Lucky Widmore

Inspired by groups like Bedouin Soundclash, Maroon 5, Kings of Leon, and Imagine Dragons, London pop/rock group Lucky Widmore’s latest EP, Howling At The Moon is a solid follow-up to their 2012 release, Long Time Coming. Produced by Mike Marucci at Sonic Zen studios, Howling At The Moon contains six group originals that display the group’s knack for writing ear-catching, danceable tunes with a hook. Indeed, the EP’s title track is a good example of the kind of creativity the lads are capable of. Instrumentally and vocally, Craig Jamieson (vocals/guitar), Matthew Edwards (guitar/vocals), Brent Chenier (bass) and Nick Walker (drums/vocals) are solid as well. Already established as a favourite on the club circuit, Howling At The Moon should only enhance Lucky Widmore’s reputation as a band to watch for in the future. — John Sharpe Performance: B/Production: B - Scene Magazine

LUCKY WIDMORE-Howling At The Moon
DSC_9210-1As follow up to their 2012 EP, Long Time Coming, the London, Ontario band, Lucky Widmore, recently released Howling At The Moon. The 6 track album embraces several genres and themes, but remains true to the band’s pop/reggae origins.

“Entertainment” has a cool guitar riff and effects, with nice drum rolls, a rockier chorus, and smooth changes. The bass line of “Alex” supports the melody perfectly. The wonderful harmonies in the chorus serve as a counterbalance for the reggae bridge, and the dynamite ending. “You And Me Tonight” offers funk guitar around a way cool pop melody. The harmonies illustrate the pop sentiments floating through some unique instrumentation, and the guitar lw4solo, well, perfectly simple. I particularly like the way the song ends. Pure pop. I hear an island flavor in “Good Day To Die“, highlighted by nice vocal tracks, good changes and a sweet melody. “Give It Up“, plays as a reggae song with rock guitar. The solo rocks, and there are these wonderful riffs throughout the chorus, laying just under the vocal track. Very cool. The Title track, “Howling At The Moon” is the most interesting song on the album. Infused with terrific psych-rock effects and reverb guitar, this song gives up a great chorus, and some nice changes. I particularly enjoyed the ending.

lw2Lucky Widmore continues to write good songs. They have developed a knack for writing amazingly good choruses. The songs continue to show a reggae influence, but the pop sentiments are becoming more and more evident. They write 3 minute tunes with pop melodies, cool arrangements, and wonderfully simple instrumentation. As a result, I was able to listen to more of the song as a whole, and less of any particular element. A good album, and a cool listen. Lucky Widmore is definitely on the right track.

Check it out. Listen and download: http://www.reverbnation.com/luckywidmore/album/75010-howling-at-the-moon - I can't believe my earz - Bobby Gottesman

Local genre fusing party rockers Lucky Widmore are releasing a new EP — Howling at the Moon — Saturday at the Black Shire Pub.

It’s been two years and more than a few lineup changes since Lucky Widmore’s last offering. Founding member Craig Jamieson said the new EP isn’t just about the band building on their eclectic, upbeat pop-rock roots, but growing with newest members Nick Walker (drums) and Matt Edwards (guitar), who didn’t play on the group’s last recording, Long Time Coming.

“It’s super exciting for us, especially Nick and Matt,” Jamieson said. “Because the band’s morphed and changed so much, really that old record … is not really a great representation of the direction of the band and what we sound like today.”

Bassist Brent Chenier (you might recognize him from reggae-rock group Staylefish) is rounding out the four-piece outfit now, too, having recently replaced Kyle Cockburn, who left after recording Howling at the Moon.

Howling at the Moon features six new tracks (Entertainment, Alex, You and me tonight, Good day to die, Give it up, Howling at the moon) Jamieson said are inspired by long-time influences such as Jason Mraz, Bedouin Soundclash and Maroon 5 but take a more rock ‘n’ roll approach similar to mainstream bands like Kings of Leon, The Black Keys and Imagine Dragons.

One thing hasn’t changed though — the band still likes to rely on danceable rhythms, although that won’t be much of a surprise to fans. The new songs have been in Lucky Widmore’s live sets for a while.

