LUIS FELICIANO

An artist since childhood, Luis Feliciano grew up writing poetry and building worlds with his imaginative stories. As he naturally progressed to songwriting, Lou’s supportive family gave him a strong sense of commitment to his dreams. Originally from Puerto Rico, they came to America with dreams of their own, but struggled along the way. His parents’ stories are those of New York legends; years of hard work and persistence gave them the mobility to move from the Marcy projects in Brooklyn to an apartment in Ridgewood, Queens, where Lou was born and raised. Family and music were central pillars of their life, and so they did everything in their power to encourage their son’s creative potential—and they set the bar high.

Lou founded his first band, Ode To No One, in 2009 while studying at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. Inspired by the poetry of artists like Brandon Boyd, Chester Bennington, and Chris Cornell, he set out to capture complex emotions with lyrics. The soundtrack to his teenage years (essentially the discographies of Incubus, Linkin Park, Soundgarden, Audioslave, and Stone Temple Pilots) were a masterclass in structure, harmony and dissonance, and the energy that binds these disparate elements into song. Like his heroes, Lou’s unique voice and elegant prose are the thread that unites the stylistically diverse songs of Ode To No One and Night Coast—the constant that makes the band’s ten-year progression audibly coherent.

During that time, Lou learned the music industry from scratch. He sought out managers and mentors, spearheaded marketing campaigns, recorded three original albums, and produced numerous music videos—all while holding down his day job as a sales manager at a prominent photo and video rental house. Through a rollercoaster of financial hardships and exciting leads, the joy of connecting with others through storytelling remains his motivation and reward. Made for people who are searching for real instrumentation amidst today’s haze of house anthems, Lou’s work with Night Coast seeks to prove that human expression is still important, and that live music is alive and well.

Why music? I’ve always loved writing and performing original music, but I never imagined myself as a front man. I was a chubby kid, and extremely self-conscious about my appearance. I only got past my insecurities and got serious about music once I met Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park. I was 15 and had snuck into a Linkin Park conference in midtown. The crowd was expected to ask the band questions before they signed a giant check for charity, and Mike pointed me out. He said he could tell I was an artist and told me to find the confidence to chase my dreams. That really stuck with me. It was a defining experience; as soon as I returned to high school, I started my band.

Loves: Filmmaking (telling stories visually), cinema, pop culture, and video games.

Favorite Night Coast Song: L.A. Ghost