Dundee’s Assai Records welcomes a dose of glamour next Monday as Glaswegian indie group Lucia & The Best Boys drop by to promote newly released album Burning Castles.
Not only one of that city’s most compelling performers, frontwoman Lucia Fairfull has been a catwalk star for Alexander McQueen and Charles Jeffrey.
Yet as Burning Castles proves, there is more to this band than surface glitz – Lucia and her gang have spent the past couple of years working on a strong debut that showcases her outspoken lyrical stance.
Lucia & The Best Boys emerged with debut EP Best Boys in 2017, the first of four in the same number of years that lead them to touring with another female-fronted band, 2018 Mercury Prize winners Wolf Alice.
Since 2021, though, there has been radio silence as the outfit have worked on their first long player. A brave decision to retreat from the public gaze for so long, the vocalist explains on a call from Glasgow, yet one that has reaped significant rewards.
“At the beginning, it did feel like there was pressure to have this constant presence, especially on socials,” she says. “But we had been so busy in the years running up to that moment, so we became lost in our own little world.
“We recorded in quite small communities, where it felt like I could focus on how I wanted this to turn out. I’ve put every corner of my mind into it.”
‘We’re in love with the north of Scotland’
They made Burning Castles in two sympathetic spaces, beginning with Electric Beach in Margate, Kent, where Lucia and partner Haydn Park-Patterson (previously in The Ninth Wave) experimented with synths.
They recruited studio co-owner Ash Workman as producer, bringing him to Black Bay on the far side of Lewis. Its remote location had an even more dramatic impact on the group’s sound, Lucia remembers.
“We are all in love with the north of Scotland and spend a lot of time there,” says the artist brought up near Loch Lomond.
“Visually, I’ve found a lot of inspiration from where we recorded.
“The surrounding area is quite flat and bleak-looking, so you have that feeling of being surrounded by water. We put all that into the sound of the album. If you listen closely, you’ll hear twangs of Scottish sounds and melodies.”
Lucia reveals a bagpipe even makes an appearance alongside a whistle on opening track Butterflies, used in a subtle, atmospheric manner easy to miss for the casual listener.
Kate Bush and Grimes are inspirations
Clearly, Lucia & The Best Boys have evolved from the original spikey, guitar-led outfit to more of a sophisticated pop group, with expansive arrangements and catchy hooks.
Nowadays the band have been absorbing some intriguing influences, Lucia points out, ranging from Irish folk Mercury nominees Lankum and Glasgow-based instrumentalists Talisk, to female stars that combine unique sounds with strong visual identities such as Kate Bush, Christine & The Queens and Grimes.
“We listen to a lot of folk and trad, so there’s a lot of drones and this raw, organic side. I think you will hear that when we strip the songs back for our in-store performances,” Lucia promises, mentioning Dundonian bandmates Ally Scott and Adam Campbell.
“I’m also fascinated by the folklore that underlies Scotland,” she continues. “I’ve become more fascinated by that and found a little magic in it.”
Lyrics have grown up with songwriter
Lyrically, Lucia finds herself tackling familiar subject matter to her earlier EPs, notably womanhood on Love Yourself, unhealthy relationships in So Sweet I Could Die and, grimly, music industry misogyny with When You Dress Up.
Their writer, though, believes such numbers reveal a more worldly wise creator.
“These songs aren’t coming from a place of teen angst any more,” Lucia says. “There’s similar themes, but the difference is there’s a lot more vulnerability and openness.
“There’s a lot of pressure on women in music and some feel they have to put on an aggressive front to be taken seriously, but it’s fine to express different sides. I’m maturing, I guess, and feel more comfortable in my own skin.”
Burning Castles is out now on Communion. Lucia & The Best Boys play Assai, Dundee, October 2, 7pm, and tour in November.