“It’s a lot more in your face, it’s a lot more up beat,” Jamieson said. “We’ve also stepped away from just the reggae rock thing and we’ve started experimenting with more modern day styles. We’ve fused those styles to try and make an original sound that can reach out to a larger demographic and stand across few different genres.”

Lucky Widmore’s EP launch show takes place at the Black Shire Pub Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.

The band will be joined by Welland Ont.’s Street Pharmacy and Londoners OL’ CD and Kid Royal.

Chris.montanini@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @LondonerChris - The Londoner

Lucky Widmore started out as two brothers writing songs together. The brothers, Craig and Scott Jamieson, were refugees from London rock band Illatease, and they were looking for a new project and sound. Drawing on the urban reggae they were listening to, they created the trademark Lucky Widmore reggae/funk/rock sound, and hit the studio to record an EP, Long Time Coming, in 2012.

The band wanted to start playing shows, which meant finding a more permanent lineup – the start of a frustrating odyssey that saw several members come and go, including Scott Jamieson. As the summer of 2014 gets ready to launch, the band has finally found the lineup it needs with Craig Jamieson (guitar/vocals), Matt Edwards (guitar), Kyle Cockburn (bass), and drummer Nick Walker. They are currently working on a new EP with Mike Marucci at Sonic Zen studios, with hopes of a spring release.

I caught up with Jamieson and Edwards recently to talk about Lucky Widmore, its history, its future, and the new EP.


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LGM: So how did you guys get started?

Craig: The band actually started with my brother and I. He played in Illatease with me. We took a bit of a hiatus from music for a bit after Ilatease broke up, and then we decided to try something a lot different. We figured we were getting older, mature, and we wanted to do some music that wasn’t screaming into microphones and had some soul and melody to it and stuff like that. We just started writing with acoustics in his music studio at home, came up with some songs, liked the songs, decided to record them, and so we hooked up with Aaron Murray from The A Room, and he did our first EP.

LGM: How did the rest of the band come together?

Craig: I did most of the vocals and guitar stuff (on the EP). My brother played bass and I had a buddy play drums for us. So we put the EP out, and then after that we wanted to perform, so we had to look for other people to play the instruments on-stage. Matt came along – he answered an ad from Kijiji – and musically we connected really quickly, and now we’re like best of friends. He’s the one member that’s actually stuck around [laughs]. From there we auditioned a few drummers and ended up with Ryan Chalupa from Scenario. Awesome guy, wish he could have stuck around, but unfortunately his family commitments and things got in the way and he had to leave the band. My brother left around the same time.

LGM: What happened there?

Craig: He just wanted his time to do something else. He was kinda done with the whole music thing. From there we got Sam. Sam was killer, but Sam moved back to Sault Ste. Marie.

Matt: Then we just went through like millions of drummers.

Craig: Until we finally got Nick, our current drummer.

LGM: How do you decide you don’t want a guy who auditions?

Craig: I know within like a minute that they can be in the band or not, especially with our kind of music. It takes a certain kind of pocket. A certain kind of feel, and there’s drummers that have it and drummers that don’t. There’s a lot of good drummers, but for our music it’s tough for them to do their more straightforward rock drummer kind of thing.

LGM: Pocket is a good word there.

Craig: Yeah. Then there’s guys that come in and just rub you the wrong way. For instance, they don’t learn your music and they just want to jam covers. And you’re like, ‘I sent you that music for a reason. You didn’t learn it. Why are you here?’ We’ve had a few like that [laughs]. You try to be nice about it.

LGM: I’ve never had to audition drummers, so I don’t know what the experience is like for other people.

[Laughter]

Craig: Take Nick, for instance. He’s the new drummer. He learned the whole EP. Played every song back to front, and he didn’t have it perfectly, but had the feel, had the groove. The only thing he needed a little work on was just starts and stops and dynamics and that kind of stuff. That’s a good audition.

LGM: He put the effort in.

