
In Return to Berklee, Lucius Looks Back and Moves Forward From mood boards to live demos, the alumni band gave students an exclusive look at the process behind their new self-titled album, out May 2.
By
Tori Donahue
April 16, 2025
Berklee alumni band Lucius chat with Rodney Alejandro about the songwriting and production process behind their new record, Lucius.
Kelly Davidson
Berklee alumni band Lucius took a photo with students following a panel about the songwriting and production process behind their new record, Lucius.
Kelly Davidson
When Jess Wolfe BM '07, Holly Laessig BM '07, Dan Molad '04, and Peter Lalish '05 enrolled at Berklee in the mid-2000s, they couldn't have imagined what the next few years would hold. Wolfe and Laessig met through friends at the college, instantly connecting over their shared love of soul music and rock and roll. After graduation, the two moved to New York and, along with Molad and Lalish, formed Lucius to follow their musical dreams.
Lucius's indie-pop sound has left its mark on music festivals, television shows, films, and, most importantly, legions of dedicated fans around the world. Their collaborations with artists like the Killers, the War on Drugs, Brandi Carlile, Nathaniel Rateliff, Black Pumas, and others have propelled them across genres and sonic landscapes. Known for their signature harmonies, emotionally resonant lyrics, and innovative production, Lucius continues to captivate listeners, whether on vinyl or at an electrifying live show.
Earlier this month, members of the band returned to their alma mater for A Day with Lucius, meeting with students in Berklee's music business and music production majors to share stories, insights, and advice. The visit was made possible by the Berklee Popular Music Institute (BPMI), a program that gives students hands-on experience in the music industry by guiding them through the process of preparing, promoting, and performing at major music festivals alongside top artists.
The Release Strategy Behind Lucius A Day with Lucius kicked off with a morning panel focused on the album release strategy for their upcoming self-titled record, Lucius, set to drop on May 2. The band was joined by their management team, Ben Levin and Katie Lorenz, for a Q&A moderated by BPMI founder and professor emeritus Jeff Dorenfeld.
Wolfe and Laessig shared insights into the album's concept development, from mood boards and color schemes to merchandise and overall creative direction. They spoke about creating a visual world around themes like coming home and domesticity, using design to reflect the record's emotional core. The band also broke down their promotional strategy, explaining how fonts, colors, and logos are used consistently across advertising, performance, and merch.
We're a live band, Laessig said. We always sold merch at the shows and thought of merch as an extension of the stage. Levin and Lorenz discussed the creative collaborators behind the project, including longtime partner Tika Buchanan, who has worked with Lucius since their debut, and photographer Dana Trippe, a new addition the band had long hoped to work with.
Members of the band reflected on their creative evolution from Berklee to the present day. On the first record, we had nothing to compare it to-we wanted to get back to that a little bit with all the knowledge we have as artists and producers, Laessig said. We brought all of that back into this space of just the four of us. It felt nostalgic but grown. It's easy to talk about, which is a testament to its honesty.
Wolfe, Lorenz, and Levin covered a variety of topics addressed in student questions as the session wrapped up, including the budgeting process, selecting a lead single, and the importance of touring. While the band spends ample time performing on the road and at music festivals, Wolfe shared that we've learned how to say no when we have to in order to accommodate families and other creative projects.
Breaking Down the Songwriting and Production ProcessA Day with Lucius concluded with an afternoon panel at the Shames Family Scoring Stage, moderated by Rodney Alejandro, dean of the Professional Writing and Music Technology Division. The session explored the songwriting and production process behind the band's upcoming album. The record features 11 tracks, each contributing to a cohesive sonic narrative that's reflected in the production choices.
We always have a narrative of describing each album sonically, said Lalish. This album was unique-before, Jess and Holly would write, and then we'd do production and demos. This time, a few songs started from scratch.
When asked about creative differences in the songwriting and production process, the members of Lucius praised one another with warmth and humility. Wolfe emphasized the strength of their longstanding relationship, noting how trust and clear communication around boundaries have been essential to their collaboration.
