Upcoming 100: What is the inspiration behind your music, and how do you hope your fans will connect with it?
Lucid Filigree: I’m inspired by many things. Mostly though, I’d say life experiences. That’s all I have, and that’s what made me, me. My life, and the person that I’ve become are my style. When I go back and read some of my lyrics, I do notice certain ideas that keep popping up, such as dreams, balance, philosophy, absurdity, memory, mistakes, love and loss. We all have those things, and everyone connects with them in a different way.
Upcoming 100: Can you tell us about your songwriting process? Do you have a typical approach or do you like to experiment and try new things?
Lucid Filigree: I definitely like to try new things. I usually start out with a tiny seed, or spark. It could be a drum beat, a guitar chord, a bass line or a synth texture. And then I begin layering other instruments on top, which gives me new textures and colors. Eventually the song develops it’s own personality and direction, and in a way, it then tells me how to write the rest of it. The lyrics usually come later. I sort of mumble-sing melodies until something sticks, and listen for words or phrases that emerge from the chaos, and that becomes the seed of the song lyric, which I then try to develop into something solid.
Upcoming 100: Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they impacted your sound?
Lucid Filigree: The Beatles have always been first, for harmonies. Later, it was groups like XTC, for their outside-the-box, risk taking songwriting, early Simple Minds for some groovy bass stuff, Thomas Dolby, Japan, and Scritti Politti for their production prowess, various classical composers and how they tie together different sections with recurring themes. That’s just a few. My ears are always open, and my influences are vast.
Upcoming 100: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned as a musician, and how has it helped you grow as an artist?
Lucid Filigree: The most important lesson I’ve learned is no matter what I write, in what style or genre, how long a song is, if it’s instrumental or even formless… half of the world will like it, and half of the world won’t. So, I just keep writing the way I want, and I’m confident about it, and I can be sure to have at least half the world as my fans.
Upcoming 100: How do you approach your live performances? Do you have any rituals or pre-show routines that help you get ready?
Lucid Filigree: I do like my alone time. Peace and quiet before I go onstage really helps me get my head in the right place, and some vocal chord exercises to loosen me up a bit.
Upcoming 100: What’s the most challenging part of being a musician, and how do you overcome those challenges?
Lucid Filigree: I’d say getting my music heard. It’s not mainstream top-40 stuff. It’s music that you want to pay attention to. It’s interesting and deep and layered. And it’s sometimes difficult to find those audiences who don’t just stick music in the background. The way I try to overcome some of those challenges is to put some sparks in the songs, catchy grooves, a pop in the bass, a crazy synth solo, a pause or break from left field… something that draws your attention back in.
Upcoming 100: Can you tell us about some of your favorite songs or albums that you’ve worked on? What made them special to you?
Lucid Filigree: The song, Rain, from Life on a Loop is special to me because on the surface it’s about climate change and how, in vain, we wait for it to rain. But, it’s also a metaphor for something we’ve lost. The lyrics are also full of ironies, ‘Take away that summer heat’ or ‘I don’t want to wake up to find another clear dawn.’ These are usually good things, beautiful and positive, but I’m putting them in the cons column, rather than the pros, to say that too much of a good thing offsets the balance.
Upcoming 100: How do you stay inspired and motivated to continue creating music? Do you have any specific habits or routines that help keep your creative juices flowing?
Lucid Filigree: I’m always inspired by something. This is something that is not conscious for me. It just happens, sometimes late at night, or driving, or daydreaming, and I just go with it. I may not have any creative ideas for a week, but that’s just how it is, so I pay attention when it does happen.
Upcoming 100: What’s the most rewarding part of being a musician, and how does it make you feel when you see your fans connecting with your music?
Lucid Filigree: There’s no other feeling that compares to when you hear people singing words you wrote, or see them playing rhythmic breaks on air drums. As a fan, I still do that, and it makes me feel like I’m a part of the band. But, as an artist, it’s a wonderfully indescribable feeling, a connection I’ve made with an artistic medium that can’t be seen or touched, only experienced.
Upcoming 100: How do you balance your creative pursuits with other aspects of your life, such as personal relationships or business responsibilities?
Lucid Filigree: This is probably the most difficult question to answer. When the creative spark turns into a flame, I get hyper-focused, and everything else sort of blurs into the background. I have to get all the creative energy out of me before I can do anything else. So, balancing that with daily responsibilities is still a work in progress.
Upcoming 100: Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or tours that you’re excited about? What can fans expect from these new releases?
Lucid Filigree: Presently, I’m working on two projects; another full length album, and a 4-song EP. It’s kind of a race to see which one takes the lead, but we’ll see. I’m using common rock band instruments to create uncommon and different textures. I don’t like to repeat myself, so fans can always expect something fresh and new, yet still in the vein of Post-Pop.
Upcoming 100: What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are just starting out in their careers? What’s the most important thing they should know about making it in the music industry?
Lucid Filigree: Don’t just do what everyone else is doing. It’s been done. If it sounds common, change something about it. If you like it, stay with it and be confident about it. Everyone has their own musical experiences so, what makes someone else’s perspective any more valid than yours? Be patient, and be true to yourself.
