LUCIUS’ HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEW SELF-TITLED ALBUM OUT TODAY
Acclaimed indie-pop band Lucius’ highly anticipated new self-titled album is out now via Fantasy Records. Stream/purchase HERE. In celebration of the release, the official music video for album track, “Final Days,” is also debuting today. Watch the video, directed by Aaron Caleb Eisenberg and produced by Sound + Vision Co., HERE.
Of the song, Lucius’ Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, share, “‘Final Days’ begins our album. At home, sitting in the back yard, saying goodbye to the beloved tree that canopied the backyard, knowing the next day it would have to be cut down. Did she know it was coming? Was there a tree heaven she’d be welcomed to? Where does mother nature go after it dies? The questions led us to think of experiences like this in the human realm. It became more of an analogy as we were experiencing, simultaneously, births of children and the passing of a parent, feeling this delicate balance of life. The song is the perfect start of our record, both rooted and vulnerable, at once. And the knowing that it can and will take on different meanings in our lifetime.”
Critical acclaim for Lucius:
“killer grooves, earworm melodies, and their voices are just so transfixing”
—NPR Music
“the vocalists have unlocked a completely new gear on this upcoming self-titled record of theirs”
—Paste
“sweet harmonies and dark emotions alchemised into heartfelt pop”
—MOJO
“the silky balm of their close-fitting voices is supported throughout by Pete Lalish’s warm guitar tones and immaculate production”
—UNCUT
“the band is finally moving from the constant ‘ones to watch’ lists to mainstream success…Laessig and Wolfe’s harmonies are pristine”
—Glide
“another swoon-worthy moment from a band quite good at crafting them”
—Buzzbands.la
Throughout their acclaimed career, Laessig and Wolfe have become some of the most sought-after collaborators in popular music, having performed and recorded with artists such as Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlile, John Legend, The Killers, Harry Styles, Sheryl Crow and many more. Now, with the release of Lucius, they’re poised for a long-overdue breakout, as they return with a record that cements them as a musical force entirely on their own.
Produced by Lucius’ Dan Molad, the new album marks a full circle moment for the group (Laessig, Wolfe, Molad and Peter Lalish) as they return to their roots, writing and recording without seeking outside influence—their first time doing so since their debut over a decade ago. Across these eleven tracks, Lucius explores deeply personal topics, such as relationships, grief and life’s complexities, with a vulnerability only made possible due the familial nature of the band.
Lucius was recorded between Los Angeles’ Altamira Sound and Molad’s home studio, Sounds Like A Fire, which has since become inoperable after being impacted by the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area earlier this year.
Reflecting on the project, Lucius shares, “Our fourth studio album is the four of us, just as we first started recording together as a band. It’s raw and honest and feels like coming home; something that resonates deeply in this moment of our lives. We are home in so many senses of the word; in the last couple of years we’ve started setting roots, finding life partners, building families, growing gardens. We got dogs, (you can hear them in the background if you listen close). We wrote songs about life and relationships. We recorded them in our home studios. We saw the beginnings and endings of life cycles while making this record, the beauty and fragility of the human experience. So it’s only fitting that this album is self-titled, it’s our story, who we are now and how we got here. Welcome to our living room.”
Known for their captivating live performances, Lucius will kick off their “The Gold Rush Tour” next week, which includes stops at New York’s Irving Plaza (sold-out), Los Angeles’ The Wiltern, Philadelphia’s Union Transfer, Chicago’s The Salt Shed, Denver’s Ogden Theatre, Seattle’s Showbox, San Francisco’s The Warfield and more. Additionally, they will join Mumford & Sons for two shows at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium in August and perform at Newport Folk Festival and All Things Go Festival this year. See below for complete touritinerary. Full details can be found at www.ilovelucius.com.
Lucius features collaborations with a few close friends—The War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel (“Old Tape”), Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith (“Stranger Danger”), Madison Cunningham(“Impressions”) and Ethan Gruska (“Impressions”)—as well as contributions from Luke Temple (electric guitar, “Do It All For You”), Rob Moose (strings, “At the End of the Day”) and Evan Smith (flutes, “At the End of the Day”).
Lucius, their fourth studio album, follows the band’s acclaimed 2022 record, Second Nature, which was produced by Brandi Carlile and Dave Cobb. Released to overwhelming acclaim, theLos Angeles Times praised, “dazzling…Second Nature mines an ’80s-pop sound with lush synths and sleek disco grooves under the women’s laser-guided vocals,” while Variety declared, “with Second Nature…they’re no longer 20 feet or even a couple of yards from stardom, but re-claiming the spotlight for themselves” and Relix proclaimed, “stunning…a 10-song, smart-pop masterpiece.” Most recently, Lucius celebrated the 10-year-anniversary of their debut album, Wildewoman, with the release of Wildewoman (The New Recordings)—an expanded version of the record that features new versions of the 12 original tracks, including collaborations with friends Carlile, Marcus Mumford and Devon Gilfillian.