Craig: Yeah. In the same week we auditioned another guy who came in. We gave him a couple of covers too, just to have some fun jamming. He kind of half-assed the covers, and we were like, ‘Okay, let’s play something off the EP. What did you learn?’ And he says, ‘Well, I listened to it a few times.’ Uh … okay. You’re really interested.

[Laughter]

Matt: It’s auditions like that, though, that make you appreciate when you find the right guy.

Craig: I think there’s a lot of guys that don’t understand the difference between and jam band and a serious band. They just wanna bang on the drums or pluck bass strings or do whatever, but they don’t understand that we’re a serious, working band trying to make a go of it and there’s a certain sort of standard of musicianship and commitment. A lot of guys just walk through the door and think we’re gonna smoke some pot and have a few beers and make some noise.

LGM: Tell me about the name Lucky Widmore.

Craig: You know the game where you take your street you lived on and the name of your first pet or whatever and that’s your porn star name? That’s my porn star name.

LGM: That’s awesome! That’s the best band name story yet.

[Laughter]

Craig: We were trying to come up with a name, my brother and I when we were releasing the record, and I don’t know how we got onto that conversation. We started doing our porn names and ours would be Lucky Widmore. We thought that was cool because we’re brothers. Then we were like, ‘You know what? That’s really fucking catchy.’

[Laughter]

LGM: When you started writing the original EP, did you have it in mind to write kind of a reggae style or is that just what happened?

Craig: That was what we were really into, my brother and I. We were into Jason Mraz, we were into Jack Johnson, we were into Bedouin Soundclash and a lot of those urban reggae type bands. It was the kind of music that we were really starting to enjoy playing, so a lot of the music really did go around that. Is the Long Time Coming EP really a reggae record? If you compare it to some of the other reggae bands out there I would say no. I would say it’s more of a contemporary pop record that uses sort of a reggae vibe with a rock influence and a little bit of a funk influence and stuff. I don’t really set out to say I’m gonna write a reggae song or write this kind of song, I just write what feels good.

LGM: How does it start for you? Words? Melody?

Craig: A lot of the time it starts with melody. I drive around in the car a lot with my job, so I’ll just sing to myself all the time. If I like a melody or if something happens to me that affects me in a way that I want to write a song about it, then I’ll just sit there and start singing about that and start putting ideas together. I’m literally on the BlackBerry with one hand on the wheel typing lyrics as I drive.

LGM: I can’t print that. You’ll get arrested.

[Laughter]

Craig: A lot of the time I have a verse, chorus, even a bridge melodically in my head. It’s just a matter of getting the guitar, figuring out what kind of vibe I want to go for based on the mood or the emotion of what I’m trying to convey, and it goes from there. But then again, sometimes I’ll just be jamming on a guitar and get a chord progression or a riff or something and then I’ll build off that. Most of the time it does start with a melody. Our music is very melody-focused. It’s important to me to have catchy, sing-a-long kind of hooks, so if I like singing it I feel other people are gonna want to sing it.

LGM: I totally get that. So with that in mind, tell me about the new EP.

Craig: I don’t know. I write what I listen to, so I stopped listening to (reggae) for a while. I got more into funk music. More pop funk like Maroon 5 and that kind of stuff. And then lately I’ve been listening to a lot of indie alternative music and stuff that we’ve kind of incorporated into the writing style as well.

LGM: Like who?

Craig: Oh man. Imagine Dragons would be a big one. A band called Bastille. The Shins.

LGM: Do you find that sort of sound coming into the music?

Craig: Yeah. I think more on the melody side and a little bit on the rhythmic side as well with some of the guitar chords.

LGM: This will still be recognized as a Lucky Widmore release though?

Craig: I think it will, just because it’s gonna be the same voice, and there’s reggae elements, but it’s definitely gonna be different. That’s what we want. When this band started it wasn’t a band. It was almost a solo project with my brother backing me up. We did the record with studio musicians. Matt’s been in the band for like two years now. He’s got a different guitar style. It’s almost a hard rock guitar style that really lends well to the music, which has kind of changed the direction a little bit. We’re just a different band now. We’re playing these songs live and people are digging them. We’re able to mix them in with the reggae stuff we still do as well and it’s not like a departure.

