CATCHING HIS DREAMS

WRITTEN BY ROB SGARLATA | PHOTO BY KATRINA MOESSNER

EVERY SO OFTEN YOU ENCOUNTER A MUSICIAN WHO DEFIES DEFINITION. Their musical influences are complex, making each song an adventure. These are artists whose music stimulates your mind as well as your ears. Lucas Garrett is such a musician. His fourth recording, Reaching Through Dreams, was released in September 2022. “It began when I was nine or ten,” Lucas recalls. “It was the Beatles’ White Album. I got my first guitar and learned by lifting the needle and moving it back over and over again.” His first foray on stage was the high school talent show playing an instrumental “Let It Be,” having learned the solo note for note. Lucas took on the challenge of piano by purchasing an Elton John song book, and learned to read music listening to recordings while watching what was on the pages. After achieving this brilliant feat, he dropped piano. “I had limited time and knew if I'm going to do this, it's on guitar.” There is, however, substantial keyboard in Lucas' music. For those songs he hires other musicians, “But I write the music.”

Lucas played his first open mic around 2012 and was invited to play a spotlight show. Soon after, Rick Bolton asked him to fill in on a two-hour gig. When a friend asked if Lucas wrote any songs he answered no, and his friend asked why not. “That made me ask myself why not,” he said. He produced his first recording with Jesse Bolduc, bass player for Candy Ambulance. Jesse was new to recording and Lucas was new to collaborating. The results were Evening's Come, but It's Not Dark. “We didn't set out to make a record,” Lucas said. “We were just two friends kicking around.” Evening's Come, but It's Not Dark gained attention and the reaction led Lucas to produce another recording. Unlike the first, all of the songs on Love is Better were written in advance. On these sessions Lucas first worked with bass player Kevin Kosach. “That Lucas was doing original music caught my attention,” Kevin said. Kevin's varied experience offered opportunities. “I played upright for a while,” he said. “I played jazz, some legitimate orchestral work, square dances, and with folk singers. Working together Lucas brings his ideas,

I bring mine and we get some pretty interesting stuff,” he said. “Lucas is the writer. He brings a song, I can play the background parts, but I don't write the songs.

At age 29, Lucas has produced four recordings, including the album Love is Better; and EP's Evening's Come, but It's Not Dark and Familiar Floors. In Lucas' words, Reaching Through Dreams, his recent recording, is his most personal, flowing from a relationship that changed who he is. “The person who inspired Reaching Through Dreams encouraged me to be more open about myself, love, my life,” Lucas commented. “People will hear that on this record.”

Lucas Garrett's recordings can be found on his website lucasgarrettmusic.com SS