After what will be a 20-show trek touring around the country, it’s got to feel good to wrap things up in your city. At a particularly esteemed venue nonetheless.
Such is the case for folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lydia Luce, who will be ready put a cap on her spring tour with her final show at CMA Theater in Nashville this Saturday June 3rd, supporting Ron Pope along with Caleb Hearn. It’s her first time touring with the bunch, though she’s known Pope for years.
And not only will it be Luce’s first time playing the CMA Theater, but it will be her first time there period. “It’s exciting to play a place I haven’t played in town before,” she expressed to us when talking about the various venues she has played since moving to Nashville some eight or nine years ago.
When asked about any pre-show rituals or things she does to prepare, she told us, “I try to just center myself, and sometimes I’ll meditate if I remember. Because it’s a hectic day when you get there, you load in, you soundcheck- so just having a moment of stillness is really important to me.”
Upon further reflection and discussing playing in front of strangers in different cities, she stated, “It’s such a weird thing that we do. It’s like the weirdest job.”
Luce said she looks forward to performing her upcoming single, “Your Garden,” at the show, which is set to debut June 16th. It will follow her previous two singles, “Face and Figure” and “Never Enough.”
She went on to tell us a brief and recent tour story: “So I’ve been playing – and it’s been my favorite song to play – a brand new song called ‘Belly of the Beast,’ but it probably won’t be out until the next album. And I end every show with it. So this last show we did in Chicago, this guy that worked at the venue came up to me and asked when it was coming out, and asked if I could text him the lyrics so he could show his girlfriend. So I literally just texted him the lyrics, and was like ‘don’t share it with anyone please.’ But it was so special that it meant something to him.”
Luce had planned on making her next record when she returned from this tour, but halfway through, she realized she had a bulged disc in her neck that required attention, thus postponing the record-making until next year. Now, her focus between tours is to get her body where it needs to be. “Getting hurt is not a blessing, but I think having the time is a blessing because I’m very quick to just load up my calendar. I’m looking forward to having the time to really think about what I’m going to say on the next record. I’ll be writing pretty much all June, July, and August.”
Luce grew up in a strict musical household where her mother was a professional conductor, and did not present learning the violin as a choice. Her cinematic 2022 EP, Garden Songs, showcased her penchant for lush arrangements and spellbinding vocal melodies. Prior to that was her equally mesmerizing and acclaimed 2021 full-length album, Dark River.Â
Luce also created Lockeland Strings, a Nashville-based community arts organization and a showcase of local artists. They’ve been joined by Kacey Musgraves and Lucie Silvas, among others, and partner with nonprofits, including the ACLU of Tennessee, Girls Write Nashville and The Little Pantry That Could.
Luce will be back on the road in September with the same crew, except this time it will be across the pond in Europe.
Her upcoming 8-song concept record, Florida Girl, is due out October 27th.
