Austin Texas based Uncle Lucius released And You Are Me last August. The talented quintet plays a bluesy mash of soul-filled rock ‘n’ roll, familiar in its retro roots, yet fresh in its delivery. The band’s third disc is a resounding success, the kind that makes you dial up the volume and roll down your windows. If you haven’t heard them yet, I encourage you to take a listen. I think you’ll be glad you did.
Uncle Lucius is Kevin Galloway (lead vocals/guitar), Michael Carpenter (lead guitar), Hal Vorpahl (bass), Jon Grossman (keyboard) and Joshua Dane (drums). The band originated when Galloway and Vorpahl, both from small towns in East Texas, met up in Austin. “I’m from Lufkin, Texas,” Vorpahl told me in a recent interview. “That’s East Texas, deep in the Piney Woods. The closest thing is Nacogdoches…We’re about two hours north of Houston.”
Vorpahl moved Austin around 2000, pursuing his music with a couple of different bands. He met Galloway about seven years ago. “We had an introduction through a fellow friend and musician who knew we were both from the general East Texas area. We hung out a little bit. I threw him some of my songs and heard him sing them. We had the same M.O. of what we were trying to do, and it went from there.”
Vorpahl didn’t start out to be a musician. It was his writing that eventually led him to music. “I hadn’t grown up playing music. I grew up writing. I’d played just a little bit, but didn’t really pick up an instrument until my early 20s,” he recalled. “I started learning the guitar to be able to write songs. I wanted to write songs.”
All of the band members contribute songs, and they share a love of classic rock albums. “Everybody writes. That’s where a lot of our common areas are, in those 60s and 70s albums, and trying to take elements of that and make them fresh.”
“It was a lot of fun making that album,” Vorpahl continued. “Some of this album we wrote from scratch all together in the room. Some of it was a riff Mike, the guitar player, brought or a song he had. It was lots of different methods.”
Vorpahl wrote “Pocket Full of Misery” on the new album. It’s a catchy tune, and one that highlights the strengths of each of the bandmembers. Galloway’s strong vocals shine, and there’s even a horn section on this one. The video for the song simply looks like a good time. “You know, that’s one of our good friend’s garage in South Austin,” Vorpahl told me. “It’s a place we all hang out and all those people were people we hang with when we’re in town. It was meant to be the real thing. Dillon Davies and Van Folger did a great job shooting it and capturing what we were trying to do. It was just like a party, and that’s pretty much what it was. It was a lot of fun.”
Uncle Lucius’ steady touring has won them a loyal following. “I think we’ve been really fortunate that way,” Vorpahl said. “I guess we’re a little different or out on the fringes with some of the stuff, so it takes a little while for us to break through, but we have a very hardcore, loyal fan base that we appreciate very much. They travel, which is a huge compliment that they’re willing, in this economy, to spend the money and travel to come see us.”
If you’ve seen the band live, you’ll understand the appeal. “We take pride in our live shows,” Vorpahl commented. “We’re there to play music…There’s not a lot of talking between songs. It’s not as entertainment based. It’s much more music based. It’s a rock and roll show.”
Uncle Lucius will play Tulsa Mayfest’s main stage on Saturday, May 18. For a complete listing of tour dates, visit the band’s website.