LGM: Are the other members more involved in the writing this time?

Craig: Typically I’ll write a song and record it. I write everything on acoustic. I think that a good song should be bare bones. If you can play a song on an acoustic, but add whatever to it in a band situation, but you can pull it back again and it’s still a good song, you’ve got a good song. So I will write the song with guitar and lyrics, and I’ll record a demo, and I’ll send that out and say, ‘What do you guys think of this song?’ Sometimes they’ll be like, ‘Actually, I hate it,’ because sometimes you don’t write the best songs [laughs]. As a writer, sometimes you have wacky ideas, and at the time you think they’re cool, but then you run them by a few people and they’re like, ‘Dude, what planet are you on?’ It’s good to get the criticism, and I realize that you’re not gonna write a good song every time, but if they really like a song, we go, ‘Okay, let’s work on it.’ So we have a basic idea how we want the song to sound, but then we start playing around with the riffs and jam out the song. We work on it until we have a mutual agreement that that’s the way it’s supposed to sound.

LGM: How many songs are you doing?

Craig: Six.

LGM: Where are you recording it?

Craig: We’re doing it with Marucci.

LGM: He’s got a lot of bands coming in right now. How is it working with him?

Craig: Good so far. We’ve known him for a while. His guitar player in Redambergreen, Phil, was in Illatease. We met Marucci through him. He’s a really great guy. We always talked about doing an EP with him, so it just took a little bit of time to get the members sorted out and the finances and stuff and we’re stoked to finally be doing it.

LGM: When is it going to come out?

Craig: We are looking to do our CD release party on May 31.

LGM: Let’s talk about playing live. Where was the first Lucky Widmore show?

Matt: I think the first full show might have been the CD release.

Craig: It was at APK.

Matt: It was a good night.

Craig: We hooked up with a management company. They sort of ran the show, and they did a really shitty job. It was a shoddy outfit [laughs].

Matt: They had a little office on Adelaide Street. We’d be sitting down. It would be me and Craig sitting down with the two managers, and they had a kid together that was running around banging stuff and making a mess. When we were there there’d be times that they’d just flat-out stop and go get the kid, and the kid would hurt himself and start crying. We’d look at each other and go, ‘What the fuck are we getting into?’

[Laughter]

Craig: We played in the back alley. Not the bar, not the patio, the alley. They sold it like, ‘Oh, it’s gonna be awesome. Under the stars. Party. Blah, blah, blah.’ We didn’t know there was a bylaw at 11:00, so the show had to be shut down by 11:00. We had to build the stage out of garbage, pretty much. We had to go take the main stage from the front, bring it out to the back alley, and balance it on garbage. The whole stage was wobbly. It was so sketchy. There were no lights. They brought solar lights, but they never charged them, so he had to pull up his van and shine headlights on us. He let the other two bands play way into their sets, so when we got on it was like 10:30 and the bylaw was at 11:00. They ended up pulling the plug on us half-way through the set!

LGM: What a great start. You’ve done better since.

Craig: We couldn’t go any lower than that.

LGM: Tell me about some of the really good shows you’ve had.

Matt: I think the best show we’ve had is when we opened for IllScarlett.

Craig: That was a good show.

LGM: Where was that?

Matt: At the Music Hall. That was probably our biggest and best show. We’ve had fun shows since, but as far as exposure goes, that was the biggest one.

LGM: How did you get that show?

Craig: Ryan’s wife kind of took on booking for us for a bit, and she just kept hounding (Brandon) Eady.

LGM: Eady makes it all happen.

Craig: Eady finally said, ‘Okay, I’ll give the guys a shot. They can open for IllScarlett.’

Matt: It was a good bill, too. It wasn’t just us. There was us, Mean Tangerine, StereoKid, Staylefish, IllScarlett. It was a good lineup.

LGM: You’ve done some festivals too, right?

