If Bromley House presented the listener with a sound that feels rooted in folk traditions and melodies floating in the air since time eternal, their latest self-titled release takes their mission entirely in the other direction. With Lucius’ EP out everywhere now, coupled with the band finally being signed to a label (ok, their own label: Wildewoman Music), the girls seem to have a lot more up their sleeves than first thought. Not only this, but they’ve grown a bit since 2009. Lucius isn’t just Jess and Holly anymore. The project has now blossomed into a full-fledged band with Dan Molad (drums), and Peter Lalish (guitar/ bass) rounding out the ensemble with anything from Nord Leads, to all manner of percussions, and even a lap steel when necessary. Does this mean their songwriting process is any different now than it was back in the day?
“When Holly, Jess and I began recording 2 years ago, it started as an experiment of sorts, just trying things out. As the record evolved so did the band until we reached our current configuration. We eventually began ‘learning’ the record and overtime ended up in the setup we have now.” (Dan Molad) Some songwriters tend to get weighted down by large ensembles; finding their voice lost amid the bells and whistles of a backing band. For Lucius, their new band has given Jess and Holly an altitude of sorts that allows them to transcend many of the limitations of their peers. It’s one thing to play dress up and flirt with other influences (though the girls do look fantastic in giant bows and shudder shades). It’s another thing to allow yourself to truly magnify your sound through these forces. If anything, Lucius is fast maturing into a great group because of how much they challenge themselves. From writing an album about an old music school/living space, to trying out for American Idol, to donning glittery rhinestones, these ladies aren’t afraid to see what they sound and look like in unfamiliar environments. Perhaps that’s what they’re talking about with lyrics like “she’s looking through the wrong end of the telescope” from “Turn It Around” off their self-titled album. There’s nothing wrong with the view, it’s how you approach things that makes all the difference.
counted among the alums). A tight-knit bunch – most of the graduates still support each other in performance and recording. But most of these graduates’ main course consists of a diet of John Mayer-style blues and twangy coffeehouse Jazz styles. Listening to some of Lucius’ earliest material, you can still hear many of these trademarks (check out Jess’ fantastic cover of “People Get Ready” or Holly’s breathy airs in Chris Ward’s “Wind in the Trees”), but something must have happened while staying at the Bromley House, as the music that came out of it transcended both Jess and Holly’s individual backgrounds, as well as many of the trends that their Brooklyn peers have been re-treading over the past couple years. At a time when MGMT style party rock and beachy summer jams were all the rage, Lucius took a step back instead and approached their sound from another place. Just listen to “For Loves Lost,” the final track from Bromley House. Here’s a song that doesn’t offer the listener a place to settle in and get too comfortable. Instead, the tune reveals itself measure by measure, building slowly and taking its time, and rewarding the listener to no end for the effort. This is what makes Holly and Jess such a pleasure to experience. The more you listen to them, the less you seem sure of having their music pegged. You’re left wondering how they’re able to achieve such soaring magnitudes while remaining so openly vulnerable, and this only makes you want to explore more of the band. While a lot of local groups indulge in the somnambulance of dreamy shoegaze, Lucius achieves their peculiar mystery just by being their own quirky selves.
For such a young group, it’s anyone’s guess where Lucius will go to from here, but it’s hard to hear their EP as anything but a prelude to the next step. When Jess and Holly were first raising funds for the recordings from their Kickstarter campaign, the original idea was a full-length album titled Wildewoman. After raising almost two times as much money as expected, the project seems to have taken on a life of its own. But the recent release certainly won’t be the last stop either. Yesterday I listened to an acoustic recording of “Sit There,” where Jess and Holly put the sunglasses and Mad Men-era dresses aside for the performance, and found that I immediately understood why these ladies have been working so hard at their music. This is truly a great song, and their painstaking passion has made it that way. In fact, every detail of this group is meticulously thought out and delivered in the largest way possible. Lucius is just waiting for the rest of us to notice. Now, with their backing band, increased touring schedule, and yes… giant sunglasses, Lucius has created a world that matches the size of their spirit.
Artist Equipment Check!!!
Electro-Harmonix POG2
“We don’t have a bass player, but Pete splits his guitar signal to his guitar amp and to a bass amp with an A/B switch. The bass amp signal has an Electro Harmonix POG 2 on it before hitting the amp which puts the guitar down an octave and makes it sound like a bass.”
the deli_17