We all play instruments, so it's not about one person, said Lalish. My idea might be a stepping stone to get someone to their idea. We tend to work really well that way. Moland acknowledged that production can be a challenge, but added, you always make it to the other side.
The band then demonstrated the production and creative decision-making process behind their new single, Gold Rush. Molad played the original demo to highlight how the song evolved, showcasing the layered changes that helped shape its distinct sound. Each member reflected on the importance of experimentation in their creative work.
Everything is a stepping stone, said Lalish. When you work with people long enough that you show your work to them, they have ideas that will lead to the next thing, Laessig added. Wolfe walked students through
North America Stories
09/05/2025
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. Studio Technologies said the Harvard University athletics department has integrated Dante-enabled equipment from the vendor into its broadcast ...
09/05/2025
NEW YORK ITN, a provider of a local linear supply side platform, and Magnite, a independent sell-side advertising company, have announced that they working toge...
09/05/2025
LEEDS, U.K. Nugen Audio has launched a new speech intelligibility plug-in, DialogCheck and offered up quotes from technologists working at places like Netflix p...
09/05/2025
AJA I/O Gear: The Heart of Broadcast Solutions' VEGO Mobile Editing Solution
Brie Clayton May 8, 2025
0 Comments
When working remotely on broadcas...
09/05/2025
What do they teach in an Advanced Adobe After Effects Course?
Roland Kahlenberg May 8, 2025
0 Comments
There aren't many advanced After Effects co...
09/05/2025
Larry Jordan Sits with Trevor Morgan of OpenDrives at NAB 2025
Brie Clayton May 8, 2025
0 Comments
Trevor Morgan, COO of OpenDrives, shares how the co...
09/05/2025
Berklee Popular Music Institute Announces UK Festival Debut and Tour Dates For the first time, BPMI will bring Berklee-affiliated artists and students to the ...
08/05/2025
A sinister fairy infiltrates a desperate family in Kenneth Dagatan's In My Mother's Skin, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Photo co...
08/05/2025
For skyward-bound operators, training focuses on the unique aspects of flying ISR missions, including the management of onboard surveillance equipment and the e...
08/05/2025
The cable industry has told the Federal Communications Commission it supports the National Association of Broadcasters' proposal to allow broadcasters to us...
08/05/2025
WASHINGTON The Consumer Technology Association has continued its opposition to mandates requiring that NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 tuners be included in new TV sets, sa...
08/05/2025
TAG Video Systems, the leader in software-based IP end-to-end workflow monitoring, deep probing, and real time visualization, has named Paul Maroni as Vice Pres...
08/05/2025
This year's UK Pavilion in hall 5, once again managed by Tradefair, will provide visitors with the unique opportunity to discuss and be involved in cutting ...
08/05/2025
Rohde & Schwarz will showcase its latest energy-efficient transmitters and 5G Broadcast technologies, designed to support network operators and content provider...
08/05/2025
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group has tapped Bill Nardi as vice president of station operations, responsible for overseeing the day-to-day broadcast operations ...
08/05/2025
SEATTLE LumaTouch is partnering with CNN Academy to improve mobile storytelling techniques and support training across all of CNN Academy's training simulat...
08/05/2025
WASHINGTON The Society of Broadcast Engineers has filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission that support a proposal by the National Association ...
08/05/2025
Senior adviser to the United States Agency for Global Media Kari Lake has announced that One America News Network (OAN) will provide newsfeed services for fre...
08/05/2025
EdMon Expands as AI-Driven Post Production Workflows Gains Traction in Sweden an...
08/05/2025
Using Luma Mattes in Adobe Premiere Pro
Graham Quince May 7, 2025
0 Comments
This very quick tutorial shows you how to take an RGB clip and apply its ...
08/05/2025
OpenDrives Unveils Free Your Data' Initiative with New Astraeus Cloud-Nativ...
