The greatest benefit of working with LUCE (other than the music) is getting to know Tom Luce.  Working with artists is always an enlightening experience – but Tom and I have a unique story.  I first met LUCE in 2001 when they had a brief one-off distribution deal with What Are Records, prior to getting signed by Nettwerk. I was still greener than i knew. i was hungry. eager. My job at that time was to manage the band’s field staff, send posters to venues, signed cds to fans and promotional materials to promotional outlets.  I was a bad ass. Loved to interact with the fans. Each day of the week i would focus on a different band – i had the rotation of my work hours down to a science, and every Wednesday was LUCE day: and it was a good day. One day the band visited our office in boulder and i geeked out, blaring While My Guitar Gently Weeps so they’d think i was cool.

Flash forward about 8 years later, I’m still not cool, but at least my phone rings and I pick it up: It’s Count. Will I come over for wine, and hang out with his new client Tom? We’re in the studio, maybe we’ll play some of it for you.

Luce
“Corner of the World” (mp3)
from “Corner of the World”
(Luce)

within 5 minutes of my arrival, it all made sense.

Oh Emm Gee, you’re Tom LUCE! I’m Corey from W.A.R
….and within seconds our relationship re established itself. Too good to be pre written. No deity could think it up. It’s poetry.

And as we re-connected,  I learned of the blockades that LUCE endured before going into the studio with Count.

Tom’s house burnt down, but it didn’t throw him or the band off course – he went on tour the following week anyway. And then the band’s gear was stolen on the road. WHAT? yeah. everything was stolen.

You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star. -Nietzsche

Tom wrote a blogpost about the band’s experiences which lead them to their new release Corner Of The World. After all this time the reward of finding an artist i respect cannot help but remain an artist, forever evolving and creating as he is meant to be, making music as is meant to be – well, it surpasses the pleasure any financial success. Kudos, Tom Luce.

On the lighter and A W E S O M E side, the band has been shooting video on the road and they are f*ing fantastic, short, amusing. In addition the CD Release party for Corner Of The World is July 11, 2009 at Great American Hall in San Francisco (get tickets)