Laurie Luke’s new single “Long Way Home” is a big song full of heart and hooky rock riffs that signals a homecoming for the singer/songwriting who has spent the last year fighting back from a devastating brain haemorrhage he suffered. His new single will be released on the one year anniversary of his haemorrhage and it serves as an amazing example of his strength and resilience to get back to creating music.

Laurie’s journey began when he rushed to the hospital to see his girlfriend who had been seriously injured in a hit and run. At the hospital, Laurie collapsed and was rushed into surgery where it was discovered that he had suffered a brain haemorrhage. The Perth multi-instrumentalist woke up 6 days later, lucky to be alive but having lost most of his motor skills, unable to walk and talk. It’s understandable to think Laurie would’ve become quite jaded from the experience however “Long Way Home” shows that the musician was determined to work hard to get back to playing music.

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The song starts off the blocks big and brash with the guitars and drums loud and fierce. “Long Way Home” has a rough textural sound that you’d hear in high-energy alt-indie songs. The punchy track has shades of Stone Temple Pilots and Gang Of Youths with its melodic verses that are bolstered by a brawny arrangement. The chorus is all sing-a-long lyrics over a hooky melody that comes off as aspirational and keeps your attention focussed on Laurie’s crooning vocals. The new track also had Powderfinger’s Darren Middleton responsible for the mix and the finished product stands ups as a mighty rock song.

More impressively, all the instruments were played by Laurie and given that he could barely move his hand only a year ago, it is a massive effort that he’s put out a single with so much life pulsing through it. If you didn’t pay attention to the lyrics which allude to the challenges he’s faced, you’d have no idea that Laurie had been through any impediment. “Long Way Home” deserves an outing and it’s fantastic to have him back on the WA music scene again.

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