Saint Luminus is the Los Angeles-based guitarist who joined the very short list of musicians who had to relearn the instrument. As his earthling name, William Rustrum, he fronted the premier Megadeth tribute, Hangar 18.
However, after his 15-year thrash metal ride, he saw his physical playing ability crumble, and he had to start from scratch on the instrument. He was able to get his dexterity back, but now uses his technique in service of bringing the meditative sounds of the Universe and progressive rock together in one harmonious sonic experience.
His sublimely melodic instrumental compositions have been called “cosmic vacations” due to their otherworldly majesty. Saint Luminus songs glow with dreamy atmospherics, tasteful passages of lyrical shred, and musical motifs that exude a bluesy longing reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour.
With a slow and chill vibe reminiscent of a dreamy cosmic vacation, Saint Luminus takes you on an otherworldly journey with his newest single, “Cosmic Courier.” The song offers an escape from the daily grind and a chance to soar among the stars. Blending the raw power of rock guitar with ambient textures and lush soundscapes, this new single showcases the artistic prowess of Saint Luminus.
Produced by Troy Dexter and fueled with the soulful laid back drumming of Dave Beyer, “Cosmic Courier” is an immersive sonic adventure which defies expectations. Meditative guitar solos will send shivers down your spine, but be prepared as Saint Luminus, in a surprising twist, unleashes a captivating synthesizer solo which elevates the odyssey to new heights and a joyful climax. “Cosmic Courier” is a gateway to where worries fade and the music washes over you
In this interview spotlight, I talk with Saint Luminus about the latest song, dream collabs, choosing a favorite song of all time, and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
What can you share with readers about your new project?
The project called Saint Luminus has been ongoing for about 7 to 8 years now. Typically guitar players use their own names when they release their own brand of instrumental guitar music. But I thought it would be way more fun and mysterious to use a stage name, Saint Luminus. I call my music Electro Space Rock. It is guitar instrumental rock in the vein of Joe Satriani, David Gilmour, and chill electronic music. There are lots of Space elements and sounds to my music, but clearly the electric guitar is the centerpiece.
How does this project compare with your other projects you had in the past?
Oh man the stories! I started by playing in a thrash metal band called Raven Mad. It was a creation by Melanie Sisneros and myself. We released some original music and got to open for Anthrax, Yngwie Malmsteen, and WASP. It was typical thrash music, but we had so much fun doing it.
After Raven Mad broke up, I started a Megadeth Tribute Band called Hangar 18. Again more thrash music and with wonderful people.
Saint Luminus is different in that the guitar is the vocal. The guitar is doing the singing for me. In those previous bands, I did the singing and the guitar playing. But I really wanted the guitar to express how I felt, and to explore different ways of expression on guitar. Saint Luminus is about new sounds on guitar and taking the listener on a trip. There’s a rock element for sure, but its definitely not thrash. But my next song called Black Hole Harmonics has a great punk rock beat, yet its taking the listener off into some unknown universe.
What about this project makes you most proud? Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?
Love this question. What I am most proud of is the fact that I can even play guitar. I suffered an injury and had to relearn the guitar all over again from scratch. The fact that I’m playing and able to continue to improve my playing skills is something I’m most proud of when it comes to Saint Luminus. I now think there’s no limit to how far this can go. I’m excited to see where this goes.
As for this release, my goal was to release a whole EP of professional sounding songs and to over deliver what I had done before. I think my fans had a pretty good idea of my songwriting and playing ability from my previous releases. But I wanted to surprise them with new tones, different songwriting and unexpected feelings. One of my favorite guitar players, Carl Verheyen said, “Make music sound different!” And that’s what I wanted to do.
What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?
Curiosity. Oh and of course it’s fun. You know, I have music going on in my head every single day. And it’s important for me to get it out. Further, there’s so many unexplored ideas when it comes to music, and I feel it’s my duty to go there and release it. I do my best not to filter out my ideas and say things like, “Nah, that sucks”. By simply letting ideas flow regardless of what that little voice may say, I end up with an abundance of music. An endless well of musical ideas. Making music, even if it’s just practice, motivates me to make more music. Because I discover something new every time, it gets my curiosity going to see where things will go next.
If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? If it’s an indie/DIY artist, please include a link so readers can check them out.
Joe Satriani is one, and that’s because he’s just so damn good at writing killer songs and expressing great melodies. I would love to work with him and learn how he comes up with melodies on the spot. And how his mind and heart approach every note. A back and forth on song arrangements would be amazing. Notice I didn’t say I wanted to shred along with him or learn new approaches to shred. It’s about songs and melodies man.
Another collaboration which would be nuts is Tycho. I love how that guy incorporates electronic music with real instruments. What an amazing fusion. I would love to be the guy who incorporates melodic and ethereal guitar solos to his music. In other words give his music a vocal aspect without hiring a singer.
And indie artist I would love to collaborate with is Nili Brosh. She has some wonderful ideas and influences which are similar to mine. What kind of unexplored kickass guitar melody and solo weirdness could we get into? My curiosity on this is off the charts. If you’ve never heard of Nili, type her name into Google, you’ll find her easily.
What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands/artists?
Don’t laugh, but the last song I listened to is the theme song from an old TV show called Space 1999. It starts very cinematic and then suddenly switches to modern music of the 70s. The melody at that point is played by a fuzzed out electric guitar. Its a little cheesy sounding by today’s standards, but I love how they incorporated an orchestra with modern instruments and sounds. It’s just Killer.
My favorites are Pink Floyd/David Gilmour, Satriani, Marty Friedman, Carlos Santana, Eric Johnson, Megadeth, Motorhead, and Albert King.
Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?
The best place to find me is Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and through e-mail. Look up Saint Luminus on those social media platforms and you’ll find me easy enough.
For e-mail go to this link, and I’ll send you my FREE eBook in exchange for your e-mail.
https://mailchi.mp/saintluminus/abm2b7w36s
I really appreciate your time. Is there anything you’d like to share before we sign off?
It’s a great tragedy that music has been eliminated in school curriculums. People don’t realize how much music they have inside them. Nearly every single one of us is lacking music in our life. I don’t mean just listening to Spotify, etc. I mean incorporating it as a part of daily life. Its why I wrote the eBook and called it, “How to put more music in your life”. My hope is it will deliver valuable ideas to the reader on how to make your life musical even if you don’t feel like you are a musical person or have musical talent. You do, you just haven’t unlocked it yet. Go to that link above, get the eBook and put more music in your life in a meaningful way.
