|
|
Lucid Jones - 'Code' of Musical Conduct
By Robert E. Martin
Lucid Jones is a fitting name for a group intent upon developing
the clarity of their craftsmanship by embracing a broad dynamic range of
musical styles.
The band's latest CD release, Code, has managed to receive airplay on 66
radio stations throughout the country, and the group has been spending the
summer touring throughout the state, playing the Traverse City Cherry
Festival, and opening for such acts as Kracker and Cheap Trick.
With an unaffected sound that blends rock 'n roll basics with traces of
funk, soul and hip-hop, Lucid Jones is largely the product of a
collaboration between songwriters Nate Anderson and Mike Batke, who began
writing together about three years ago.
Vocalist/guitarist Anderson & lead guitarist Batke later enlisted the
services of Bay City music producer Chad Cunningham and the band added
bassist John Dunn and drummer Jim Sparks into the line-up for some added
edge.
Together in its present incarnation for 8-months now, the Detroit-based
group has enjoyed measurable success with Code, their sophomore effort on
Bullfrog Records.
Enjoying the renaissance in Michigan music brought upon by such groups as
19 Wheels, The Verve Pipe, Poke, Sprout & the Orange, and The Atomic
Numbers, recently we caught up with Lucid Jones prior to their headlining
Thursday evening performance at Bay City's Pig Gig.
Review: What is it about
this group that distinguishes it from other bands?
John: I came into this project
while they were recording the CD. Hearing it
from scratch I couldn't believe how great it was. Every song is accessible,
the songwriting is great, and the singing is fantastic. It was hard to
pick a track for a single because there are about four or five songs on the
CD that are equally as strong as Poor Man's Wine, which is the track
receiving most of the airplay.
Nate: A lot of the music popular
today is like Limp Bizkit, which is very
hard-edged. We have an edge, but our edge is more in the middle of that
Pop/Alternative thing, so I think it stands out more than a lot of the
music I've heard lately.
Photo courtesy of Bullfrog Records
Review: Who does most of the
songwriting?
Nate: Mike comes up with the
licks and I do a lot of the arranging. We're
both lyricists, but I might tend to write the lyrics a little more.
Although, Mike has songs where he writes everything, so we split it up
pretty easily.
Most of the time Mike and I search for musical & lyrical elements that work
for us. We're not trying to write something that sounds like other bands.
I grew up with a lot of bands, but I have influences that don't have
anything to do with the music we're creating. Sometimes they show up in
ways I don't really understand. But I do my own thing and people seem to
like it.
John: I've been playing music
for 15 years and have been in a lot of bands.
What strikes me about this material is that it's honestly written. We're
not trying to be anybody else and the music is very pure in that sense.
Review: So how is the album
selling?
Mike: It's doing very well. We
sold 400 copies at one gig, but it all
depends upon the venue. Sometimes people would rather spend ten bucks on
booze. Harmony House is selling them pretty well. (Editor's Note: Code is
also available at Media Play and Best Buy locally).
Review: What do you feel is the
most challenging thing about being in a band?
Nate: Making everything work.
There's a lot of different dynamics
involved, more so than writing music. I would say its having everybody on
the same page and working for the same common goal. Bullfrog has been
fantastic in terms of working the CD. We just concentrate on the music. It
would be hell if we had to do it all ourselves. I don't know if it would be
happening.
Review: Most bands want to get
signed to a major label, but a lot has
changed with the Internet. It's almost like you can do better on your own
than if you do get signed. I mean, if you can sell 10,000 units on your own,
financially you would be at the same
place as if you were signed to a major label with a platinum album.
Nate: Our job is to make music.
We're looking forward to the next CD and
then the one after thatS
Mike: We're currently working on the next project. In fact, tonight we'll
probably play about five or six songs not on the current CD.
Review: What did you think of
your previous CD?
Nate: There wasn't a lot of edge
to it. Mike always gets into the heavier,
grittier stuff, and I'm starting to write more edgy material. I don't think
we'll ever go the Marilyn Manson route, but our sound is definitely growing
more edgy. There's more attitude to it live than when recorded. We have a
clean sounding record and try and veer off from that with the live shows.
Photo courtesy of Bullfrog Records
Review: How about covers?
Nate: We play a couple of
covers. We don't go out of our way to avoid them,
but we try to throw in a couple recognizable tunes.
Mike: If people listen to 10 or
11 originals in a row and only recognize
one song out of the bunch, you can't always hold the crowd. I went to a
Steely Dan concert and when they played their new song everybody headed for
the can. Sometimes it helps to pull a cover song out.
Nate: It's fun to see where you
can take other people's music. You can take
a song and make it harder or easier and see where you can go with it.
Review: What do you think of the
state of Modern Music today?
Nate: To me it's seen better
times. There's this Pop thing going on now
with all these boy bands. I don't blame guys making money on these kids.
You know, get four or five good-looking guys together, hire the best
songwriter, the best producer, teach them how to dance. I mean, how can you
lose?
Review: What bands do you like
these days?
Nate: Saliva is a cool band.
And Radiohead is very unique & original. They
do what they want and you don't get that much nowadays. Bands like Weezer
are doing things a little different. As for us, we're going to stick to our
guns, do what we do, and hope people catch on.
Review: What about image.
Do you think it's important?
John: In reality it is. A
lot of people listen with their eyes. We show up
and do what we do. We're not into an orchestrated look. We are trying to
get Jim to play naked, but he's not into it.
Review: What's the most
frustrating thing about getting your music out?
Nate: A lot of things. Nowadays
people are fed what they're supposed to
listen to. Millions of dollars are invested into it, so it's harder to get
people to listen when somebody else might be doing something cooler.
Review: So are you guys booked
for a lot of gigs?
John: We play a lot of clubs and
colleges, but as one who's played in a lot
of bands over the years, this group is a blessing. The band kind of got
assembled and rehearsed with the material in place. Management did a lot of
the work. We didn't have to grind out a lot of club gigs, so we're kind of
blessed and kind of cursed in that way.
Review: 'Code' really is a
varied release in terms of style. S
Nate: Yeah, we have some
Hip-Hop, some Blues, a ballad or two. We just
write whatever we feel. There might come a time when we've got to focus it
down more, but at this point we can be freer with our music. It's not a
planned thing.
Review: Do you guys feel
the strength of the Michigan Music scene right
now? I see a very strong scene developing with a lot of bands that the
rest of the world will soon be discovering.
Nate: Detroit went through a
heavy blues thing for awhile, but now I'm
seeing a lot of diversity. I think each scene gets a window for a few years
where they can do something nationally. Sponge broke up in the late '90s,
and we were really fortunate to have Vinnie Dombrowski help us with Code.
It's a thrill to work with people like that.
|
|
