if you frequent this page with any amount of frequency you have probably come to understand or at least tolerate my very manly love affair with lucero. if you dont know what i am talking about please use the search function, or see this drunken review/love letter of their new record, rebels, rogues, and sworn brothers. without much further ado here is my interview, albeit brief, with ben nichols, lucero’s frontman.
following the interview is a show from atlanta on 9.9.05. its a damn shame that shows from the recent tour are so hard to come by.
CD: When I first heard Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers, which is phenomenal, my knee jerk reaction was that it was going to alienate a lot of diehard Lucero fans that had grown accustomed to a certain Lucero ?sound.? Keep in mind; this was a knee jerk assessment of the record. After playing the Lucero catalogue front to back, several times, I realized that there really is no definitive Lucero sound. Each record has its own vibe. So, what drove you down the musical path that makes up Rebels? Did working with David Lowery play any role in the recording, or did he take a hands off approach?
BN: We pretty much knew what direction we wanted to go in before we ever went to Richmond. We knew we wanted to continue in a more Rock & Roll direction. I think that is something that’s been there all along, and has been gradually asserting itself more and more. It was really the addition of Rick Steff, the keyboard player, that allowed us to really flesh that sound out. And you’re right… there is no definition for the Lucero “sound”. That’s one of the things I like best about the band. We aren’t tied down to any one genre or type of fan. That freedom is nice. Freedom to do things the way you want is important.
CD: As I watched Dreaming in America I found myself wondering why bands in your position, at least at the time, keep on going. Have you ever gotten to the point where you just wanted to say, ?fuck it,? pack it in and call it a day? Or, as clich? as this may sound, is it truly the music that keeps you going?
BN: We kept going ’cause we had nothing else to do. Even if we weren’t committed to the band, each of us in the band had already kind of personally committed to a lifestyle outside the normal realm of things. We weren’t giving up internships at law firms or corporations to do this, because we weren’t gonna lead a normal life with or without the band anyway. And yeah… the music is what makes you feel good. Being a part of Rock & Roll still kicks ass even if you’re not successful. Don’t ask me to define successful.
CD: You tend to write quite a bit in the third person, which tells me either A. you are hiding something or B. you come across a lot of messed up folks. Which one is it? Or, none of the above? I should mention, that I identify with just about everything you write, so what does that say about me?
BN: I decided pretty early on to keep stuff as simple and straight forward as possible. I think most the stuff in these songs is stuff that most of us can relate to. Obviously I relate to it. Some songs just work better third person, even if it is a factual set of lyrics based on myself. Kinda like talking to yourself. And no…we’re not that messed up.
CD: I find myself having a lot of free time during the day when I should be working. During these moments, I find myself day dreaming about either winning the lottery or what record I wish I had the talent to be a part of ? which usually goes back to either Public Enemy?s It Takes a Nation of Millions or GbV?s Bee Thousand. In your quiet times what do you dream about or if that?s too queer is there any record that you wish you had recorded?
BN: Daydreams for me usually involve a front porch and a lake and a bottle of bourbon and my girl. Sounds pretty simple but that stuff is hard to get on the road. And I don’t have a front porch or a lake even when I am at home so…that stuff sounds good all the time. Born to Run and The Band’s second record.
1. across the river
2. aint so lonely
3. tonight aint gonna be good
4. raisin hell
5. kiss the bottle
6. nights like these
7. sixteen
8. sweet little thing
9. that much further west
10. slow dancing
11. bikeriders
12. chain link fence
13. i’ll just fall
14. blue and gray
15. joinin the army
16. last night in town
17. little silver heart
18. my best girl
19. anjalee
20. tears dont matter much
21. nobodys darlings
22. the last song
23. the war
lucero, of course, is on tour. so, check their tour page for when they are coming to your town - tonight they are in austin and tomorrow in baton rouge.
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