Lucero play us their new record at The Garage

Among The Ghosts is as stellar live as it is on your record player. 

Co-produced and engineered by Grammy Award winner Matt Ross­Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Drive­by Truckers), Among The Ghosts was recorded in the band’s hometown of Memphis, TN at the historic Sam Phillips Recording Service.

Using the album’s title track to kick off the night is a bold statement. The intro guitar riff has a gothic Southern feel to it and then Ben Nichols’ voice pours in like Tennessee whiskey – smooth, edgy and just the right amount of smokey.

One of our favorite tracks on the record is To My Dearest Wife, which we also get to hear tonight. Inspired by love letters written during the Civil War, it picks up on the family theme spanning across the record. Its chorus has something anthemic but more in the sense of driving on an empty at night, missing those you love and you turn the radio up loud when this song comes on and sing your heart out. The song also features part of Battle Hymn of the Republic. 

The band also make sure to plan some fan favorites such as 2002’s Nights Like These and Sweetest Little Thing. “If we were a real band we’d say goodnight right here and leave you on a happy note, but we’re not that kind of band” Ben Nicholls explains just before playing Nights Like These off their stellar 2002 record Tennessee. 

Nicholls then continues on to tell the crowd a story about his grandad who died when Nicholls was just twelve years old and how at twelve years old he didn’t know what questions to ask him that he would now really like to know. It’s then the band launch into their 2005 track The War. 

Just before the night comes to an end, Nicholls lightens the heavy mood with a song he wrote for his daughter saying “It’s just some goofy shit to make a toodler dance. My one year old at some point while writing the record, wanted to play guitar when I was and type on the computer when I was. So to get her out on the dancefloor, I wrote this song” – cue Hello My Name Is Izzy. 

“I’m real proud of the new record and it’s been a blast playing it.” Nicholls says as the band bow out from an intense twenty-one track set. And what a blast we had listening to the new record live. Lucero are always a pleasure on stage and on record, and with Among The Ghosts they have returned with a gothic beauty that’ll give you goosebumps.