Craig: Festivals … [laughs]. They say it’s a festival and you think, ‘I’m gonna be on the main stage at a park. Everybody’s gonna be watching.’ The thing with these music festivals is they book you at different little venues around the city. So in Barrie we ended up playing like a pizza place for the Barrie Music Festival. There was a main stage. Crash Karma was playing, and we were at the pizza place. It was interesting. When we played the Wasaga Festival, we played on a patio. We had a drummer who couldn’t play the show. Thank God the guy couldn’t play, because we would have set up loud.

Matt: Full-on amps and everything.

Craig: The EP kind of deceives you the way it’s produced. We’re not a quiet band. When we hit the rock distortion and stuff we’re loud. So we were set up on this patio where people are just eating their steak dinners … [laughter]. If we had the full band we would have blasted them off the patio.

LGM: Hilarious.

Craig: I think the best festival we played was probably Ribfest, because we were actually on the stage outside playing for hundreds of people. That was fun because we got to play two hours or something like that. We played a bunch of covers. Oh, in the summer we played the Grand Bend Reach for the Beach benefit. These swimmers do a twenty-four hour relay, literally swimming back and forth for hours out in the lake. We were on a big stage right on the beach. The evening was cool, but the daytime after when we played was awesome. We’re playing for like thousands of people, hanging out on the beach, it’s a beautiful summer day, tons of women walking by.

Matt: It was hard to keep focus.

[Laughter]

LGM: So what’s next?

Craig: I’m really hoping this new record opens a lot of doors. I just think that the old record’s just not a good representation of who we are. We’ve changed so much that if people think that’s what we sound like live or if that’s the kind of vibe that we’re coming out with, that’s not it at all. The thing that we’ve struggled with as a band mostly is that we haven’t been able to build because we spent all our time and space auditioning and getting new members up to speed just to have them fuck off on us. We’ve always been going around in circles. That’s the biggest hurdle that we’ve have to jump over. We need to get playing shows. We need a good, solid lineup that stays around so we can work on stuff together and take on new goals.

Keep up with Lucky Widmore:

www.luckywidmore.com
luckywidmore.reverbnation.com
@Lucky Widmore - London Groove Machine

> Monday, March 3rd, 2014 > Lifestyles > Bobbyisms: Uniting to fight cancer with music

Bobbyisms: Uniting to fight cancer with music

Bobby Foley
Interrobang
Click here to read more Interrobang articles written by Bobby Foley

Published: Monday, March 3rd, 2014

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Photo credit: THEBAXTERS.BANDCAMP.COM
The Baxters are one of many local bands performing at the Sing Your Heart Out! benefit show at The APK on March 8.

I write about random things a lot. I write a lot about random things. The 76th annual Relay For Life 12-hour marathon will happen here in London at the TD Waterhouse Stadium at Western University, beginning June 13 at 7 p.m. and wrapping up the morning of June 14.

This marks the 11th year that London has observed the Relay, which will take place in over 500 communities across Canada and in 20 countries worldwide in 2014. An event to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society, the Relay inspires participants around the world to unite and celebrate life while being active and raising funds for a good cause. But having said all that, let me tell you about a separate event entirely.

Jenn Skeggs is a two-year Relay veteran that was inspired by her mother and her love of music to try to raise greater funds to benefit the cause. She’s the backbone behind Sing Your Heart Out! A Benefit Concert For Cancer taking place at The APK on March 8, and she’s been working hard since last summer to make it a success.

“A couple of years ago, my mom was diagnosed with cancer, so ever since then cancer has been in the background of our family, something we’ve been striving to work toward finding the cure for,” Skeggs explained. “Last year was my first concert event; the turnout was okay, but I thought that I would pursue it more and see how big and how great I could make it. This year I reached out to some more well-known London bands and luckily found some great bands that are willing to play.”

The concert features a London-centric lineup, including Lucky Widmore, The Baxters, The New Outcasts, The Tracks, City Canvas, The Creekside Strays and Adam Dimla, a Canadian Top 12 beatboxing competitor.

Skeggs took on the challenge as a way to increase funds raised for her team – she and her Relay teammates undertake the logistics of the concert themselves, working together to put on the benefit show as a group effort and donate the proceedings to the Relay.

