A Q&A with Lucid AfterLife

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“More of a pirate ship than a band” – from Vancouver, Canada, enter the ever-changing musical world of Nat Jack and Lucid AfterLife…

How did you get the title of your latest single and what does it mean to you?
The title for the track ‘Chekin’ Out’ comes from the terminology used by people with amnesia. When you “check out,” you completely lose a sense of where and who you are. I believe in some sense, we are all on a large scale checking in and out through life. We come to realise what things are really all about much later.

What was the most challenging part about putting this release together, and why?
There were a lot of changes in my line up at the time. During the making of the album, one member actually came and left multiple times. Just figuring out what the band’s state would be was hard, let alone making a record. I recorded the album Descendant in four different countries: USA, Peru, Canada and Mexico. Sending tracks around the world can be difficult to keep track of. At the end of the day, there is never real difficulty when it comes to art. It’s all part of the work, and the sweat and tears give soul to the final product.

What do you enjoy the most about producing your own material?
I have been producing records since I was twelve years old. I really enjoy bringing the best out of the people I’m working with and pushing them to explore and play. I’m not very rigid and believe in the magic of the moment. For the song ‘Chekin’ Out’ it was actually all done in one take. We were setting up drums, so I showed the guitarist with me the song and the chords. I jumped on the mic, and that was that. Not all pieces are that easy, and I also like to meditate and marinate on creating atmospheric journeys as we did with ‘DMT’ and ‘Fireside Chat With The Warlock’.

What do you want the listener to take away from hearing your music?
I would like the music to hit a unique part of their personality, invite something sacred, ancient or even childish to come out from hiding.

How does a track normally come together for the band? Can you tell us a bit about that process?
I don’t have a set process, and I collaborate with so many people that it is unique to who is with me at the time. Many of the songs come from dreams that I have had; others conjured up by a riff someone plays out of nowhere, inspiring an image or feeling. Anarchy, but rhythmic anarchy, that is how a Lucid AfterLife song comes to be.

How would you say that the sound of your band has changed over the last year?
The sound changes every week. I love to jam and improvise on stage and even allow the theatre people to suggest song ideas and genres, then just go with it. I have never had magazines or papers give the same explanation when it comes to the sound.

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What bands/artists have influenced you the most since you started your own band/project, and why?
When I first started the band, my friend Diego Avila joined me on the last tour we did in Latin America. Diego introduced me to James Ronnie Dio, and I think from that point on Dio has been a significant influence on me. I just love his presence on stage.

When the world is back to normal, where would you really like to tour, and why?
We had to cancel tours in Europe and Japan due to the outbreak. I would really like to get out to those places and, of course, back to Latin America to see our loyal Lucid Familia.

If you could only pick one track for our reader to listen to, to get a taste of your music, which one would you go far, and why?
That’s tough. I would say go with ‘Alpha Omega’, it has a fusion of rock, hip hop, and soul. Although ‘Alpha Omega’ is not like every song we do, it will give the listener a picture of how we play with different elements, how we please, and when we please.

Where do you see your band in five years?
Probably evolved and changed just as it has to this point. I’m open to that — would love to see more experiments, collaborations and features. Just breaking the rules, you know?

The album ‘Descendent’ by Lucid Afterlife is out now
For more info visit lucidafterlife.ca

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