For the past decade-plus, Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe have balanced roles as background-vocalists-for-hire in addition to being one-half of the group Lucius. (Bassist Peter Lalish and drummer Dan Molad complete the band). It’s in this latter role that Laessig and Wolfe will be performing at Forest Hills Stadium, opening for Mumford & Sons on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9.
In 2022, the band significantly raised its profile with the release of “Second Nature,” their third non-self-released studio album, co-produced by Dave Cobb and Brandi Carlile. With so much hitting simultaneously, Lucius took the time to take stock of the decade anniversary of its second studio album, 2013’s “Wildewoman.” It was a moment that allowed the band’s current selves to have a conversation with their past selves.
“I guess around 10 years or so, when we were coming up on it, we realized we hadn’t listened to [“Wildewoman”] for almost a decade,” Laessig recalled. “Listening back to it, we realized that was what the record sounded like. We thought it would be a nice ode to the tenure and also to bring back some of what the road taught us over time, specifically for this particular record. It was fun. Some of the things were newer arrangements of the song and some of the things were just pretty true to the original, but with a couple of tweaks that were more road-informed.”
For Laessig, the decision to re-record that collection of songs wound up becoming a more far-reaching ripple effect than this being a mere walk down memory lane.
“When we decided to re-record ‘Wildewoman,’ that kind of solidified for us that we were missing that feeling of hope within our band, the way we started and the nature of it just being us together creating,” she explained. “We had been talking a bit about coming back together, just the four of us and doing a record that we had done the way we did for ‘Wildewoman’ and the early days stuff. This was how it worked so well the first time and how good it felt. We decided to do another record like this. That’s sort of how it went.”
That back-to-basics creative itch was scratched when the decision was made to have Molad produce as part of bringing the process in-house and splitting time between his home studio and an Alhambra, CA, studio called Altamira. The combination of going back to their bandmate in both recording and writing sessions proved to be the right jolt for Laessig and the rest of Lucius.
“With Danny’s production—he kind of understands our musical language like nobody else,” Laessig said. “It cuts out a lot of translating and time. It was also the first time he, Jess and I wrote a bunch of songs together from the beginning of the song. That was a great experience. Pete lives in Portland, OR, and he came up a bunch. It was a great experience. It just felt right and like home.”
While so much of the current album is self-contained, the relationships the band has made with other artists naturally bled into the recording process. Among those old friends who checked in were War On Drugs guitarist Adam Granduciel, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes and singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham. These cameos played into the vibe of oneness that came out of this new batch of songs.
“Having these guests played into our favorite part of this overarching feeling of comfort and familiarity,” Laessig said. “Just having Danny behind the wheel and knowing our instincts and his knowing where we might be trying to go with what we’re trying to explain. Having that level of communication was the best part and it was fun—just making music with your friends again.”
This sense of fun and unfettered creative abandon is one that’s been a hallmark of Lucius’ shows. Prone to donning matching wigs and outfits, Laessig and Wolfe are often mistaken for being twins. On top of the flawless harmonies they deliver, longtime fans have learned not to bat an eyelash when the duo busts out matching keytars. It’s this kind of spontaneity Laessig nonchalantly mentions when asked what fans should look forward to on this tour.
“Folks coming out to see us can expect a [fiery] show,” Laessig said. “As always, we have small, intimate moments where we come together as just a stripped-down band…acoustic. It’s just us and the audience and then there are other moments with lots of rocking out, big sounds, synths and psychedelia. It’ll be a dynamic show.”
Lucius will be opening for Mumford & Sons on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9 at Forest Hills Stadium, 1 Tennis Place, Forest Hill. Visit www.foresthillsstadium.com for more information.
