Uncovered: Spoon - Lucifer On The Moon
Not long after Texas rock band Spoon finished their 10th studio album Lucifer on the Sofa, they reached out to UK dub producer Adrian Sherwood to reconstruct the entire album into the aptly-titled Lucifer on the Moon. When this companion album was nominated as one of the shortlisted album artworks for Best Art Vinyl 2022, we caught up with Cuban American artist and illustrator, Edel Rodriguez, responsible for both the albums artworks, to get the back story on his outstanding work.
Edel told us, “Britt Daniel, Spoon’s lead singer and guitarist, reached out to me last year. He had seen an image of mine that he felt captured the right mood for the band’s upcoming album, Lucifer on the Sofa. He asked if I was interested in creating a new image for the album. I’ve been a fan for years and suggested we do a whole set of images. I wanted to create art for the interior of the album, singles and merchandise, and we went from there.”
Lucifer On The Sofa released Feb 2022 on Matador Records
He continues, “I asked for the lyrics of all the songs and was inspired by them. I created dozens of sketches and we talked back and forth about which ones paired well with the songs. Some of the songs hinted at the idea of a two sided figure (where the main image came from) and with Lucifer as a lurking figure. “
Held - Lucifer On The Sofa
The Hardest Cut - Lucifer On The Sofa
My Babe - Lucifer On The Sofa
Edel explains, “This fanged red screaming face popped into my head and I did some sketches and ultimately a painting. That image ended up on an inside sleeve on Lucifer on the Sofa and was picked up for the album cover of the companion album, Lucifer on the Moon.”
“The image was duplicated multiple times, like a reverb effect, by designers Jamie-James Medina and Matt de Jong of Undercard Studio.”
Rodriguez’s bold, figurative works are an examination of identity, cultural displacement and mortality. He has exhibited internationally and his artwork has been commissioned for numerous publications including The New York Times, TIME Magazine and The New Yorker.
Illustrations by Edel Rodriguez for TIME
Edel shared with us, “Much of my work is influenced by Afro Cuban religious iconography, propaganda art, pop art, and surrealism. I try to bring a bit of my life experiences to all of the assignments I’m commissioned for. This piece for the album was painted with acrylic and oil based ink on bark paper.”
Lucifer On The Moon by Spoon on Matador Records is shortlisted for the Best Art Vinyl 2022 Award. Artwork by Edel Rogriguez. VOTING OPEN UNTIL 12 DEC 2022
