Meet the Artist: Dunedin Band Lucid Druid Plays Album Release Show

Names, ages, instruments & hometown(s):

• Adam Quinn, 37; bagpipes, didgeridoo, clarinet, piano; Clearwater
• Steve Turner, 38; djembe, percussion, Palm Harbor
• Joe Porter, 38; double bass, electric bass, Clearwater
• Sebastian Deledda, 36; guitars, mandolin, Dunedin
• Doug White, 40; drum Set, Scottish snare; Rome, NY

Time in Dunedin:  Seven years

Keys to Awesomness: Described as ecletic Celtic-fusion, Lucid Druid kicks off the release of its new album, "Cernunnos," on March 11 at Ruth Eckerd Hall with a weeklong Florida tour. The band got its start at the 's open mic night, and features world champion bag piper Adam Quinn. The band aims to bring something fresh to the Celtic table.

(Adam Quinn was interviewed on behalf of Lucid Druid.)

How did Lucid Druid get started?

“Steve Turner moved in next door to me. We jammed together at an open mic night at the , and instantly knew we had a sound. We recorded a single and enjoyed it so much we decided to become a band and started learning other tunes. A month later, Sebastian officially joined the band adding his guitar, and we started having weekly Tuesday night jam sessions at the Dunedin Brewery where we essentially learned the foundation of our music, and how to play music together as a new band.”

Where can people hear your music?

“The best shot is to attend one of our CD release shows happening this weekend and next week, through St. Patrick’s Day. We have five shows from March 11 to 19 across central Florida, which is listed on the shows page of our website www.luciddruid.com. Our official CD release date is March 11 at the Ruth Eckerd Hall. We continue with shows at Paddy Murphy’s in Orlando, O’Keefe’s in Clearwater on St. Patrick’s Day, the Safety Harbor Friday Concert Series, and end in Dunedin March 19 at the . We're also online at websites like Last FM and Grooveshark.com, and our music is for sale on iTunes, Amazon, and our website. 

What keeps you doing it?

“We do it for the love of the music we play. It’s a chance to really let our personal musical styles come through and merge together. Pipe bands tend to be highly regimented in their playing, and rarely push the envelope of what bagpipes can actually do. After 17 years of competitive bag piping, this band became a way for me to represent the music I compose in an entirely new musical forum. Each of us brings a completely different musical background to the table. We all have a great mutual respect for each other, and it is very enjoyable to perform with other talented musicians and collectively synergize our music by fusing a variety of different musical genres together.”

Who or what has been your greatest inspiration?

“Our inspiration is each other’s diverse musical offering to the greater whole of what is Lucid Druid. Each of us is holding on to our own personal approach, and the combination of these sounds is a fantastic mosaic of musical styles. We inspire each other, which continuously keeps things changing and evolving in a positive and rewarding way.”

What advice would you give to others just starting out with music or in a new band?

“Know and believe in the music you strive to create. Have a vision, but evolve it as you gain experience and let it grow organically. Don't be afraid to experiment, and recognize that there is much to learn from making mistakes.  Change is good and time will present unexpected opportunities, but it is important to note that not all opportunities are always right for your band. Take the time to recognize when something is or is not in the best interest of what you strive for, and don't be forced into anything. Today it is easier than ever before to be a grassroots band, so be as resourceful as possible and you can succeed."

How has social networking had an impact on the band?

"It has been challenging, but we have been able to grow an audience in certain online circles, namely Facebook. This past January we had recent success using different Internet platforms to push a campaign promoting our new album to try to raise enough money to get the album mastered and finished. We posted a mix of our title track 'Cernunnos' as a single 21-minute track for fans to preview for free on our website for one week. We offered an MP3 of the final mastered version of 'Cernunnos' as a single track, which is not available on the album, in exchange for a small donation. That week we got more hits on our website than ever before, with visitors from 37 states and 19 different countries. We ended up raising exactly the amount we needed to come up with to get the album mastered, and gained mass exposure to a broader audience.  Social networking has helped us increase our online footprint to gain exposure in places we never thought possible. We are totally a grassroots band, doing everything ourselves, and our gratitude goes out to all our fans, friends and families who support us and help make what we do possible." 

For booking inquiries, contact info@luciddruid.com.