The queens of collaboration in Lucius are finding themselves again musically
NEW YORK (AP) — The magic created by the vocal blend of Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe, collectively known as Lucius, has opened many doors for them in the music industry.
Sometimes quite literally — like when they arrived at the home of Joni Mitchell, invited by Brandi Carlile to sing at one of her 'Joni Jams,' and Paul McCartney answered their knock.
It's a heady experience, singing at Mitchell's house. Tipped in advance that McCartney might be there, Laessig and Wolfe rehearsed a version of 'Goodbye,' a song he wrote that was a hit for Mary Hopkin in 1969. They sensed the moment he recognized it — hey, that's my song!
The women have collaborated with many artists through the years, among them Carlile, Sheryl Crow, Harry Styles, Roger Waters, Jeff Tweedy, the Killers, War on Drugs and Mumford & Sons. This year, they're concentrating on their own music with Lucius, a rock band that also includes Dan Molad and Peter Lalish.
They've released a self-produced disc that reflects their experiences settling in Los Angeles and starting families, titling it simply 'Lucius' even though it's their fourth album.
An album that felt like coming home
'It felt like a coming home to ourselves,' Wolfe said. 'There wasn't really a question, actually, whether the record would be titled something else. It just felt like it was us, and let's give it our name.'
Laessig and Wolfe met and quickly bonded two decades ago as students at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. They first sang together as part of a school project to remake the Beatles' White Album — their version of 'Happiness is a Warm Gun' will never see the light of day — that was abandoned because they began writing their own music.
'We were always inspired by Phil Spector and Elliot Smith and people who used double vocals as an interesting textural thing,' Wolfe said. 'And we thought, well, we could actually do this live. We both wanted to be lead singers, but together.'
'Unison singing,' notes Laessig, 'is not for the faint of heart.'
Check out the heartbreaker ' The Man I'll Never Find' — particularly the stripped-down, piano-led version — for a spellbinding example of their work.
Many have wrongly assumed they were sisters. They look a little alike, and play up this image of two who have become one by frequently dressing alike onstage. Even offstage: they arrived at The Associated Press for an interview in nearly matching, all-red outfits with identical makeup. They are disciplined in alternating who answers questions.
It can be, let's be honest here, a little creepy.
'We're dressing the sound,' Wolfe explained. 'I grew up in the theater. Being able to escape and feeling like, you know, you can put on your costume, put on your uniform and become something else for a moment in time. Even though it feels honest and real and close to the heart, there's something magical about it.'
'When you look at us, we wanted you to see one,' she said. 'We didn't want you to see two.'
The gimmick served them well as they sought to make a name for themselves, Laessig said. 'We were touring in the van and doing festivals and nobody had a clue who we were, but we walked around in matching outfits. People were like, 'What is this about?' Oh, come see us. We're playing at this stage at 3 p.m.'
Their collaborative nature is a strength they have brought to working on projects with other musicians.
'People who bring us in know that they're going to have something that's solid between the two of us,' she said. 'We just speak each other's language. And we like building worlds within worlds. Luckily we've been given the freedom in all of these different projects to be us.'
Sharing looks, sharing styles and now, sharing a nanny
Real life brings its parallels, too. They live in homes minutes from each other and, within the past year or so, both gave birth to babies.
Collaborating with others has its strengths, and Lucius brought in Madison Cunningham and The War on Drugs to work with them on two songs on the new album. But becoming known for their work with others comes with a risk attached, that they lose sight of themselves in the process.
'We like exploring different worlds and seeing how it takes shape and how we can get lost in it,' Wolfe said. 'There's something really enchanting and magical about that. And, yes, sometimes after you explore that world, it doesn't necessarily feel like you.'
To that end, the 'Lucius' album is in one sense a reaction against the dance-oriented production hand that Carlile and Dave Cobb brought for the 2022 album 'Second Nature.' The more rock-based new disc sounds like the musicians are more comfortable. It 'feels honest and real because we wrote about things that were just happening in our lives,' Wolfe said.
They're looking forward to a busy summer of playing that music on tour, and sharing the experience with their young families.
'We get to do it together and see the world together and our kids are going to know different places and cultures and foods and things, more than I had as a kid,' Wolfe said. 'As tough as it can be with the nap times and sleep schedules, it's a beautiful thing.'
___
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