Hey there – we hope you're doing okay... Issue one of our new fanzine, STRANGEZINE is out now!
Many thanks to everyone who subscribed in time to receive the first issue – you will be getting a mention in the artwork for the Above And Below album!
Now we're putting ideas together for issue two!
You can still subscribe to
STRANGEZINE but you have missed out on issue one – for more info, hit the link to our
Bandcamp page.
Thanks for being with us...
LS
Work on the new album Above And Below continues... Updates on this can be found mainly on social media and inside issues of the new STRANGEZINE fanzine.
A B O U T
LUXURY STRANGER is a progressive indie-rock band. The project was started in August 2006 by frontman / singer-songwriter Simon York when, after a five-year period away from the music industry, he wrote and recorded the Desolation album.
After putting together the first live band line-up, Luxury Stranger recorded the 'Commitment and Discipline' album, followed by the non-album releases Empty Men EP, Nothing Holy EP and the Face EP. During these times, and various line-up changes, the band has continued to tour extensively across the UK and in Europe, building a loyal and obsessive fan-base. A third album, Darkness Falls Upon The Light was recorded by Simon and promoted heavily through touring across the UK and Europe, and world-wide radio airplay. In the studio, Luxury Stranger is a 'music scientist' whereas live on stage, Luxury Stranger is a wild animal putting out a raw energy rarely seen.
As well as gaining critical acclaim, Luxury Stranger music has featured in television and film, and is a melodic wall of sound that gives a majestically slick and regimented cushion for Simon's vocals. With comparisons to the likes of David Bowie, Pearl Jam, Scott Walker, Rush, Depeche Mode, The Police, Editors and U2 – Luxury Stranger is currently working on a new album, Above and Below, and Simon is also continuing to write new material – at last count, the number of songs could easily cover at least another ten albums! Simon's writing demos can be heard on the Luxury Stranger Soundcloud page.
The band released its first Christmas single in December 2024 – Feeling Ill At Christmas can be found on the band's Bandcamp and YouTube pages, as well as the usual streaming services. Make sure the song is on your playlist for future Christmas parties!
The band will be heading back out for long-awaited live shows in 2025...
"One of the UK's stand out dark alternative acts” (Sphere Magazine)
"...we have nothing against Editors, why should we, but these three Brits actually are at least as good as them." (Luminous Dash magazine)
"Though the scene has had a feast or famine existence recently, the city[Nottingham]'s hard working Luxury Stranger has done more than most to keep the flag flying" (Neil Anderson, Vive Le Rock magazine, issue 46 July 2017)
“Simon York is easily one of the finest vocalists in the UK right now." (Reflections of Darkness magazine)
"Think of early U2 when they were still good. This is of that calibre." (Penny Black Music magazine)
"It's about emotive immediacy, twice-underlined by the vocals, which apparently come not from a teaching book but straight from the bones..." (Reflections of Darkness magazine)
"...with all sorts of influences, from Joy Division to Pearl Jam, but with clever songs." (Luminous Dash magazine)
"...certainly a thing of beauty... a band that's hard to pigeon hole, and you know that their influences are as extensive as they are eclectic, and a whole range of influences can be heard throughout their music from the chameleonic Bowie to the anthemic Echo and the Bunnymen, and everything that’s cool inbetween – and they do this whilst retaining their own individuality and style. Quite an achievement." (Lyric Lounge Review magazine)
"Comparisons are great, but you have to sample the genuine article. Go and see Luxury Stranger!" (Andy Nixon, LS fan)
"...picking us all up in one mighty swoop and bludgeoning us all into oblivion with the powerhouse that is Luxury Stranger. Once again it is apparent that this is no ordinary band." (live review, Penny Black Music magazine)
"Devoid of any pretension and heart breakingly sincere, “Take my hand, I can save you now” sings Simon, meaning every word. It feels like trespassing into a broken man’s psyche." (live review, Left Lion magazine)
"York's voice with its raucous timbre reminded more of the one of a rock singer. But it also gave the song a bolshie appearance... proof that York's voice could shine even brighter on atmospherically calm songs." (live review, Reflections of Darkness magazine)
S O U N D / V I S I O N
M U S I C (demos and more)
"Uh-huh..." is available.
Sometimes referred to by LS fans as the 'unofficial fourth Luxury Stranger album', "Uh-huh..." is Simon York's second solo album and was originally a 'listen online' release for only three days in February 2021.
Simon says, "yes – I probably was being pretentious (or petulant) but I just wanted to try and make music a little more important by trying to raise its exclusivity. I'd gone through some dark times and I guess I was just feeling so frustrated with a lot of things."
After many requests for its full release, it's been released through Earth-Two Records via Bandcamp. Listen to It's You! in the player below and then click the buy link to get your on CD and / or 'dig-it-all' download.
Simon continues: "The response was brilliant – and meant so much to me when thinking about what had been going on behind the scenes. It's one of my favourite records – looking back, I wish it had been a Luxury Stranger release... I suppose we can pretend – I mean, a lot of folks refer to Tin Machine as a David Bowie thing when in reality it was actually Hunt Sales' band!"
Simon's solo works tend to be songs / pieces he originally intended to be in the 'LS box' but, once completed, he feels might not fit. "I've never really wanted to be a solo artist, I prefer being the driving force of LS. Yes, I now wish this record was a Luxury Stranger one but at the time I wasn't convinced – there are times when you want to put something out but you want to make sure you don't put fans off too much. And this record was good enough to put out...
"I honestly like risk – that's the nature of art and helps with further discovery, but having this ability to release under another identity – and I know being 'safe' in art isn't a good place to be – I suppose it's good to have a safety net of sorts, as a form of protection or a non-secret workspace just so you can contain any potential damage to a brand or identity you've built up over years... but then I think this also gives you an idea of how far you can then push your main concerns or main product. I guess it boils down to me caring more about the name and integrity of Luxury Stranger than my own name / face etc.
After working on this record, Simon dove straight into writing the next Luxury Stranger album, Above And Below – and hasn't looked back: "I just wrote like a man on a mission, and I'm currently putting work together for the tenth LS album! The "Uh-huh..." record has really helped me develop writing going forward for LS. It's even loosened me up in terms of thinking what is or isn't a Luxury Stranger song or piece of music. I can't wait to see what happens next...".
For more 'solo works' and experiments from Simon, head to his Soundcloud page.
V I D E O
S H O W S
2025
30/31 May: Alice's Wicked Tea Party Festival (appearance date TBA), Dorset (Tickets)
27 June: Darker Days Festival, The International, Leicester (Tickets)
25 October: TBA
8 November: TBA
2026
31 October: TBC
Interested in the band's gigging history? Head over to our PAST SHOWS page.
S T O R E
Our merch can be purchased at the sites below:
