Austin Lucas

I had the privilege of speaking to Austin Lucas before his show in Denver last month. It was absolutely a delight to do and I can't begin to tell you how awesome Austin is. He is as honest and passionate in his answers as he is in his music. Learning about Austin's musical background, career, and travels was great. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

How did you get started as a musician?

From birth. My father was a musician. He learned to sing in church. His family are all singers, basically. He had three brothers. They had a barbershop quartet growing up. My father…that’s what he did for a living his whole life. Of course, when he needed to make ends meet, he go would bartend, do construction work, and other stuff like that. But mostly his primary social income was always from music and I just grew up with it everywhere. I started playing music. I started singing, performing with my dad at a very early age- writing songs, reading stuff- like silly songs. We wrote a song called “Rocking with the Dinosaurs” when I was five. Me, him, my brother, and my mom all wrote it together. I went into choir when I was six- the Indiana University Children’s Choir. Basically, it’s a pretty prestigious music school. Indiana University isn’t Juilliard, but it is very closely ranked. I was lucky enough to have that there, to be in their children’s choir. So yeah, I’ve been performing since a very early age. I learned to play guitar when I was probably twelve or something like that. That’s about it. When I started, I never really stopped. I played in punk bands from basically middle school until now. I still play in a punk band- it was always there. And slowly but surely, I started getting into playing more like folk music and stuff like that. I started that about ten years ago. I was playing in a metal band- like this death grind band called Ruin. I lived in this house called the Tip City House of Metal. And I was just really, really tired of only hearing metal, because literally those guys only listened to aggressive music. I just kind of started listening to melodic music. Even in high school I listened to Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, you know, classic country stuff, Waylon Jennings, etc. My main focus had been on the other stuff. When I really got tired [of] listening to aggressive music is when I started listening to a lot of country records and a lot of indie singer/songwriters and folk musicians and a lot of old-timey music. Slowly but surely, it’s kind of evolved. I am still associated with that singing and I still work in it, I still am a part of it, but my focus has shifted. I used to do that all year round and I would do this a few weeks, then it became couple of months a year, and now I do this nine months out of the year and I do that three weeks out of the year.

What have you been listening to lately?

Well, my favorite new record…it’s not new now, it came out last year, is Magnolia Electric Company’s Josephine. It’s my favorite record right now that’s a new record. I listen to a lot of Louvin Brothers in the van. The truth is that we listen to whatever anybody has. Whoever I am on tour with, whatever their iPod has on it is what I listen to, is what we all listen to. My tour manager has a lot of punk stuff on his iPod, so we listen to a lot of that because of him. Christina Wagner has a lot of Tom Waits, some old country, and stuff like that so we listen to that. My iPod is almost exclusively old country. Pretty much all old country, bluegrass music, and stuff like that. So, if my iPod is in, odds are we’re listening to George Jones or Emmylou Harris or something like that. Everyone pretty much has that stuff on their iPod, I think, but my iPod is almost exclusively that stuff.

What are your plans next, musically?

Just record a new full length album. I finish this tour in a few days and I’m taking some time off, and I’m getting married. Basically, I have to write a couple of more songs, like four more songs for my next full-length. At the end of September I’m going to Europe. I go there pretty much every year, actually I already went to the U.K. and Finland, but I’m going back and doing everything now. I am even going to Iceland, Turkey, and stuff like that. The majority of the tour is with Cory Branan and with Drag the River. I tour there a lot – I used to live in Prague. I have really built up my fan base there over the years. I get offers for other places that those guys aren’t really getting offers for. I think they probably could come with me, but I know the Drag guys want to get home earlier. I planned to tour when I wasn’t planning on getting married, so I was like “whatever”, but now I am committed to it. I’ve never been to Iceland, so I’m like “fuck it.” I’m excited, you know. I have been to Turkey before, but only with my other band, Guided Cradle. So I’m excited to go there and do this. It’s very very cool. I can’t complain. It’s going to take me away from my sweetheart, which is sad, but it is what it is and I am glad to be going there.

How did you end up in Prague?

