Saint Lu
Saint Lu | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Luise Gruber |
| Also known as | Luise |
| Born | June 27, 1982 |
| Origin | Wels, Austria |
| Genres | Rock blues rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2003 – present |
| Website | www.saintlu.com |
Saint Lu is the stage name of the Austrian blues-rock singer and songwriter Luise Gruber. She was born in the city of Wels on 27 June 1982 and is currently living in Berlin.
Recording career
- Gruber was a member of many short-living bands, including the school band "Joe Graham", the Big Band Neuhofen the show band "Connection" and the rock band "Djaleb". She has also mentioned in an interview that she has been a member of several metal and jazz bands.
- In 1998 she formed a rock band called Luise Gruber & Zentao which was later renamed to Centao. Soon after the recording of the first demos, Gruber leaves the band. Two demos were recorded - "Pop 33, 34", a split tape with the band "Sick Orange" and "Promo '000".
- In 2003 she was a part of the casting show "Starmania", where she ended tenth. She has recorded some cover songs for the compilation albums of the show.
- In 2005 she has released her debut single "One Step Closer" via "AGENTUR NETZWERK records" under the name Luise. [1] The single includes three tracks, two of which were written by Gruber ("Why Are You Under My Skin?" and "Left to Heaven") and the third one (Amazing Grace) is a traditional gospel song produced by The Alphabet. The single saw no success. It is currently out of print and cannot be found at the regular stores or as a digital download.
- In 2009 Warner Bros. Records signed her under the pseudonym Saint Lu. Her debut album “Saint Lu” was released on 20 November 2009. It includes songs, written or co-written by Gruber, which are a mixture of 70s Blues and Rock music. Critically acclaimed, the album failed to get into the top 20 in Austria, charting on place 30. Two singles were released after the release of the album: Don't Miss Your Own Life and Here I stand.
- Gruber is recording a new album in 2012. The first song out of it is called "Falling For Your Love", which she premiered on YouTube.
Influences
Gruber's biggest musical influences are Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix along with other 60s and 70s Blues/Rock artists. Her voice has been compared to those of Janis Joplin, Nikka Costa and Anastacia.
Awards
In 2011 Saint Lu won an European Border Breakers Award at the European Border Breakers Award Ceremony at the Eurosonic Noorderslag Festival in the Netherlands for her international success.[2]
Discography
Albums
- Saint Lu (2009) #30 AT, #84 CH
- TBA (2012)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT Singles | GER Singles | CH Singles | |||
| 2005 | "One Step Closer" | — | — | — | Non-Album Release |
| 2009 | "Don't Miss Your Own Life" | 42 | — | — | Saint Lu |
| 2010 | "Here I Stand" | 34 | — | — | Saint Lu |
| 2010 | "Rockstar Car" | — | — | — | Saint Lu |
| 2011 | "Acoustic" | — | — | — | Non-Album Release |
Other songs
Luise Gruber & Zentao (also known as Centao) [3] [4]
- “Hunt” - 4:02 (1999)
- “I've Got Your Number” - 3:51 (1999)
- “I Feel High” (2000)
- “Nothing Doing” (2000)
- “I'm Not Your Wench” (2000)
Starmania
- “Family Portrait” - Pink cover, for the compilation album Starmania – Die Neue Generation II
- “First Cut Is The Deepest” - Rod Stewart cover, for the compilation album Starmania – Die Neue Generation II
- “Hoamweh nach B.A.” - Ausseer Hardbradler cover, for the compilation album “Starmania – Die Neue Generation – Best Of Qualification”
- “Thank God It's Christmas” - from the compilation album “Starmania – Die Neue Generation – Xmas hits”
- “In The Shadows” - The Rasmus cover, for the compilation album Starmania – Die Neue Generation I
References
- ^ "Luise - One Step Closer". AGENTUR NETZWERK.
- ^ "Winners of the 2011 European Border Breakers Awards", ec.europa.eu. Retrieved February 20, 2012
- ^ "Luise Gruber & Zentao demo". SRA.at.
- ^ "Centao demo". SRA.at.