Lucius (band)
Lucius is an American four-piece indie pop band. The group was founded by lead vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, joined by drummer Dan Molad, guitarist Peter Lalish, and, formerly, multi-instrumentalist Andrew Burri. Originating in Brooklyn, the band relocated to Los Angeles in 2015. They have released three studio albums with Mom + Pop Music, including their most recent, "Second Nature", in April 2022. Their music has received critical acclaim from "The New York Times", "Rolling Stone", "NPR" and "The Village Voice". "Paste" named them as one of the best live acts in 2015. Notably, Wolfe  and Laessig have also contributed vocals for various artists such as Roger Waters, Jeff Tweedy, Jackson Browne, John Legend, Mavis Staples, John Prine, Sheryl Crow, Grace Potter, The War on Drugs, Brandi Carlile and Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, among others. History. Section::::"Songs from the Bromley House" and band formation (2005–2011). Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig first met in 2005 as students at Berklee College of Music and began performing together. In 2007, they founded Lucius after moving to Ditmas Park, Brooklyn to pursue a musical career. The two lived in an old Victorian mansion which had a 60 -year-old recording studio and vintage pianos inside. 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. During this period, they were joined by producer Doug Wamble. 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 affected 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". Shortly following the release of "Songs from the Bromley House", Wolfe and Laessig connected with Dan Molad. By 2010, the three were collaborating on future Lucius music. During this period, Pete Lalish was introduced by Molad, and the two soon joined Lucius, making it a four-piece. About a year later, Molad met singer and guitarist Andy Burri who was invited to join  the band. Following this, in 2011, most of the music the band has already made together was rerecorded and later released as their debut EP. Section::::"Lucius EP" and "Wildewoman" (2011–2015). The quintet released a self-titled EP in February 2012. "Lucius" received several placements in TV shows including "Grey's Anatomy" and "". The press also took notice and the band did a Tiny Desk performance in January 2013. The Silver Sound Music Video Film Festival + Band Battle awarded the "Go Home" video as "Best Animation". 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." The record received positive reviews and was praised for its eclectic mix  of musical styles that ranged from retro pop to reflective folk. 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, Sara Bareilles, 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. Section::::"Good Grief" and "Nudes" (2016–2021). 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" and were written in late 2015 when the band relocated from Brooklyn to  Los Angeles. Departing from their previous sound, the album focused on "moody Eighties-synth melodies and raw lyrics about the hardships of marriage." 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. The band has also performed tracks from the album on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", "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. In September 2016, Andrew Burri departed from the band. 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. Section::::"Second Nature" (2022–present). On January 11, 2022 the band  announced their fourth studio album, titled "Second Nature", would be released on April 8, 2022 on the Mom + Pop Music label. Their lead single "Next to Normal" was simultaneously released. Collaborations. Outside Lucius, Wolfe and Laessig have been involved in several albums as guest vocalists. Other. Lucius have composed music for multiple film and television projects. They scored the soundtrack for Jake and Amir's web series, "Lonely and Horny", released on Vimeo on April 8, 2016. 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" (2016). Lucius have released music as part of tribute projects. The band covered "When The Night Comes Falling From The Sky" for the compilation album and "Uncle John's Band" for The Grateful Dead 2016 compilation album "Day of the Dead. I"n 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. 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. 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 2021, samples from the song "Madness" were featured in an installation with visual and sound artist Samuel Stubblefield, to be released in 2022. Reception. Lucius has been lauded by "The New York Times" for their "luscious, luminous, lilting lullabies", praised by NPR for their "charisma and charm," and described by "Rolling Stone" as "the best band you may not have heard yet." "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." "Economist" and "New York Times" columnist Paul Krugman is a noted fan of the band and has featured their music in his blog. The two frontwomen are also known for their synchronous style that exudes an "idiosyncratic visual persona" in their choice of dress, stage set up, and performance. The two even shared the same hairdresser, 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." Former member Touring members