Getting To Know Goodluck
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It’s 7am on a Saturday morning, you get up and go to the kitchen. As you switch on the kettle, you also turn on the radio. The sound of music fills the house, and you smile. It’s one of those unforgettable tunes that you hum to subconsciously. You can feel it lifting your mood and your cells fill with dopamine as you do a little shuffle while pouring the milk. This is the song that played when you met your girlfriend at a summer concert in the park – and you heard it again at an office party where you were given an acknowledging nod from the boss. You immediately decide, this is going to be a good day!
It’s funny how music can carry you through so many emotions. It brings up memories, a lot like smelling grandma’s freshly baked rusks do. If you think of it, that’s exactly what art is all about. Whether it be music, food, paintings, or gardening – it creates feelings that stick with us and inspire us to be creative in our own way.
It was a very big honour to meet Good Luck and their beautiful feline counterparts, Ella and George. The studio they’ve designed in Cape Town is every bit a masterpiece, just like their music. From a cargo net hangout spot to a cassette backsplash in the kitchen, it is a treat!
Here’s what we learned about the Good Luck team:
You guys have an amazing studio! Assuming your love for the ocean inspired the location, but the décor is quite authentic. What is the main inspiration behind it?
Ben: We started building this space in 2018 and we really wanted to create the “Google of music studios” as Jules likes to call it. A place that was creatively free, but also crazy-inspiring! Almost every artist who steps into this space comments on the energy and how wonderful it is for creating music. We poured so much love into it and being close to the ocean also helps, of course.
The studio is home to two feline band members as well, but who do they go home with after a long day at the office?
Jules: Yes, they come home at night. They are travelling cats, very used to the car! I think it is nice and stimulating for them to have two different, spacious homes.
Best description of their personalities?
George: This cat is super intelligent; he also has a very high EQ and sometimes it really feels like he understands what you are feeling. He is quite a feisty one when he wants to be, but overall, he is a soulful animal with lots of love to share with the world.
Ella: She is just a bundle of love. A little skittish sometimes and nervous around people, but when she gets to know you, she will hound you for attention! She has a funny little meow which sounds more like “meh” and one day we will record that and put it in a song.
If the cats were a reflection of your band members, who would Ella and George represent best?
Jules: George is DEFINITELY Ben, and I am totally Ella! George is intelligent, independent and a bit complex, and Ella is extremely loving and has a short attention span.
The three of you probably spend most of your time together. Being in a band and in the industry itself, surely comes with many highs and lows. We saw your recent post from Kings Park Stadium – amazing opportunity! Would that experience qualify as the band’s best ‘high’ or were there other memorable moments?
Jules: For me, performing at one of our first festivals in London was a very memorable experience. We had 15,000 people attending and we weren’t sure how they would react to our music (as it was one of the first times we had been there) but all 15,000 went completely crazy. I guess I was taken by surprise a little, but it was one of the most incredible feelings to have that many people loving your music. Of course, it was also amazing to sing in front of 40,000 rugby fans, and the whole world, at Kings Park Stadium too.
Ben: When we packed up our studio and went to record an entire album in the desert in Namibia. Something I will never forget.
Tim: The Kings Park Stadium performance was certainly a highlight for us. Watching Jules sing the national anthem to a full stadium was a proud moment for us as a band, and it was a privilege to contribute to the incredible atmosphere on the day as well as the after party! That performance will be a memorable moment in the band’s history. We have an upcoming tour to the Maldives towards
the end of October, so you will have to ask us after that if it goes down as “the best” high.
The covers of your albums (Spotify) feature a cat with a difference in terms of their theme of dress on each cover. What influences inspired the image?
Jules: A maneki-neko is our mascot and has a tremendous legacy of inspiring good fortune, good health, and good luck. So, we figured what better way to bring even more luck to the band. We always try to mix it up and make sure that each symbol has relevance to the project or album we are working on at that time.
Do any of you have any other pets at home?
Jules: No, just these 2 scoundrels.
Tim: Yes, I have a ginger cat called Tia who is as feisty as they come.
Goodluck Cares is your foundation that aids toward contributing back to communities in need. Are there any animal welfares that you support as individuals or as a band?
Jules: Besides the feeding programs, which we championed in lockdown, we always support Bridges for Music by mentoring their up-and-coming artists. We have also built houses for communities living in the Karoo and raised enough money to rescue a pangolin from captivity so that it could be re-homed in the wild at Phinda. Overall, we are big advocates for education as well as wildlife charities.
The studio is basically your home, but where is your second favourite place or space when you are not all together? And who keeps the cats?
Ben: Plett is absolutely one of our favourite places in the world. We have our summer holiday residency there (Get Lucky Summer) that has now expanded to Hermanus, Knysna and Cape Town. When we head up the coast, we often bring the cats with us to stay at the holiday house. Otherwise, we have a few favourite pet sitters who ADORE them both!
Any specific/significant reason that you homed this breed of cat?
Ben: Yes, a few. Firstly, they have hypoallergenic fur which means people who have cat allergies, like me, can manage being around Maine Coons. Furthermore, I always dreamt of having a big cat. They are truly a unique breed, not just because of their size but also because of their big personalities.
George and Ella feature as much a part of the band as the three of you. Do they ever join you on any trips when you perform out of town, and do they have special accessories/get up if they do?
Jules: Sometimes they come with us to our Get Lucky Summer residency shows in Plett. We keep them at the house of course, but they LOVE being that side of the world with us. We always take loads of toys, their water fountain (they won’t drink from a bowl) and their scratch pads. Maine Coons need a lot of stimulation so we do our best to play with them as much as possible!
Well, I guess the saying rings true for Maine Coons as much as it does for all other cat breeds. Dogs have owners and cats have servants. George and Ella have their serants trained to do catering, chauffering and even to take them on beach vacations!
To find out more about where you can see Good Luck live this summer, go check out their Instagram @goodlucklive
Maine Coon Facts
• The Maine Coon is one of the largest breed of domestic cats where males weigh between 5.9kg’s to 8.2kg’s and females between 3.6 kg’s to 5.4 kg’s.
• These cats can live between 9-13 years.
• Maine Coons are known as the “gentle giants” and possess above-average intelligence, making them relatively easy to train.
• While the average cat’s tail measures around 25 cm’s long, Maine Coon tails can reach up to 36 cm’s long!
• Maine Coons have a fascination with water and would probably try to ‘help’ with dishes or follow you into the shower.
• Because of their large stature, Maine coons can develop joint disease such as arthritis or hip dysplasia.
• Pebbles, a famous Maine Coone was cast to play the role of Mrs. Norris, a cat character in the famous Harry Potter franchise.
