is an upbeat anthem that showcases the foursome’s distinctive vocals and earthy, organic vibe.

“We tell stories with our songs,” says Olivia, “and we love performing live. There’s nothing else like putting on a really exciting, entertaining live show. We know how much people appreciate that, and I know how much I love to see that when I go see live music. It’s not just about playing the music, it’s about delivering it in a way that people can walk away and say, ‘That was a thrilling ride!’”