Space Miners have become known across Luxembourg for their energetic performances and multicultural lineup. In a recent interview with RTL Today Radio's Stephen 'Steps' Lowe, founding member Karien Reineg and keyboard player/composer Ernest Foy explained how the band came together and what it means to make music with such a large group.
The band was founded in 2016, when "one or two persons... gathered people together, who didn't know each other at all," Reineg recalled. "One played bass, the other drums, and there was a singer, and there was this and that, and that was brought together, and over the years, some people left, some people joined, and now we've been out there for 10 years" . She underlined how the group’s lineup has evolved, but its energy and spirit have remained.
With eleven members, coordinating decisions and musical choices is no small feat. Reineg admitted, "Eleven people is a hard number to manage," but explained that a bandleader helps to “coordinate more or less all the music choices and all that,” while ensuring everyone has their say. Foy added that the group’s diversity is its strength, noting, "Depending on the song, everyone can put their element, their personality to it... the sound you hear is the sound of the Space Miners, and everyone puts their piece into that particular sound".
Described as "the ultimate party band," Space Miners aim to get every audience member on their feet. Reineg said, "An ultimate party band is eleven people that play a lot of upbeat music. That puts you immediately into a good mood. It's a very danceable repertoire. We have a full horn section. We have two, sometimes three vocalists. We do a lot of dancing on stage. And it attracts immediately people joining us on the dance floor". She emphasized the kind of feedback they hear from concertgoers: "People at the end of the concert, they come to us and they say, oh, we are so happy now. It was such a great concert. You really got us going and we want to come back for more".
The band’s approach to their setlist ensures everyone gets a chance to shine. Foy, who composes and plays keyboards, explained, "Depending if it's something which is more laid-back, it's probably more of a groove, it's more of a bass line element. If it's a bit more loud, up-tempo, the horns come in, so everyone has their say" . He stressed that, while he may write a song, "the sound you hear is the sound of the Space Miners," created collaboratively by the group .
Asked about surefire hits that get the dance floor moving, Reineg pointed to classics like "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire and "Let's Get Loud" by Jennifer Lopez as reliable crowd-pleasers.
The band’s name, “Space Miners,” was inspired by Luxembourg's own ambitions in the space mining industry. "It was back in those days where Luxembourg, the Luxembourgish government started to speak for the first time about space mining and we took our inspiration from calling ourselves the space miner," Reineg explained . This local connection gives the band a unique identity on the Luxembourg music scene.
The group recently celebrated the release of their first EP, “Waiting for the Good Times.” The launch event drew a full house at the Brasserie de Lorette. Reineg recounted, "We had a full house... we had our usual repertoire and we showcased our original songs and Ernest introduced each time the new song, told a bit about the background, about the lyrics" .
Foy described his songwriting process as eclectic, drawing from a lifetime of musical influences: "I've been writing music for a long time, since the early years on the piano at home... it depends on the influences I listen to." For the EP's title track, he merged “a Dr. John piano genesis” with “a New Orleans type of a vibe,” aiming for a “street sound atmosphere.” He shared, "The lyrics themselves kind of show this kind of street sound atmosphere, a little bit anti, I won’t say it’s a protest song, but it’s definitely a song which came about like this" .
Other songs on the EP reflect a range of genres, from “Latino bass” to laid-back ballads. Foy’s background in classical, blues, and a touch of jazz, as well as the influence of other band members, allow Space Miners to offer an unusually broad repertoire: "You can do the Stevie Wonder stuff, you can do the Earth, Wind & Fire, you can draw from the 70s funk music right up to the modern pop sound, which is great" .
Fans can look forward to several live performances this December. Reineg listed upcoming shows at the Mamre Christmas Market on 4 December, and a regular concert at the Brasserie de Lorette on 12 December. They also plan a show in Diekirch at the Christmas market on the 19th . For bookings and more information, Foy advised that "the website is probably the best way to contact us. There's an email address on that, and obviously then the usual suspects, the Facebook, Instagram as well. So we're pretty active on the social media networks" .
Asked what audiences can expect from Space Miners’ performances, Reineg summed it up: "They can expect a multicultural event, I would say, which is very common here in Luxembourg, but really our musicians come from all over the world and that blend of these different people, that blend of their own music that each one of us is bringing. You feel party vibe, you feel positivity, so people are instantly in a good mood and they come out on the floor and party with us" .
With their unique mix of talents, a genuine party spirit, and a dedication to making every show unforgettable, Space Miners continue to add a little extra sparkle to Luxembourg’s music scene.