“My team is called Lighting The Way For The Cure, and it’s us that’s putting on the concert,” she explained. “The majority of the people at the concert behind the scenes are a part of my team, which this year is mostly made up of my family plus a couple of coworkers, all aimed to support my mom and everything she’s going through.”

According to Skeggs, Relay For Life has several events called bank nights throughout the year, at which registered teams have the opportunity to submit whatever they’ve collected so far in their fundraising efforts.

For Sing Your Heart Out!, the fundraising efforts extend beyond the donation-based admission – organizers have also arranged for the sale of candy and commemorative wristbands, as well as a silent auction featuring donated items, many from the local London music scene, including acts performing throughout the night.

“[This is] the first time that there’s been a bigger concert to raise funds for the event,” Skeggs said. “We have all these bands who are willing to donate their time; this is the biggest show I can think of in London’s 11-year history with the Relay.”

“It’s an amazing event, a night where you don’t have to worry about anything. You’re there to support the people that have lost their lives or are continuing their fight against cancer. And by walking all night, we send a sign of solidarity that we’re going to be with them every step of the way, and that we’re not going to give up on them as long as cancer is out there.”

“Music helps people come together, and when united our society can accomplish amazing things,” said Craig Jamieson of Lucky Widmore. “It was easy to say yes because we were flattered that she asked. Cancer is something that has personally affected us all and will continue to hurt our loved ones if we don’t do our part to eradicate such a horrible disease.”

“Anytime you can be a part of something in any way to support a great cause like this it is an honour,” agreed Jeremy James Vinyard of The Creekside Strays. “We’re very appreciative of the fact that we’ve been asked to play music at the event and can hopefully help with its success. It should definitely be a great night!”

For more information about Sing Your Heart Out! A Benefit Concert For Cancer or any of the bands that are performing, visit theapk.ca or look the event up on Facebook. Doors open at 7 p.m., and with a lineup like this you can expect it to be a late night.

And for more of the latest music news and local concert previews, consider following this column on Twitter @fsu_bobbyisms. I’m out of words. - Bobby Sims, Fanshawe student union Interrobang

Lucky Widmore is sensational. A hybrid of rock, pop and alternative. Great vocals, production and instrumentation. Lyrical content is what differentiates this group from most artists. Strong message points about everyday life struggles. Their positive vibes won't go unnoticed in such a dreary economic climate. We need more artists to produce uplifting tracks and stories right now. Their creativity, talent and marketability earns them a spot on our 360 Watch List. - 360 Magazine

LUCKY WIDMORE-Long Time Coming
Another innovative band from London, Ontario, Lucky Widmore released their EP, “Long Time Coming” to rave local reviews. A favourite bar band in their home town, these four guys have a unique and distinctive sound created by a fusion of reggae, funk, pop and rock.

lucky1The album opens with” Dollars Down“, a funky tune with great drum shots, a bass heavy bridge and some very gritty vocals all set to a reggae beat. “Where Would I Be“, has strong bass lines and prevalent drums with a lead guitar solo that sounds like surf music. The power chords in the chorus of “Safe And Sound” give this song a rock edge while still delivering the reggae feel that Lucky Widmore has come to be known for. The ballad “Hold Me Good Night” contains full, yet light harmonies and an acoustic intro that sets the melodic tone of the song. “Obsession” moves from light reggae-pop to rock and back again, almost effortlessly. The bass and drums carry this song while making way for echoing guitars and a wonderfully creative tinny piano sound. The best track on the album, “Someone’s Got To Lose” demonstrates Lucky Widmore’s range of talent. Gutsy vocals, well executed harmonies, tempo changes and an infectious melody make this song.

