Audiofeed Festival is coming up quickly, and 2023 marks the second year that Tuned Up will be hosting a stage. The weekend of July 1st through 4th in Urbana, Illinois will bring some of the best up and coming independent artists, along with several seasoned veterans and exciting reunions. To get you hyped for the fest, Tuned Up will be spotlighting artists playing our specially curated stage, hopefully introducing you to your next favorite band.

AUDIOFEED SPOTLIGHT ARTIST-LIGHTWORKER

Bay area heavies Lightworker signed to Solid State Records in 2019 and released their debut full-length Fury By Failure on June 12th, 2020, during the height of the pandemic. Unlike some bands that got their major break during that time, Lightworker survived and are looking forward to playing their first festival (hopefully of many) at Audiofeed. I talked to vocalist Joe Calderon recently and had a chance to ask some CRITICAL BURNING QUESTIONS to give the reader a chance to get to know the band better.

Describe Lightworker in 5 words:

Intense, melodic, riffs, fun, breakdowns

Could you name a song or two of yours that someone unfamiliar with your band could check out to get a sense of who you are?

The first two songs that come to my mind are “Empyre” and “Words Dissolve.” “Words Dissolve” modernizes the riffs from music we were inspired by growing up. And there’s a cool guest spot from Ryan Kirby from Fit For a King. We like collaborating with other artists. This is something we will always try to do.

“Empyre” is a just groovy, catchy, heavy song. And it’s a track that points to our future direction as a band.

What is your approach to live performances and why should someone come see Lightworker at Audiofeed?

There is a reason I chose the word “fun” to describe us. Our music is serious, but we like to have fun. When we’re onstage, you can catch us smiling and being goofy. We like bringing the energy. We’re pretty approachable guys too. So if you want to hang out before or after our set we’re down. (After this interview, I can confirm Joe is an extremely personable and friendly guy and would be great to spend time with at the fest).

Which artists and/or albums who influenced your music would be carved in stone on your Mount Rushmore?

The band is pretty eclectic. We all like heavy music but we lean towards different things that we like. Even with our own band. Everyone has a similar top three, but they’ll be in a different order.

-The 1975-Self-Titled

-Bleed From Within-Shine

-Killswitch Engage-The End of Heartache

-Saosin-Self-Titled

If you could have rider requests that HAD to be followed by venues and festivals, what would ABSOLUTELY be on it?

Topo Chico, any flavor, let’s go. And cheap beer, any brand. If it’s free we’re not complaining.

What kind of music does the band listen to in the van on the way to shows?

This varies by individual member. For me, I usually listen to post-rock or pop-rock because we’re around heavy music all the time.

Who are some other artists you’re looking forward to seeing at Audiofeed 2023?

World Gone Cold, Idle Threat, Becoming the Archetype, The Ongoing Concept, My Epic

What are some future projects coming up for Lightworker?

We have a new album that is done. We just have to figure out all the behind-the-scenes logistics. And we’re wanting to head out on the road to support the album as much as possible. Especially since we really didn’t get to tour for Fury By Failure. Hopefully we’ll be able to make that happen. This summer we will be touring with The Ongoing Concept and Bloodlines. And we’re in the midst of tour planning for the Fall.

---

*Be sure to check out Lightworker at Audiofeed or coming to a town near you. Stream Fury By Failure HERE. Follow the band on Instagram.