By Vada Mercer

Featuring the talents of four D.C. locals, the punk-rock band Luuna has a sound they describe as “an extension of [their] soul.”

A 13 year-old Melvin Garcia-Fuentes was experiencing a mental health crisis when he picked up the electric guitar. Without the instrument, he said, he wouldn’t be here today. Now, he is the vocalist and lead guitarist of Luuna.

In October 2023, now University of Maryland freshman Kelly Perez Velasquez, a jazz and business major, approached Garcia-Fuentes hoping to form a band that could play for their high school’s Hispanic Heritage Month event. In that same month, they performed together with three other individuals and unofficially created Luuna. 

At the time, Luuna was a nameless band brought together to make music for a one-off event, but four of its five members wanted to stick together. With their drummer dropping out, the group searched their high school until they found a percussionist in Luis Rodriguez.

Rodriguez later helped the band find their name.

“During our first practice,” he said, “my dog Luna was barking along to the beat. She’s our number one fan, like a little cheerleader. And the name Luuna just sounded right, like it fit.”

As the band became more serious, their roster of members changed as well. Due to health issues, the lead vocalist had to step down, allowing Garcia-Fuentes to take over. Because of creative differences, their rhythm guitarist stepped away as well. Shortly after, the group found a sophomore at their school, Ali Rizvi, who took over.

The members explained that their biggest inspiration came from a shared love for the band Julie. “All four of [them] listen to different corners of music, and they all combine into one thing,” Rodriguez said.

“Kelly likes Jazz, I like death metal. It’s very different, but we bring it together,” Rizvi explained. 

Though they don’t have any published songs on streaming platforms, the band explained their top priority was to release music. Currently, they’re building their audience by playing live shows. 

On Oct. 18, Luuna was one of four local bands to perform at Fort Reno Park in Washington D.C. When playing live, the band said they try to encourage interaction among viewers. That was evident in their performance, where they invited members of the audience to step up on stage for one of their final songs. 

The sense of community in the crowd was shown through listeners swaying and dancing around one another. It was clear that everyone in the audience enjoyed their time, whether it be playing music or participating in the local scene.

Luuna played songs from a variety of bands, including the Foo Fighters and Rage Against the Machine, but also mixed in originals. 

Rizvi explained that although the band enjoys playing covers, they want to expand their own songwriting career. “When you’re starting out, you have to play some covers that people will know. But we want to be known for our originals, not our covers.”

To support Luuna, you can check out their instagram @luuna.official

Featured Image: Local D.C. band Luuna’s four members, from left to right: Ali Rizvi, Luis Rodriguez, Kelly Perez Velasquez, and Melvin Garcia-Fuentes. Photo by Noor Rizvi