My brother. My brother owns a bar there. I moved there when he had just opened his bar and he called me and he was like, “Look man, I need someone I can trust to help me out with this. I need bartenders. I don’t need people who are going to steal from me,” because he kept having to fire people for stealing. Basically I was like, “Yeah man.” I was actually engaged then, but I was really unhappy. The band I was in at that time, nobody cared that I had been doing [it] for like three years. I felt like I was beating a dead horse. I was like, “Alright, let’s go.” So, me and my fiancée at the time moved over there and that relationship deteriorated. She went back to America and I kind of fell in love with the place. Plus, my brother’s girlfriend was pregnant so I knew I was I was going to have niece on the way. I was supposed to stay for eight months but I finally was like, “This is home right now.” I wanted to be there for my niece and watch her grow up. Now I’m not seeing her that much. She is almost six and I’m not there anymore, but at least I got to be there, she knows who I am, she’ll never be able to forget who I am. I was there for most of her really crucial young years. And I am her favourite because I spoil her rotten. My brother just had another baby so I have a nephew now, too. I was just back in Prague after I did the U.K. tour; I went over there for week and a half, hung out and got to meet my nephew. My mom came, too, so we had a little family-type vacation. Basically, I moved there because of family, I stayed because of family and on top of it , I really liked it for a long time. Now, I still love it, but I can’t see myself living there. The five years I spent there were great years, but they’re over. Every time I go back to there, I think, “Yeah, I love it here,” and I could probably move back. It would be so easy like all the infrastructure, all the friends, all the connections and everything but I just don’t feel it. And it’s hard…my Czech is okay, not all that great. It gets frustrating sometimes.

I heard it’s hard to go if you don’t speak the language.

More and more people speak English. The younger people all pretty much do except for [those] who live in villages- some do but it’s less likely. For example, in Prague or Brno, you are going to encounter mostly people who speak English. Some people won’t because they are too shy, but for the most part there are no issues. The thing is, though, you want to learn Czech because you want to assimilate to the culture. It’s frustrating, tripping over your words. There are sounds that aren’t in English and it’s really, really hard to pronounce. I got good at it but its still hard to get my tongue around [the sounds] in succession. You get to the point where you can make all the sounds, but forming them…is like…doing a constant tongue twister while you’re just having a conversation. It’s a great place, a lovely culture, in a lot of ways it’s amazing. Their language Is beautiful, in my opinion; a lot of people think it sounds harsh. I don’t think it does at all. I think it's amazing and I have so many great fans there but, you know, my heart isn’t there any more.

I know some Irish musicians that tour there a lot.

Yeah, they love Irish music, they love American music, they just love music. Their music community is strong and there are a lot of bands. They all have a huge desire to hear foreign music which, I think, is very cool. I don’t think Americans really much care for foreign music at all, but we have too much American music in a lot of ways. Europeans in general really love foreign music and it’s beautiful. I have to say, I have a career because I can go to Europe and tour and make money. The States is always very hard, I am struggling and just barely making it by. When I go to Europe, I actually come home with money, good amounts of money. I can live on it for six months after that. It’s a big deal. The fact that it’s there for me is huge.

How did you get involved with the Revival Tour?

Chuck Ragan. When we were recording Bristle Ridge, he was just starting to contemplate doing the Revival Tour. We started talk about it and of course I immediately got really very excited. Chuck and I made one collaboration before that, so he and I have been fairly tight. It was his baby.

Yeah, it’s just an amazing set up. I love everything about it- all the people that tour on it are just great.

It’s so amazing. Its such a great family, you know. The one thing that sucks about it is that I realize I’m the biggest asshole on the bus and I’m like “Oh I’m the problem! Oh man!” For the most part, it’s a great time. I love it. I love them for putting up with me. That’s a big deal.

Yeah, I always go and see the Revival Tour people when I can. It’s always fun.

Me too.

I saw you in Gainesville earlier this year with Frank Turner.

You mean [when] I just got on stage and played the harmonica?

Yeah. I was just like, “Oh hey! Austin Lucas!”

Yeah, I cannot play the harmonica. Frank persists on embarrassing me every single time I’m at a show he has. It started on the Revival Tour last year and it’s gotten out of hand, Frank. If you’re reading this: it’s gotten out of hand.

Is there a venue that you’d really like to play?

In my life?

Yeah.

Carnegie Hall. [laughs] There are lots of venues I’d like to play but I would like to get to that point. That would be cool.

What inspires you?

My dad, my friends. I think that’s the best answer I could give. Mostly my dad. My dad is the biggest inspiration to me. He’s amazing and he’s an incredible songwriter and an incredible musician. If it wasn’t for him, I would have never done what I’m doing. If it wasn’t for him, it wouldn’t become so natural. I grew up around folk music and bluegrass music; I grew up singing. If I hadn’t had that, there is no way I would be doing what I am doing and I love what I do.

That’s great. What’s your favorite drink?

My favorite drink? Water. You mean alcohol?

Either way. I don’t really drink so I’m a big water fan.

I don’t know. I like bourbon forms of whiskey. I’m really into scotch, eighteen years single malt is delicious. I drink mostly Jim Beam though- on the rocks with a splash of water is my drink.

What’s your favorite movie?

Of all time? Ghostbusters.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thank you for interview. I appreciate it.

I really appreciate doing this.

No problem at all. Thank you so much.