Lucius Arthur Interview

1) Where did the name Lucius Arthur come from? Does it have any meaning to you?

Lucius is one of my middle names.  It is a family name.  It was originally my great grandfather’s name.  Now it gets passed own through our middle names. I prefer how it sounds to my first  name. 

2) What is the biggest difference between working as part of a band and a solo artist?

As a solo artist, the song is a pure artistic expression.  It isn’t compromised by the beliefs and opinions of other people.  However, the solo process is more deliberate.  I need to search for the songs more.  There isn’t the same creative spontaneity that you get from working with a band.  The key as a solo artist is to bring collaborators into the studio to help the creative process.  As a solo artist, I need to cull more source material and other artistic references.  Even as a solo artist you need collaborators to assimilate a larger array of knowledge into your music.  In the context of solo project, my collaborators are there to help realize and cultivate the message of a song.   

3) What release are you most proud of?

    Euthansia is my favorite song so far as a solo artist.  It was my first attempt at writing the song as a story rather than a collection of emotions and I was able to incorporate an array of musical influences that I haven’t been able to show before.  Lyrically, the track is influenced by iconic gospel and hip hop storytellers that I idolize (i.e. Tupac, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean etc.).  Musically I drew upon my childhood influences like Moby, The Gorillaz, and Elbow. 

4) Who is your biggest inspiration musically and personally?

There are so many artists that inspire me musically I can’t point to a singular inspiration.  I have been inspired by the artists that I have listed above.  Personally, I am inspired by the people in my life that push keep me to keep growing.

5) How would you describe your music? If you had to put it into three words what would they be?

Progressive Alien Deathcore

6) How do you want people to feel when listening to your music?

Their reaction to the music is theirs.  It isn’t something that I think about.

7) What advice would you give yourself 3 years ago about your music career?

    I would tell myself to try and forget about the audience and make art that resonates with me before anyone else.  If you make something that you are excited by, it will find an audience.  If you are writing for a hypothetical audience, it compromises the quality and integrity of the art.   

8) What is your most recent single “Red Lights” about? What was the writing process like?

Redlights is about that moment of discovery when you first fall in love with someone.  We have all had past experiences that cause us to question love or prevent us from falling in love again so we have to run the “redlight” and move forward.  It’s also about doing something that you haven’t done because you are sharing that experience with someone you love.  The first line is about my first experience with mushrooms.  The redlights of the studio were on and we built a fort out of sofa cushions.  Essentially, the writing process is about living an experience and telling the story in an interesting way. 

9) Music is clearly a huge part of your life - what is the most meaningful part to you?

For me whether it is live performance or the recording, its about the process of creation and the self discovery and the global awareness of your world that comes with that. 

10) What are 2 goals you want to achieve through your music?

    I hope to be the best that I can be as an artist and I am trying to create something that stands the test of time.  I am trying to be great like the artists that I have idolized. 

11) How has COVID-19 affected your music career?

Not being able to perform has reframed my perspective on what is important as an artist.  It has changed my perspective on why  I make music. Before COVID I was making music to help people that are going through situations I have gone through.  Since COVID I am making music because I realize that an artist is there to report the truth and make an expression of humanity that provides more context to the human experience.  I am trying to create something that speaks to the universal truths that we carry in our collective subconscious.

12) Thank you for your time! Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Thank you so much taking an interest in the music and giving me an opportunity to share what I am doing.