After scrapping an album, Lucid Blues found new powers.
The band originally formed in 2019 when Sebasthian Regina, 23, a former resident of Haparanda, crossed paths with Fanny Lundmark, 24, a musician from Skellefteå, and they realized they had great musical chemistry. They shared a love for 70s music, including Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, early Black Sabbath, and Linda Ronstadt, which served as the foundation for their musical direction: Lucid Blues.
Despite the name, their genre can be best described as modern 70s rock rather than pure blues, although the blues influences are certainly present. This may have been even more evident if bassist Oscar Åström, 30, had written all the music:
– I've always been drawn to the blues. It's been an obsession since childhood. Listening to that much blues as a child may not have been entirely healthy, says Oscar with a laugh.
Oscar Åström.
He and the drummer, Kristian Johansson, 31, originally from Sorsele, joined the band in the early part of last year, and that's when the group started to truly feel like a cohesive unit.
– Previously, it was about playing what Fanny and I had created, but now we write the songs together, and we've found a sound that feels like us, says Sebasthian.
Sebasthian Regina.
That's not how it looked a year ago when they were eagerly working on releasing their debut EP. All the songs were recorded, and everything seemed ready. But something didn't feel right.
– We were dissatisfied; it didn't sound like us, says Sebasthian, who, despite all the hard work put in to reach this point with the rest of the band, made the decision to scrap the entire recording project.
What was the reason?
– We got so excited when Oscar and Kristian joined the band, and I think we rushed into the studio too quickly. It didn't turn out well, says Fanny.
– No, we didn't know how we wanted to sound, adds Oscar.
Fanny Lundmark.
This lesson fortified the band rather than hindered them. Soon, they found themselves back in the rehearsal room with a whole weekend ahead of them and a clear goal to write new songs. And things started happening. The jamming flowed like never before, and by the end of the weekend, they had plenty of material to work on. And it has continued that way. The band has entered a phase where they rehearse to create rather than just practice, and the creativity and passion are palpable.
– We don't force anything. Lucid Blues is a blend of us, a mixture of what we want to play, says Sebasthian.
And that's basically the definition of what a band should be, like a single organism that effortlessly explores boundaries.
Currently, the group's priority is to re-record the scrapped EP, but with the rockier and slightly rawer sound they have now.
– We have to record the old stuff to record something new; we need to clear the system, says Sebasthian, adding that the EP is planned for release in the autumn, after which work on Lucid Blues' first full-length album can begin.
Kristian Johansson.
But first, they have double performances at Trästockfestivalen and Musik vid Bryggarbacken in the upcoming week.
– The audience can expect a lot of new material. It feels like a new wave of Lucid Blues with more energy than ever, says Fanny, and Kristian agrees:
– Yes, it's going to be intense. I believe our music is for everyone, regardless of age, so hopefully, we'll have the audience on our side, he says.