We spoke with Lucky Louie Blues Co about “Northern Lights” and more!

Hi! Can you describe the inspiration behind “Northern Lights” and how it fits into the broader context of your music?

A: i had left a high paying job to focus more on Lucky Louie and my own musical goals. Fast forward a few months and I was broke, accumulating credit card debt, and depressed. One night, my girlfriend stayed over at her friend’s house in Brooklyn. Earlier in the day, I read that the Northern Lights will be visible in New York and I was really excited to potentially see it. It hit me in the middle of the night that I didn’t even go outside to look. I wrote the whole song that night. My music has always been an outlet for me to try to get a deeper understanding of, and shed light on my personal problems and this song is just that.

How does “Northern Lights” reflect the band’s evolution since its formation in 2018?

A: when we started, it was just two guitars and a conga player. At this point, we have a full band, an amazing producer, and a network of musicians to help out in the studio, which make songs like Northern Lights a possibility. The band was formed while we were in college so the lyrics were all based on issues we were facing as college kids. Now our problems are a bit more adulty and that shows in the new music.

How did the band’s diverse influences from prog, psych, blues, and Americana shape the creation of “Northern Lights”?

A: My influences are all over this one. That heavy distorted guitar that comes in was my best Smashing Pumpkins “Mayonnaise” impression. The staccato section in the pre-chorus is something I hear in a lot of Beatles music. Tame Impala is all over the second half of the song. The lyrics/vocals and guitar solo are bluesy. The whole song is a blues ballad hiding behind 90s rock and modern psychedelia. 

Can you talk about the recording process of “Northern Lights”? Were there any unique challenges or memorable moments?

A: I typically try to get as much done as I can with just me and Doug and bring in the rest of the gang when necessary. Doug and I recorded most of it 1 on 1 aside from Tori’s vocals (obviously) and the drums. My buddy Matthew Kopec swung by to play drums. He had played a few shows with us back in college so it was super cool to have him on this one. Also, I watched the entire Get Back documentary before we started recording. I remember on the first day of recording, I told Doug that I wanted Northern Lights to be stripped down like the Let it Be album. Of course, we ended up adding way too many layers.

How does the songwriting process work within the band, particularly for “Northern Lights”?

A: I write the lyrics and chords. Once a song passes the acoustic guitar test, I bring it to the rest of the band and let them do whatever they want on it. It really helps the song come together organically. Tori and I work on the harmonies together but aside from certain sections (like the “focusing on different things” section in Northern Lights) she really has final say. 

How does “Northern Lights” reflect the band’s refusal to stick to one genre? What elements of different genres can listeners identify in this song?

A: I think the refusal to stick to one genre idea is more about the Lucky Louie catalogue as a whole. “Northern Lights” is more in the “Dissolve”/“To The Moon” realm while songs like “It Comes and Goes” and “The Silver Screen” are on a completely different planet. As different as they are, they all sound like Lucky Louie songs.

How has the addition of Tori Ciarcia on vocals influenced the sound of “Northern Lights” and the band’s music in general?

A: Oh man. Tori was the missing piece of the puzzle. Her voice is so unique and its such a perfect fit for the Lucky Louie sound. My voice has gotten soft and breathy and hers is hard hitting and treble-y which makes our harmonies and vocal layers extremely rounded out. The harmonies and fun vocal layering moments in “Northern Lights” would not sound as good as they do without Tori. She has taken the lead on older songs like “Someone Else” and “Waiting” and has made them sound exactly how I knew they could. That’s why I wanted to make sure those live versions were on the EP.

How has the band’s experience performing live, influenced by the likes of Sublime, Grateful Dead, and John Mayer Trio, impacted the creation and performance of “Northern Lights”?

A: One of our struggles is being able to perform some of our songs live. Its hard to replicate string sections with guitar, bass, drums and Tori. “Northern Lights” was written as a live trio (plus Tori) song first. I jokingly refer to our set up as “The Led Zeppelin set up“ because we’re really just a trio with a singer. Being able to perform effectively as a Trio was a major goal of mine as a guitar player. With Tori singing, i can really focus on my guitar part while supporting Tori’s vocals.

What do you hope listeners take away from “Northern Lights” and the Northern Lights EP as a whole?

A: whatever they can!