Glasgow-based band LUCIA continue to generate buzz and it’s no surprise why. With every new single that they unveil, they present something different — leaving audiences eagerly anticipating their next move. Lucia Fairfull of LUCIA talks to us about becoming more comfortable on-stage, writing, and where her ideas come from.
In the space of one year, LUCIA has gone from playing a smaller amount of shows to playing approximately one hundred shows in twelve months alone. You won’t find Lucia ever getting tired of playing the same songs on the road. Playing lots of shows has helped her with many aspects of the band’s live show. “For me, it does get easier, one-hundred per cent. People may think that it’s boring to play the same songs over-and-over again, but I actually don’t mind it because it means I can focus on other things like the actual performance, not what I’m doing guitar-wise or anything like that. I like to have fun on-stage and I can focus on performing.”
Lucia and the band recently returned from America, where they had the chance to play and work on new material. They also got to spend time with good friends, including The Ninth Wave and whenyoung. On having a support network of friends whilst overseas, she said, “I think it’s just an exciting thing in general because we’re all in the same boat and we’re all at the same level and we’re going on a journey together, which is a very lovely thing to have.”
The band have had the chance to appear in America for two consecutive years now. Playing in Austin the year before helped with their expectations and preparation for SXSW this year. “The year before, we played a lot of smaller venues, and this year we played the Fender show and more established ones. There were also more people there comparing to the year before.”
Their recent trip to America also saw them play in New York for the first time and in Los Angeles, where they filmed music videos and wrote new songs.
Without revealing too much about what to expect from new material, she hinted that their new material will be different from what they did on their EPs Cheap Talk and Best Boy. Lucia also shared that the band are planning on releasing another EP this year and are in the process of sorting through their ideas and writing.
“We’ve been writing lots of new material and experimenting more because none of our songs sound exactly the same, they all have bits of different genres in them. Everything progresses all the time but we’re trying to experiment more. We’re not purposely trying to change ourselves, we’re just kind of doing what we want to do and not thinking too much about it. Nobody really knows what to expect from us which is cool.”
Their latest single 'Blueheart' for instance, which is one of their darkest songs yet, is a soaring and cinematic number that features gritty guitar lines, powerful chords and a singalong chorus. Released last year, 'Cheap Talk' was sharp and to the point — the track's rolling bassline, infectious chorus and vintage rock 'n' roll feel made it another winner. In total contrast to both these tracks, 'Melted Ice Cream' is a slice of garage-pop. These tracks may all share a story-like quality and strong narratives, but they all present different sides of the band.
Songwriting duties are shared between Lucia and guitarist Hamish Fingland, with Hamish working on their demos. “Hamish demos the songs”, said Lucia, “But if I can create a concept and some chords, we can write the lyrics together. We understand each other quite well.”
Her approach to creating music has changed over the past few years — and having a collaborative approach has helped her with her ideas. On working with Hamish, she said, “We grasp things easier, it helps bring things to life and makes me understand what I want as well.” Though she acknowledges the working in solitude may have some benefits, working with Hamish, the rest of the band and others is something she enjoys. “I’ve had a lot of experience throughout the last couple of years and it’s definitely made me progress.”
She has a natural approach to creating music and isn’t one to force herself to write if she isn’t feeling inspired. “I’m not one of those people that goes, ‘I’m going to sit down and write a song today’. When I have ideas or something that jumps out at me, I’ll sit down and write it. Sometimes I will write four songs in a month and other times it’s less than that. It all depends on how I am feeling.”
Lucia’s phone voice memos are home to ideas as they arise in her mind — “I like coming up with weird or interesting concepts," she said. “When I think of anything interesting in my head and they have a ring to them, I’ll write or record them down." Before she thinks about lyrics, she thinks about concepts. “I think of concepts before I think of what I am going to write about. Then I make sure that they work together.”
Outside of music, she finds herself drawn to film as a source of inspiration. “I like watching films to help create stories. I like to watch chick flicks a lot, they inspire me. I feel like I can watch them at any point in time whether I’m feeling down or happy, they’re interesting, there are really good characters in them, especially the older ones from the 80s and 90s.” She enjoys the challenges involved in writing about what she sees in films. “I love film in general, really. If I can get an idea from that, it’s because it’s different for me. It’s a bit more of a challenge.”
She is also drawn to the experiences of those close to her when writing. “I actually like that I am starting to write more songs about situations that other people go through as well, not just me,” she said. The band’s latest single ‘Blueheart’ was inspired by a close friend's experience. “I see a lot of breakups with friendships and relationships going on around me. ‘Blueheart’ was written for one of my best friends who was having a really hard time in a toxic relationship. She actually said to me that once it was all over, that it helped her a bit, which was a very satisfying thing.”
“Like most people that write songs, they want their audience to be able to connect with their music — for me, it's the key part of why I do this," said Lucia. There's a lot to love about LUCIA — with their ability to connect with audiences and present live shows that take you to another world, this Glasgow-based four-piece are on the fast track to big things.
Written by Amy Smolcic (@amysmolcic)
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