The Bloom, The Scoop.

When I first met Luke from The Bloom, it was in a surf house in Capbreton in the South West of France. Immediately I was struck that there was something different about him. I knew he wrote music and and played but, as we all know, most people like to talk about it. Luke didn't, well not really. He seemed to have this sense that he was boring people when he really wasn't.

It was a while later on that I discovered one of the reasons for this. He was good. I mean really good. The annoying thing is, he could also surf better than me. While that is not a hard feat, we don't often meet people in this life who are really good at things and humble about their skills.

As well as being skilled and humble, I am also aware that Luke has got an interesting story and one that needs to be told. A surfing musician with a story. This is it.

SB: Hey Luke, I know you are busy these days so thanks for sparing Surf Bunker the time.

Luke: Not a problem at all Jimbo!

SB: How old are you, where were you born and grow up?

Luke: I was born and raised in Fremantle, Western Australia. It is a port town at the entrance of the Swan River that leads up to Perth. There's some good surf beaches along the coast and Margaret river is a three hour drive south. Rottnest Island just off the coast gets some great waves too. Gets a bit sharky though! I am 32 years of age.

SB: When did you first start surfing and playing? Which came first?

Luke: We grew up around the beach and were always in the water. Unfortunately, like a lot of kids in those days I started body boarding for a while and didn't get back into surfing until I was about 14.

I started playing the guitar pretty young. When I was about 10 years old I decided I really wanted an electric guitar. My parents couldn't afford to get me one, so my dad would take me down to the marketplace in town every Saturday and Sunday and I would busk to raise the funds. It took me three months.

SB: When did you decide that you where going to take the music path?

Luke: To be honest I had always kind of just played gigs around home and surfed and was pretty happy with that set up. The desire to become a professional musician was there but the chances of that ever happening, playing my own songs, was so slim I didn't really worry to much about it.

It actually wasn't until I turned 30 that I decided ok, now's the time to decide if I really want to pursue a career in music or not. I decided that I would save up all my gig money for a year, hire a studio, make a record, move to London for a couple of years and see how it goes.

SB: Was it hard to get your stuff out there? Get people interested?

We haven't actually released any music yet but our first single 'How It Starts' has just dropped and I hope people will be interested in it! If you're quick, you can get a free download of the song at www.thebloom.com.au

SB: Having grown up surfing in Australia, what's it like being in the UK, got any plans to go surfing in the UK?

Luke: London is an amazing city with so much creativity going on all the time and the rest of Europe is so close it's great. I am having a great time exploring over here. Perth is far away from everywhere!

I recently had my first session over here and it was...pumping! We went to Croyde and scored some amazing waves. I really had no idea it ever got that good over here. I have never surfed in anything more than a 3/2 wetsuit before so it was quite and experience getting into a 5 mil with booties, gloves and a hood. I struggled with all that rubber on but the locals were getting pretty barrelled. I'm looking forward to making it back out there soon.

SB: I understand you have had a few interesting jobs while you have been on the road to success?

Luke: Yeah I've done a few different jobs I guess. While I mainly worked in surf shops around home, I've also worked in a hospital making food for patients, I've been a geologist's assistant in the desert, I've worked on a ski lift in Canada. I've mowed lawns in California, I've done a bit of building, bar work, dishwashing. I work in a shop now in Shoreditch selling suits actually. I've always found a way to pay the bills somehow while working on songs in my spare time.

SB: What is it you enjoy about being a musician most? Is there any influence that you draw from surfing?

Luke: The thing I enjoy most about being a musician is that I can come up with an idea in my head and turn that thought into an entire song. Putting all the pieces together and making it all fit is really interesting to me.

Surfing has influenced me greatly when it comes to my music. The people and experiences that I draw inspiration from mainly come from the travelling I've done and most of that was on surf trips.

If I have a guitar and some waves I'm pretty content with life.

The Bloom and Tom Ewbank get together to bring you this music video of the newly released 'How It Starts'.

SB: What is your connection to the Sunset Sons?

Luke: About 8 years ago my brother and I did a road trip in a van we converted into a camper in the car park of a hardware store in Oxford. Our plan was to surf our way down the coast of France and Spain but we didn't really get any waves until we ended up in Hossegor. That area is a magical place for any surfer and the beaches there are out of this world. Great waves, lovely weather and awesome people hanging around the car parks in their vans.

The main spot everyone hung between surfs and was a cafe that had just opened called Le Surfing in Seignosse. We hung in the car park outside because we couldn't afford to actually hang in the cafe. My brother had gone in there for some reason and noticed they had a little stage set up in the corner. He made me go in there and ask if I could play. I remember stressing real hard about it. I think we even had a bit of a argument over it haha. I hadn't played live much at that point.

I walk into the joint and ask to speak to the owner and I'm introduced to this incredible human called Woody. Turns out he's an Aussie and just the nicest guy you would ever meet and he's totally into it.

For about a month after that every couple of days I would go play a show and Woody would feed us and give us drinks. It was the perfect deal for broke surfers living in a van. Come to think of it, It was a better deal for my brother who got the same deal just for tagging along with me.

At the time two chefs working there had started playing together under the name The Cheerleaders. A guy named Rory would sing and play the keyboard and a steely bearded fellow named Brendan played the guitar.  Most night we would take turns playing sets and it was an amazing trip. Even scored the waves of our lives in Anglet. 4-6 foot barrels with no one out!

I know this is a long story with nothing to do with the question, but the point is Rory would later go on to form the Sunset Sons!

The boys are doing great and it's amazing to see your friends doing well even if I do get little pangs of jealousy whenever I see where they are touring next!

SB: What was your first surfboard?

Luke: My first board? Well everyone started on a foamie in the 80's, but my first fibreglass board was a blaxall stuck together with gaffer tape that I bought from my bother for $17.50. He wasn't much for hand me downs! Haha. I actually remember one Christmas my mum buying me my brother's old wetsuit off him for my present. Funny as now he's one of the most generous people I know.

SB: Can you describe how it made you feel the first time you got barrelled or caught a wave?

Luke: Just pure happiness. Nothing else in the world is happening except that moment, and I think that is what's so special about surfing. It strips away all other thoughts while you are riding that wave.

SB: Who is going to win the WSL this year?

Luke: I always hope it's going to be Taj but this year it's pretty wide open. It's great that there are so many interesting surfers to watch these days. John John is ridiculous and Slater is always gonna be up there.

SB: Your single is out now and the video has just been released, when can we expect more?

You can expect more soon! We have a couple of videos we are working on at the moment and new music will be getting released over the course of this year.

Go to www.thebloom.com.au now for a free download of the first single 'How It Starts'.

Thanks again Luke for sparing Surf Bunker the time, I know you are a busy fellow, and the best of luck with everything. Thanks to Tom Ewbank for the cover image.