Ear Candy

It's Friday night and people are starting to pour into the Copper Dragon (Carbondale, IL). Neil, the bands tour manager shows me to the dressing room. It's larger than I had pictured in my mind with several people scattered throughout. Neil escorts me to the couch where Scott Lucas and Brian St. Clair are sitting. As we exchange pleasantries I'm thinking...COOL, an interview with Local H.

In 1996 the song "Bound For The Floor" with its catchy chorus "You just don't get it/ you keep it copacetic" propelled the band into the national spotlight. Heavy rotation on MTV along with constant radio play pushed "BFTF" into the top five of Billboard's modern-rock chart. Their follow up album, Pack Up The Cats ('98) produced another mega-hit for the band. Cranking out another memorable pop/rock song, "All The Kids Are Right", with its cynical lyrics "You used to think we're great, now you know we're lame, but you won't wear our T-shirts now", answered critics doubts that the band was another one-hit-wonder.

Local H is known for their energetic live shows and tonight was no different. After the interview I watched the band deliver a blistering two-hour set of raw, unadulterated sound. It's hard to believe that for the most part Local H is a two-piece. Occasionally receiving help from friends, the band pulled the crowd in fast, never letting up. Audience participation was a key element to the show - moshing and body surfing was the norm and on several occasions audience members were asked to join the band on stage for a sing along. Most notably, AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" was belted out by one lucky fan as the band ripped aptly through the rock anthem.

Local H will be opening for Live at the Show Me Center on May 7th. If you're a fan of the Seattle grunge scene or hook-laden rock n roll, arrive early to catch this talented act - Local H will not disappoint.

OFF! - What's the H stand for?

Lucas - I can't tell you -it's really boring.

OFF! - You're considered a 2 piece, St. Clair on drums and you play guitar and bass. Are there any other musicians that tour with the band?

Lucas - No. I hook up the guitar through a bass amp with a separate jack with a bass pickup on it; I handle all that stuff. There are other things that have to be done; we have the guy over there shaving who plays a guitar solo now and then. Somebody will come out and scream something or shake a tambourine -whatever.

OFF! - "Bound for the Floor" from As Good as Dead made a big impression on US radio. Do you remember where you were the first time you heard it on the radio?

St. Clair - Actually Local H was opening for my band at the time when I heard it on the radio. I was in the band called Triplefastaction (Original drummer, Joe Daniels, recently left the band for personal reasons.). We were on tour with Local H just after the Magnapop Tour. Then we flip-flopped and Local H became the headliner.

OFF! - So you go from opening act to headliner with one big song?

St. Clair - Right, people were showing up early for Local H and they would all leave when Triplefast came on and then they'd come back for Magnapop.

OFF! - That's why you're playing drums now in Local H.

St. Clair - That's right (laughs).

OFF! - What did you think when you heard yourself on the radio -shocked?

Lucas - No, I mean it's just the same as when I hear any song right now. SCORE, great, it worked!

OFF! - Your next record "Pack Up the Cats" -do you consider it a concept album?

Lucas - Yeah, exactly.

OFF! - On the song "Cha Said the Kitty" it bleeds into "Lucky" -for a moment it's like a Pink Floyd flashback -was that the intention?

Lucas - Yeah, I mean I really liked Pink Floyd a lot when I was growing up. All his songs fit with each other and I like the idea of a full record where you can't do without a certain song. You've got to have it all -every song on the record or it will fall apart.

OFF! - A lot of the songs on the album are like that -slipping into the next.

Lucas - Yeah, I really like albums like that.

OFF! - On the same album, the song "She Hates My Job", is that based on a real relationship?

Lucas - Yeah, but you know it's a joke.

OFF! - She hates your job because you're always on the road touring.

Lucas - Yeah.

OFF! - Dean Deleo of Stone Temple Pilots provided the solo for "Cool Magnet." Are you friends with the band?

Lucas - Yeah, we were on tour with Stone Temple Pilots for a couple months. Dean is just a super, super nice guy. We were in the studio with Roy Thomas Baker (Producer) and Dean was like WOW, I'd like to meet him. So we told Dean to come meet him and play a guitar solo on one of our tunes and so he did.

OFF! - On the subject of STP, Scott Wieland has had a lot of personal problems that seem to have affected the whole band. The "rock star syndrome" seems to take its toll on many bands. How do you stay focused?

Lucas - Well, we're not as big as Stone Temple Pilots. I have no idea what would happen if we sold like 5 million records. I don't know, but we haven't so it's pretty easy NOT to fall into the rock star trap because we're not rock stars. So get back to me on that. (St. Clair laughs)

OFF! - Local H has been compared to the likes of Nirvana and Silverchair, are those fair comparisons?

Lucas - Not Silverchair, I like all those Seattle bands and all those bands that are on sub-pop. Screaming Trees, Soundgarden, Mud Honey...every one of those bands I love. So those comparisons always have merit. I have no problems with that.

OFF! - Where do you draw your influences?

Lucas - For me most of the stuff I listened to when I was growing up, typical stoner kid rock -Black Sabbath, Zeppelin, Cheap Trick and stuff like that.

OFF! - Everything that everyone between 25 and 35 now, grew up listening to?

Lucas - Yeah, I think Brian grew up on more punk than I did.

St. Clair - We've had arguments about this. I listened to bands like Black Flag, Government Issue and the Misfits.

OFF! - You were both raised in Illinois?

Lucas - Zion.

St. Clair - Chicago.

OFF! - Do you get a bigger kick out of playing for local crowds like here in Carbondale?

St. Clair - Personally, I get a kick out of ANY show that people show up to. If the kids are into it, then I'm very much into being there.

OFF! - Attendance is always a good thing. (Laughter from all.) So you are going to be playing in Cape on May 7 with Live and Tracy Bonham. Have you ever played on the same bill with these artists?

Lucas - We opened up for Tracy Bonham about 5 or 6 years ago. We did a couple weeks with her and run into her every now and then, it will be nice to see her. We've never played with Live.

OFF! - If you had the chance, is there anyone in particular you'd like to tour with?

Lucas and St. Clair (in unison) - Queens of the Stone Age.

St. Clair - I really like Cheap Trick a lot. We did a small show with them not that long ago in Chicago. I really love watching them.

OFF! - Is there anyone you've toured with that you don't like?

Lucas - Yeah, we hate Dovetail Joint. (Everyone in the room breaks into hysterical laughter - Dovetail Joint is the opener this evening and they're sharing the dressing room with Local H). Let's see, who sucks... I'd rather not go there.

OFF! - But I can quote you on saying you hate Dovetail Joint? (More laughter.)

St. Clair - I don't know, let's ask their lead singer (Chuck Gladfelter).

Gladfelter - Yes, if I can have a retort. (Raucous laughter.)

OFF! - So, it's been 2 years since the release of Pack Up the Cats. Is there a new album in the works?

Lucas - We're ready to put a new record out, it just depends on which label is going to give us the money to do what we want. Everything's ready to go.

OFF! - So you're changing labels?

Lucas - Yeah, we're just going to wait and see what happens and that will be good.

OFF! - Pack Up The Cats did pretty well, didn't it?

Lucas - It did well, but I don't think any of us think it did as well as it should have. The whole year was spent with people getting fired -Polygram was eaten by Universal. No one could really focus on their jobs, they were getting fired and if they weren't getting fired they were worried about getting fired.

OFF! - Are you going to play some of the new material tonight?

Lucas - Yeah.

OFF! - Cool! (And it was.)