Lucius (band)

Lucius is a four-piece indie pop band that got its start in Brooklyn, New York.[2] The band relocated to Los Angeles in 2015.[3] The group currently consists of lead vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, drummer and producer Dan Molad, and lead guitarist Peter Lalish. Josh Dion (drums) and Casey Foubert (guitar) have been joining the band for live performances since Andrew Burri left the band in late 2016.[4][5]

Lucius
Lucius in 2016
Background information
OriginBrooklyn, New York (relocated to Los Angeles)
GenresIndie pop, country pop
Years active2005[1]–present
LabelsMom + Pop Music, Dine Alone Records, Play It Again Sam
Associated actsThe Rentals, San Fermin, Roger Waters
Websitehttp://ilovelucius.com
MembersJess Wolfe
Holly Laessig
Dan Molad
Peter Lalish
Past membersAndrew Burri

The band has released three studio albums to date: Wildewoman (2013), Good Grief (2016), and Nudes (2018). The albums have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Rolling Stone, NPR and Village Voice. Paste Magazine named them as one of the best live acts in 2015.[6] The band has since scored Band Aid, the debut film of director Zoe Lister-Jones. Their track "Million Dollar Secret" premiered on the final season of the HBO Series Girls.

Wolfe and Laessig have also contributed vocals for various artists such as Roger Waters formerly of Pink Floyd and his Us + Them tour, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Jackson Browne, John Legend, Mavis Staples, John Prine, and folk-rock bands, Dawes, Sheryl Crow and Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. They are listed performers for The Rentals and San Fermin.

History

Wolfe and Laessig both attended Berklee College of Music as students and moved to Ditmas Park, Brooklyn in 2007 to pursue a musical career.[7] There, the two moved into an old Victorian mansion which had a 60-year-old recording studio and vintage pianos inside.[8] They were musicians for hire.

Songs from the Bromley House

In 2009, Wolfe and Laessig self-released Songs from the Bromley House, a biographical ode to the house and the experiences that they had in their Brooklyn home.[9] There, they lived with eight other musicians, two of whom later became their bandmates — producer Dan Molad (also Jess Wolfe's former husband) and guitarist Peter Lalish.[10]

The band made a one-time pressing CD of the album and has not released the album since.

On July 9, 2020, Lucius announced it would be re-releasing Songs from the Bromley House digitally to raise funds for businesses effected by the COVID-19 virus. Wolfe told fans the news during an AMA portion of the streaming event. She said the album would be up for purchase on the band's website, along with several other signature items created especially for its livestream series, Turning It Around: A Community Rebuilding Concert[11].

The band is scheduled to perform Songs from the Bromley House live as part of the 4-night benefit. The first show featured Wolfe, Laessig, and Lalish performing a toned down set of Wildewoman.

Lucius EP and Wildewoman

The quintet released a self-titled EP in February 2012. The EP was recorded throughout 2011.

Lucius received several placements in TV shows including Grey's Anatomy and the MTV show Catfish. The press also took notice and the band did a Tiny Desk performance in January 2013.[12] The Silver Sound Music Video Film Festival + Band Battle awarded the "Go Home" video as "Best Animation."[13] Their song "Until We Get There" was also featured in Season 2 Episode 24 of the TV show New Girl.

The band toured with the EP throughout the first half of 2013 while finishing the recording of Wildewoman. Band member Dan Molad produced Wildewoman.

Mom + Pop Music released Wildewoman in North America on October 15, 2013. It received favorable reviews from Rolling Stone and Consequence of Sound. The album was released worldwide on March 31, 2014 via Play It Again Sam. The Guardian described the album as "60s girl group-inspired songs doused in a tonic of baroque pop and saccharine folk."[14] The record received positive reviews and was praised for its eclectic mix of musical styles that ranged from retro pop to reflective folk.[15]

The song "Until We Get There" was featured in the motion picture If I Stay and was included in the 2014 soundtrack.

During their world tour between the fall of 2013 and the end of 2014, they also played their own shows and music festivals. Lucius opened for an eclectic mix of artists including Tegan and Sara, The Head the Heart,[16] Sara Bareilles,[17] Andrew Bird, City and Colour and Jack White.