08/05/2025
Student Spotlight: Grigori Balasanyan The Armenian composer, who was named Boston Conservatory at Berklees 2025 student commencement speaker, talks about his ...
08/05/2025
May 8th, 2025 Press Materials Available Here
Tribeca Festival 2025 Unveils New Premieres Spanning Film and Music
Slick Rick's Victory with Idris Elba a...
08/05/2025
May 8th, 2025 Press Materials Available Here
Tribeca Festival 2025 Announces Lineup for Inaugural Storytelling Summit
11-Day Industry Event Launches with Tal...
08/05/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Vizrt's Nicholas Jameson on AI in Workflows, Pushing Boundarie...
08/05/2025
Creating Alternative Brand Experiences: Live Sports in the Age of Fortnite, Meta...
08/05/2025
PGA TOUR's David Piccolo: Advanced Graphics and Virtual Production Tools are...
08/05/2025
Tech Focus: Advancing Immersion in Sports Broadcasting with AR and Virtual Produ...
08/05/2025
Back to All News
Now in Production: Comedy Action Film Husbands in Action'...
08/05/2025
Artificial intelligence is helping identify and treat diseases faster with better results for humankind. Natural disasters like wildfires are next.
Fires in th...
08/05/2025
Calling all wiseguys - 2K's acclaimed Mafia franchise is available to stream...
08/05/2025
As AI use cases continue to expand - from document summarization to custom software agents - developers and enthusiasts are seeking faster, more flexible ways t...
07/05/2025
Warsaw, Poland - April 28, 2025 - Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics, has released its latest March All Screens Video Landscap...
07/05/2025
LONDON Movie fans hoping to save money by waiting until their favorite new films appear on streaming services will have to wait a bit longer now, according to a...
07/05/2025
MECCA, Saudi Arabia Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) has selected Grass Valley to provide a major technology upgrade of its broadcast facility here....
07/05/2025
Sony and Nevion provide guidance on IP network architecture options for live pro...
07/05/2025
Media Pioneer Publishing AG Expands Editorial Capacity
Brie Clayton May 7, 2025
0 Comments
Pioneer 2 boat production environment powered by Blackmagic...
07/05/2025
LONDON Movie fans hoping to save money by waiting until their favorite new films appear on streaming services will have to wait a bit longer now, according to a...
07/05/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau is seeking public comment on a Petition for Rulemaking from HC2 Broadcasting Holdings asking...
07/05/2025
WASHINGTON Following a decision by U.S. Department of Education to terminate its 2020-2025 Ready To Learn to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, CPB has in...
07/05/2025
NEW YORK Fox's ad-supported streaming Tubi made a series of product and partnership announcements during IAB NewFronts in New York, including the launch of ...
07/05/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. Google Fiber (GFiber) has announced a redesigned app that the company said will simplify how customers set up service, manage devices, and...
07/05/2025
WASHINGTON NASAs on-demand streaming service, NASA+, has launched a FAST (Free Ad-Supported Television) channel on Prime Video....
07/05/2025
NEW YORK The WNET Group, parent company of the PBS station Thirteen, has announced the appointment of Randall T. Decker to senior director, technology, effectiv...
07/05/2025
Atomos announced an executive leadership transition as the Company continues to evolve and expand its strategic focus.
Peter Barber, currently serving as Chie...
07/05/2025
Steve Wagner, Jerry Holway and Robert Orf at the 2024 Scientific and Technical Awards at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
The ...
07/05/2025
nxtedition, the Swedish company behind the leading integrated platform for news and program production, and TASCAM, the iconic Japanese manufacturer of professi...
07/05/2025
Signiant is bringing its Camera-Raw-to-Any-Cloud workflow to the UK for the first time at the Media Production & Technology Show 2025 (Booth# M69) with a live d...
07/05/2025
MNC Software Inc., a global leader in software and network solutions tailored to the broadcast and media industry, has appointed Gencom Technology as an officia...