North Country turns "LUCID"

Local band turns up the heat with their music

Story by Jen Dunkerley

The stage is set, littered with barren instruments, eagerly waiting to be played. Colored lights flash back and forth as if to find the perfect hue to spotlight the long-haired, baggy-clothed musicians holding frosty bottles of water and laughing with each other on an empty dance floor. "Check…two..three. Mic check one…two..one…" one of them say in the mic, his eyes covered by dark brown curls that over flow from the top of his head. "It sounds good back here," the sound guy yells from the background. "Ok, guys, I think we're good," the long-haired figure replies.

In high school, Jamie Armstrong didn’t really like playing the clarinet. He hated it, in fact. It wasn’t until he came to Plattsburgh State University when he really got into music. It was his mother who sang and played the piano, who influenced Jamie's interest of music. "My mom never pushed me into loving music, but the element was there. It was that element that made me want to do it," Armstrong says. When he came to school, he was introduced to the saxophone. Armstrong says he never thought about playing the sax, but decided he’d give it a try. He does not regret this decision. After three-and-a-half years on the sax, Armstrong really knows how to wail. It is one of his many passions and talents in the music world. So why not put that talent to good use and start a band?

"My mom never pushed me into loving music but the element was there. It was that element that made me want to do it."

With friends from both high school and college, all of whom have made music a huge part of their lives, the band Lucid was born. Originally from Plattsburgh, the love of blues and funk in the indie style genre that the band holds close is a sound that can be heard all over the North Country. The band’s debut album, Miles Deep, came out in 2006 and is something that the band is totally proud of.

Lucid is made up of six very talented individuals: Kevin Sabourin, 24, plays guitar and sings lead; Nick Sauvie, 25, plays bass; Ryan Trumbull, 29 is on drums and is known as the band’s handyman; Andy Deller, 39, plays the keyboard and sings backup; Jamie Arsmtrong, 23, is on sax and sings backup; and Lowell Wurster, 26, is the percussionist and plays the harmonica and sings both lead and back up. "I’ve been playing harmonica for about thirteen years. My dad did it, and it is a huge part of my life," Wurster says. It is the type of style they want to be different, making it so unique to the North Country.

Recently the band played at Olive Ridley’s, a local pub in downtown Plattsburgh. They were accompanied by fellow band Twiddle from Hubbardton, Vermont. Armstrong says that the two bands have a good relationship. Twiddle, like Lucid, has been around for about three years. They first met up with Lucid at Gathering of the Vibes, a gathering of North Country bands, back in 2005 when manager Matt Tucnao was handing out promo CDs for the band. "I was just passing out random demo CDs of Twiddle, we got to talking and it went off from there," Tucnao says.

The two bands have played together on several occasions, including at Higher Ground, a local club in Vermont. "Our bands are close because we’re all on the same page," Armstrong says. He continues to talk about how well all the guys get along, and how they promote each other at musical gigs. The band says that they "don’t really get nervous before shows" because it’s their music, and it’s what they love to do. However, they are eager to perform and hear what new fans have to say about their music.

"We went from playing in a small bar in Plattsburgh to playing in a huge room for over 500 people in Higher Ground. It’s pretty exciting to think about a band doing this in the time we’ve been together."

Lucid has played all over Northern New York and Vermont but have recently returned from a gig in Manhattan. Playing in the heart of Times Square, in Conolly’s bar, Lucid brought their unique sound to the city. The guys say that it was really exciting for them because it was their first city gig and hopefully one of many more to come.

According to the band’s Myspace page, the band is now getting ready to throw their second annual Backwoods Pondfest. A gathering of bands from all over the North Country that Lucid brought together last year with Kali Productions which turned out to be a huge success. This year's Pondfest is set to be the Sept. 5-6 in 2008. "It’s so cool because these guys started the Pondfest by themselves and its grown so much in the past year," Tucnao says.

Although they may seem like just a local band, these guys are really making a name for themselves. The band has come a long way and say that they are proud to have accomplished so much in so little time. "We went from playing in a small bar in Plattsburgh to playing in a huge room for over 500 people in Higher Ground. It’s pretty exciting to think about a band doing this in the time we’ve been together," Wurster says. The band also states that they have more planned for the future, including a new CD which Armstrong says is dated to come out within the next few months. The guys say they are more excited about this CD than their last because they have a new focus on their sound and a lot more tracks for their fans to hear.

What do you think of Lucid's sound?