The deluxe version of Wildewoman was released in October 2014. It features live recordings and covers, with one version of their song "How Loud Your Heart Gets" produced by Spoon's Jim Eno for Spotify. The band ended their world tour with a sold-out show at Terminal 5 in New York on December 6, 2014.[18]

Good Grief and Nudes (2016-Present)

The band's second album, Good Grief, was released on March 11, 2016. The album was co-produced and engineered by Grammy-winning engineer Shawn Everett. It was mixed by Tom Elmhirst. Songs were inspired by their two years on the road with Wildewoman[19] and were written in late 2015 when the band relocated from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.[20] Departing from their previous sound, the album focused on "moody Eighties-synth melodies and raw lyrics about the hardships of marriage."[21]

The deluxe edition of Good Grief features the band's cover of the Kinks' song "Strangers" which gained attention from a crowd-sourced video of the band performing in Petaluma, California in August 2014.[22]

The band has also performed tracks from the album on Ellen, Live on Stephen Colbert, and Late Night with Seth Meyers. "Born Again Teen" and "Dusty Trails" were also featured on the fifth episode on Cameron Crowe's show Roadies. In the final episode of the first season, Wolfe and Laessig performed the Lowell George's song "Willin" with Jackson Browne.[23]

On November 25, 2016, the band released a two-song 10 inch vinyl record titled Pulling Teeth which contained two B sides "Pulling Teeth" and "The Punisher."

The band released their first compilation album, titled Nudes in March 2018. The collection features acoustic versions of songs from the band's back catalogue, new songs, and a duet with Roger Waters.[24]

Collaborations

Outside Lucius, Wolfe and Laessig have been involved in several albums as guest vocalists.

Other

The band covered "When The Night Comes Falling From The Sky" for the compilation album Bob Dylan In the 80s: Volume One and "Uncle John's Band" for The Grateful Dead 2016 compilation album Day of the Dead.

Lucius scored the soundtrack for Jake and Amir's web series, Lonely and Horny. It was released on vimeo on April 8, 2016.[25]

In July 2015, Wolfe and Laessig performed with Pink Floyd co-founder, Roger Waters and My Morning Jacket at the Newport Folk Festival. In September and October 2016, the band performed with Waters and his band for three shows in Mexico City and the Desert Trip Festival in Indio, California.[26] On Sunday May 21, 2017 Wolfe and Laessig performed on stage during Waters' final dress rehearsal held at Meadowlands Sports Complex, NJ. They sang backup vocals on Waters' Us + Them Tour throughout North America, which began in Kansas City on May 26, 2017 and ended in Vancouver on October 29, 2017.

In January 2017, the band scored Zoe Lister-Jones' directorial debut Band Aid, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Lucius also wrote and performed an original song called "What's the Use in Crying?" in David Byrne's film, Contemporary Color[27] which was released in theaters March 1, 2017.

The band released their most recent single, "Million Dollar Secret" in Episode 7 of the final season of the HBO Series Girls.

In November 2018, Lucius contributed to a 7” vinyl series called the Fug Yep Soundation, launched in memory of the late Richard Swift. The series aims to raise awareness for addiction and “bring community to those suffering” by donating to musician-focused organizations MusiCares and Music Support UK.[28]

Reception

Lucius has been lauded by The New York Times for their "luscious, luminous, lilting lullabies",[29] praised by NPR for their "charisma and charm,"[30] and described by Rolling Stone as "the best band you may not have heard yet."[31]

The Guardian featured Lucius as its New Band Of The Day on February 14, 2014 and described them as "the missing link between Arcade Fire and Haim... How can they fail? They won't."[32] Economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman is a noted fan of the band and has featured their music in his blog.[33][34]

The two frontwomen are also known for their synchronous style that exudes an "idiosyncratic visual persona"[35] in their choice of dress, stage set up, and performance. The two even shared the same hairdresser,[36] although they have switched to identical wigs.

In December 2018, Lucius' latest album Nudes was named by Rolling Stone as one of "11 Great Albums You Probably Didn’t Hear in 2018."[37]

Current members
The two lead singers of Lucius performing in 2016
  • Jess Wolfe – lead vocals, bass synth (2005–present)
  • Holly Laessig – lead vocals, keyboard (2005–present)
  • Dan Molad – drums, backing vocals, production (2005–present)
  • Peter Lalish – guitar, backing vocals (2005–present)

Former Member

  • Andrew Burri – backing vocals, multi-instrumentalist (2005–2016)

Discography

Studio albums
Year Details Peak chart positions
US
[38]		 US Indie
[39]		 BEL
(FL)
[40]		 UK
[41]
2009 Songs From The Bromley House
  • Released: November 13, 2009
  • Labels: Self-released
 — — — —
2013 Wildewoman 150 36 — 101
2016 Good Grief 92 6 161 —
2018 Nudes —[upper-alpha 1] 12 — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

EPs
  • Lucius EP (February 2012)
  • Pulling Teeth Ten Inch Vinyl (November 2016)

