It’s been said that a place chooses you and that’s exactly how local musician Luke Anthony came to call Caloundra home.
Raised in the country town of Bathurst, Luke spent his younger years surrounded by farmland, family and music. Luke’s father Ross was a schoolteacher who was rarely without a guitar in hand. At nine years old Luke learnt his first chord, and almost immediately began writing songs of his own.
”I always wanted to be the front man. I loved being on stage.”
Throughout high school he gravitated towards musicals, drama and performing before forming his first band, Peacock Dreams, in his early twenties. The band toured around Sydney, Canberra and university festivals, giving Luke his first taste of life as a professional musician before his travels eventually led him overseas.
After spending almost five years in Canada, Luke returned to Australia knowing exactly where he wanted to call home. A visit to friends at Moffat Beach on one of his home trips had left a lasting impression.
“I was obsessed with the surf culture,” he says. “The people were so laid back.” Then I discovered all the beaches, and the waves, and I thought, ‘This is it for me.’”
That relaxed coastal lifestyle began influencing not only his life but his music.
Drawing inspiration from artists including Fleetwood Mac, Van Morrison and BB King, Luke developed what he affectionately describes as “surf blues” — an earthy acoustic sound that reflects his ocean lifestyle and the people around him.
His album Seaview Terrace remains one of his proudest achievements, named after the popular Moffat Beach strip in his beloved neighbourhood. Recorded live in a single take alongside close friend and guitarist Jarry Pasco, the project captures the authenticity Luke strives for every time he performs.
“I wanted it to sound exactly like we do live.”
Today, audiences across Caloundra know Luke for performances that are anything but ordinary. Armed with an acoustic guitar, a foot stomp and an unmistakable vocal style, he reinvents familiar songs with his own creative twist before weaving in original music once he’s won over the room.
“I like making people work out what song I’m playing,” he laughs.
While music has provided his livelihood for nearly two decades, life has brought its share of unexpected challenges.
Luke and his Canadian partner, Corissa, are raising two young boys, Leroy and Ronnie. When Ronnie arrived almost three months premature at just 25 weeks, life changed overnight.
The family spent three months in Brisbane’s Royal Women’s Hospital, forcing Luke to step away from regular performances and reassess the uncertainty of relying solely on weekend gigs to support his growing family.
Determined to create greater security, he began a mature-age carpentry apprenticeship with Moffat Beach Building while continuing to perform around the coast.
“It’s given me options,” he says. “Music will always be part of my life, but it’s nice knowing I can build houses too.”
You can regularly catch Luke performing at Moffat Beach Brewing Co., along with monthly performances at Kings Beach Bar and The Pocket Espresso, where it first began. He also has a weekly residency at Torque Eat Drink in Golden Beach, bringing his signature blend of surf blues, creative covers and heartfelt originals to local audiences.