“Long Time Coming” is a good time, feel good album with great songs that contain surf tones, rock riffs and pop melodies. Like riding the waves, the music moves in many different ways, playing with convention and tradition. But these guys make it work. A solid debut effort from a tight and talented band, and a fun listen. - Can't believe my ears, Bobby Gottesman

Relatively new to the London music scene, Lucky Widmore -- Craig Jamieson (guitar/ vocals), Scott Jamieson (bass/vocals), Matthew Edwards (guitar) and Ryan Chalupa (drums) - make a very favourable impression with their debut EP "Long TIme Coming". Produced by Aaron Murray, the EP showcases the band's solid musicianship, tight harmonies and penchant for writing catchy, pop-reggae tunes. Of particular note, the group's designated first single, 'Where Would I Be' carries a positive message upon a sunny vibe and Scott Jamieson's funky bass lines. After such a fine first step, one can only look forward to see what these lads will come up with for their sophomore effort. - John Sharpe Performance: B+/production: B+ - Editor's Note: Lucky Widmore will perform at Brennan's Beer Bistro (347 Clarence St.) on June 15, 7:00p.m."
- John Sharpe, Scene Magazine(Jun 07, 2012) - Scene Magazine

One of my favorite parts of discovering music is when a band has the balls to create a mix of many different styles to create something that is all their own. Some of the biggest artist ever have taken this chance, from Elvis Presley to The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Bands need to feel free to break the norm and use all their influences to create something original. Our latest find has done just that. Let us introduce you to Lucky Widmore.



Hailing from Ontario, Canada, the 4 piece band has brought a flair for style and an interesting new mix of musical style to the scene. There are touches of rock, reggae, funk, college, surf, and even pop music mixed into their verifiable stew of beats that turns into an enjoyable and groovy listening experience. Frontman vocalist Craig Jamieson has the energy and chops to sing for any band you are hearing on the radio today. Bass player Scott Jamieson brings the reggae and funk to the forefront with his groove influenced bass lines. Metal influenced guitarist Matthew Edwards uses a full assortment of tools to show off his heavy yet complex style. Behind the drum kit is Ryan Chalupa, a master of creating infectious beats with fills of flair that keep your attention.

Lucky Widmore’s first official release is the Long Time Coming EP. Not just a clever name because it sounds like it could have been ready a while ago. The six song record shows how LW can bring in influences from all over the map to create one cohesive radio ready sound. The album opens with the funky ‘Dollars Down’. It has an almost swing vibe to it as well until the chorus comes in and shows how a pop rock chorus should be sung. The lead single ‘Where Would I Be’ is a sweet love song that touches the heart while remaining full of groove. My personal favorite track of the record is ‘Obsession’. It starts with a minimal echoing guitar and builds to a full on assault on the senses reminiscent of mid 90’s Third Eye Blind.

Bottom Line: Lucky Widmore’s Long Time Coming EP is a complete record that has the sound of an experienced band that is ready for mainstream radio play. Go check them out at:

www.luckywidmore.com - Indie Band Music Guru

Lucky Widmore, Howling at the Moon as It Shines With Success


Howling at the Moon - Most of the time “Supergroups” are bands that have select members from various famous bands that come together for a rare album or two, however Lucky Widmore seem to be a Supergroup that no one knows much about, for now. As the smooth guitar lines open the title track of this EP I had no idea for trip my ears were about to take. This band preforms like a well oiled machine ready to carry you off into musical euphoria. From the laid back groove of “Howling at the Moon”, the uptempo grind of “Alex” to funky Pop vibe “You and Me Tonight” Lucky Widmore delivers again and again. The production on this release is five star quality. Craig sings with the beauty of an angel and the bravado of a seasoned talent. Guitar work from Craig and Farhan explore the full range of smooth and clean to grinding and edgy. Dan’s bass guitar work flows rather fluid and excels at accenting counter points in each song. With his low-end work your feet will want to keep moving till the last note is played. Nick’s attack behind the drum kit is absolute precision. He digs into each song applying the right amount of attack from epic peaks to cooling valleys allowing each song to have the room it needs to breath. A variety of influences can be heard at the foundation of Lucky Widmore but they are not controlled by any of them. They are a truly an original band of their own rite. I would highly recommend this to anyone that likes Pop, Rock, Alternative, Reggae or Funk. In the midst of hearing such great art you will find yourself Howling at the Moon and dancing all night long.

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