My first glimpse of Austin Lucas was as a memorable guest on the Revival Tour. When a minor player stands out among the trinity of Chuck Ragan, Ben Nichol and Tim Barry, you know he’s something special.
The indie circuit’s peppered with lots of hip young bucks flirting with the twang. But if you generally dig that hybridized sound, as I do, the purity of this Midwesterner’s voice will put you in a spell. It’s one of the most pristine exemplars of country music’s honeyed heartbreak in ages. Making it cut even deeper are echoes of bluegrass and gospel. Lucas’ expression twists with a suffering and divinity seldom seen beyond the pew. He accomplishes this nice little trick by tapping the deep emotional well of country music without stooping to cheap bathos, a trap that claims not only the stylistic tourists but virtually the entire sitting Nashville establishment as well. The result is the powerful intersection of pain, beauty and authenticity.
Austin Lucas, descendant of a family from Indiana to whom making bluegrass and folk music comes as natural as breathing, escapes his environment by throwing himself on punk and hardcore music. Participation in a row of obscure bands leads him to the Czech republic in the end. He performs solo and plays in the Orc-core group Guided Cradle. To everyone’s surprise he arrives at the family’s gate with the announcement that he wants to record a cd. The furniture of the living room is pushed aside and exchanged for a tangle of amplifiers, boxes, microphones and miles of cables. Father Bob is a complete band by himself and sets himself behind the mixing table. playing banjo, violin, ukelele, guitar and sings in the background. His sister Chloe Manor sings a few duets with Austin and quadruped Flicka growls and rhythmically scratches the itching spots on her body. Surely the lyrics Austin wrote for the eight songs do itch as well. The carefully cultivated crust of our society is blown to smithers with the stroke of a sledge hammer. Like an americana punk variation on Kafka alienation and general collapse of modern mankind are put into strong lyrics, and all of this in a voice that tears open the earth. Between the opening chorus My breath is a hammer/ My insides are taxed like an anvil/ My heartbeat’s a tremor/ And I have not love but for nicotine and the closing verse I was cursing the flaws of my ignorance and youth a textual and musical zenith in light music unfolds in our still so young century.
-koos gijsman, heaven magazine
Hey man it was good to see ya and I hope all is well for the remaining road. And one last time "You were right about The Revival Tour!" ha ha ha Cheers man!! All the best!! -konrad
so besides feeling like a total groupie when i yelled out for you to play somebody loves you, it was a great night lol, you sound kick ass live and ur one funny bastard, def not a horses patoose. lol
thank you so much. the last name is clarke. i'll be bringing my girlfriend for sure, if you just want to plus one me. we'll try to buy some merch to make up for it. hopefully it'll be a good turn out, it is a friday night. who else is on this tour?
Hey man, thanks again for tonight. I'm bummed the turnout was kinda weak for your set...all the people up front were pretty much my friends I've been raving to about you and how you were actually playing our town. Hopefully some people I don't know actually picked up some of your stuff. But yeah, I had a great time, despite my vocal disability, ha. I hope to see you again soon.
hell yes we are. actually last time you came through i asked you to play there's always someone tougher and meaner, you told me to remind you before the next time you came back. obviously this isn't much notice, but it would be bad ass to hear it.
hey man, came across your music the other day, so good, will definitely be at either Baltimore or one of the Virginia shows, thanks a bunch for the music
november's First Friday NOV 6TH(this fri!).... I will be showing at the GrowHouse on 5st and garfield, right next to all the tents and right after the conspire shop, please come thrue and see some of the paintings i have up and the photog, its basically a house but half of it is a gallery, usually a guy singing out front and they have veggies all around the house, ill be selling art dirt cheap, passing out cards and trying to get my art out there. ill be showing stuff not on my myspace so i hope you like. HELP SUPPORT LOCAL ART.
Hey just wanted to stop by and thank you for your friendship and let you know that you can now download the entire "American Nightmare" album for ONE DOLLAR for a limited time!
Go to the Dead Aesthetic profile and click on the album cover art in the right hand column to get it now!
Thanks again for the support and I hope you enjoy the album!
