The last time Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe came to Madison, they took a shot of Goldschlager with two guys dressed as milk cartons. It was last October and the Lucius frontwomen were in town to play Freakfest.
“We played the show and it was really fun,” Laessig told me in a recent interview. “It was freezing cold and I remember an endless sea of people in costumes.”
The two will return to Madison Saturday for a show at the High Noon Saloon at 9:30 p.m. Laessig said those who might have missed their fall show could expect a fun time with a lot of energy.
“The live show is our favorite part of doing what we do and connecting with the audience,” she said. “They can bet that we will want to interact with them and be part of the whole experience.”
In fact, their live show has attracted some slightly unexpected fans. The New York Times columnist Paul Krugman wrote a rave review of one of their New York shows last December, in addition to the praise they’ve also received from other outlets like NPR.
When asked about Krugman’s support, Laessig just laughed and says it’s “crazy.”
“Like if someone asked how do you go about making Paul Krugman your fan… I don’t know how that happened,” she said. “But it’s great.”
All giggles aside, Laessig said she’s thankful and excited the band’s live music is able to appeal to such a widespread crowd.
But Lucius has plenty to offer inside the studio as well. Their debut album Wildewoman appeared in late October and is now set for a worldwide release this March. It’s full of steely ethereal tunes that highlight Laessig and Wolfe’s vocal capabilities.
Laessig said after singing with Wolfe for about nine years, the two met up with drummer and producer Dan Molad; they approached Wildewoman wanting to make something completely new.
“We said let’s try to collaborate and be completely open-minded and see what happens,” Laessig said. “And we did and it ended up being really cool.”
Having met Wolfe during their time studying at Berklee College of Music, Laessig said she encourages creative-minded students to build a community of peers who share their goals.
“Build your community while you’re there, because those relationships really do last and carry over much longer than just the time you’re at school and can be so beneficial.”
As for what’s next for the band after leaving Madison, Lucius’ll soon be headed to Europe and are looking forward to it. While they have a busy upcoming schedule, Laessig says she is also hoping they find some down time to get back to writing new material.
“It’s hard to sit down and be creative all the time but certainly it’s part of [the job],” Laessig said. “Because when you do have time you’ve got a lot of information to sort through and a lot of stuff to say.”
But right now Laessig says the band is enjoying its time on the road. What are they most looking forward to outside of Europe? Festival season. Lucius will be making appearances at Governors Ball and Firefly, among others.
“We’re on the same lineups as some amazing acts, and I’m really looking forward to seeing them and having a blast,” Laessig said. “It’s gonna be wild.”
I have a feeling those acts would say the same about seeing Lucius.
Mara Jezior contributed to this report.
