Album Title: “Somebody Loves You”
Release Date: March 2009
Label: Suburban Home Records

Following his successful run on the 2008 Revival Tour alongside Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Ben Nichols (Lucero), and Tim Barry (Avail), Austin Lucas is proud to release Somebody Loves You, his 11-song debut for Suburban Home Records. While Lucas came of age in the basements of DIY punk and hardcore, his solo musical output is less reminiscent of the gravel-throated whiskey-drinking punk troubadours. Rivaling the projection of Neko Case, the hushed cadences of Sam Beam (Iron and Wine), and the heartache of Gillian Welch, Somebody Loves You is Lucas’ richest work to date, placing him in the company of the strongest voices in contemporary Americana.

Recorded in December 2008 by his father, Bob Lucas, at the Lucas family home in Ohio, “Somebody Loves You” finds Lucas backed by his father, Chris Westhoff, and Todd Beene (Lucero), and accompanied by his sister, Chloe Manor. The collective effort of the Lucas family on “Somebody Loves You” reflects the clan’s deep musical heritage; Austin spent six formative years as a member of the nationally-acclaimed Indiana University Children’s Choir, while his father has songwriting credits on two of Allison Kraus’ albums, including 1997’s Grammy-winning “So Long, So Wrong”. The new material accelerates Lucas’ growth as a songwriter, continuing to expand upon the storytelling and instrumentation of “The Common Cold” (Hometown Caravan/ Sabotage, 2006), “Putting The Hammer Down” (Hometown Caravan/ Magic Bullet, 2007), and his recent collaboration with Chuck Ragan, “Bristle Ridge” (Ten Four/ Hometown Caravan, 2008). While “Bristle Ridge” teemed with the energy of an all-night barnburner, much of “Somebody Loves You” evokes the ambience of an Appalachian sunset waltz; Todd Beene’s pedal steel softly pulls focus like stars in a new night sky, while Chloe Manor’s background vocals shade the songs in the fading warmth of dusk. Fiddle, banjo and upright bass are woven throughout, but it is Lucas’ guitar and vocals that anchor each song. Beyond his accomplished picking, Lucas’ voice defines his music, reaching from the intimacy of a lover to the fervor of a sinner begging atonement.

Ultimately, “Somebody Loves You” is the album that will close the book on Austin Lucas’ tenure as the best-kept secret of the punk underground and bring him to the attention of alt-country and Americana fans everywhere.

- Our good buddy Jeff over at Rocket Fuel Podcast did a killer interview with Austin on Episode #26 of his show, check it out here.