As lead artist
Single Year Peak chart positions Album
US
AAA
[43]		 US
Alt.
[44]		 US
Rock
Air.
[45]		 BEL
(FL)
Tip
[40]
"Hey Doreen" 2013 ———— Wildewoman
"Tempest" ————
"Turn It Around" 16——74
"Don't Just Sit There" 2014 ————
"Born Again Teen" 2015 —3346— Good Grief
"Madness" 2016 ————
"Something About You" ————
"Dusty Trails" ————
"What We Have (To Change)" ————
"Pulling Teeth" ———— Non-album single
"Million Dollar Secret" 2017 ———— Nudes
"Until We Get There (Acoustic)" ————
"Neighbors" 2018 ————
"Eventually" ———— Non-album single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Single Year Peak chart positions Album
US
AAA
[43]		 BEL
(FL)
Tip
[40]
"Coolin' Out"
(Nathaniel Rateliff featuring Lucius)		 2018 —13 Tearing at the Seams
"Back to Me"
(Grace Potter featuring Lucius)		 2020 28— Daylight
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Notes
  1. Nudes did not enter the US Billboard 200, but peaked at number 76 on the US Top Album Sales Chart.[42]

References
  1. Atlas, Zoe. "Lucius at The Sinclair". Sound of Boston. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  2. Marc Hirsh (2013-02-07). "The voices of Lucius share the same wavelength". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  3. "How Lucius's Second Album Drove Them to Go Above, Beyond, and Nearly Insane". Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  4. "Lucius | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  5. Bialas, Michael (2016-11-22). "Start the Insanity: With Lucius, It's All Good Grief". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  6. Stiernberg, Bonnie. "The 25 Best Live Acts of 2015". Paste Magazine.
  7. Hawke, Heather. "Issue #16 - Lucius". Decorated Youth.
  8. Ryzik, Melena (October 11, 2013). "Peas in a Vintage-Soul-Style Pod". The New York Times.
  9. Songs From The Bromley House, Lucius, 2009-11-13, retrieved 2017-04-26
  10. "Lucius - Born Again Teen". Baeble Music.
  11. "Lucius". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  12. Oney, Steve (March 14, 2013). "The Improbable Rise of NPR Music". The Wall Street Journal.
  13. "MVFF+BB 4 Best Animation". Mvffbb.com. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  14. Mokoena, Tshepo. "Lucius: Wildewoman review – catchy 60s-style pop, beautifully sung, but ultimately unconvincing". The Guardian.
  15. Hardy, Tony (October 17, 2013). "Lucius – Wildewoman". Consequence of Sound.
  16. "Watch Lucius make their UK TV debut on Later... with Jools Holland". Mom+Pop. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
  17. "Sara Bareilles Announces Summer Tour". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
  18. Hughes, Hilary (March 8, 2016). "How Lucius's Second Album Drove Them to Go Above, Beyond, and Nearly Insane". The Village Voice.
  19. Katzif, Mike (March 2, 2016). "Review: Lucius, 'Good Grief'". NPR.
  20. Darley, Andrew (March 8, 2016). "Good In The Grief: An Interview with Lucius". The 405.
  21. Kaplan, Ilana. "How Lucius Embraced 'Good Grief' on New LP". Rolling Stone.
  22. LagunitasBeer (2014-10-06), Lucius "Strangers" (The Kinks) Crowd-Filmed Live at Lagunitas, retrieved 2017-04-26
  23. "Five Questions with Holly Laessig of Lucius". The Bowery Presents. September 21, 2016.
  24. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lucius-ready-new-acoustic-lp-nudes-features-roger-waters-w515645
  25. Crouch, Ian (April 29, 2016). ""Lonely and Horny" and Little Comedy". The New Yorker.
  26. "Great Gig In The Sky - Roger Waters - Desert Trip - 10/9/16". YouTube.
  27. "David Byrne, St. Vincent Blow Minds With Contemporary Color". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  28. "Richard Swift Honored With New Subscription Singles Series". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  29. "Four Word CMJ Reviews: Tuesday and Wednesday". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  30. Boilen, Bob. "Lucius: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  31. "Vampire Weekend, Passion Pit, Kendrick Lamar Top Boston Calling". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  32. Paul Lester (2014-02-14). "New Band Of The Day". The Guardian. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
  33. Paul Krugman (8 December 2013). "Lucius Live (Personal)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  34. Paul Krugman (15 August 2014). "Friday Night Music: Lucius Does Buddy Holly". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  35. Danton, Eric. "How Lucius Made the Band Uniform Cool Again". Pitchfork.
  36. Ryzik, Melena (October 11, 2013). "Peas in a Vintage-Soul-Style Pod". The New York Times.
  37. Fricke, Christopher R. Weingarten,Elias Leight,Sarah Grant,Simon Vozick-Levinson,Hank Shteamer,Will Hermes,Jon Dolan,Suzy Exposito,Brittany Spanos,Kory Grow,David; Exposito, Suzy (2018-12-18). "11 Great Albums You Probably Didn't Hear in 2018". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  38. "Lucius – Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  39. "Lucius – Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  40. "Discografie Lucius". ultratop.be (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  41. Peaks in the UK:
  42. "Lucius – Chart History: Top Album Sales". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  43. "Lucius – Chart History: Triple A Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  44. "Lucius – Chart History: Alternative Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  45. "Lucius – Chart History: Rock Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
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