Lucky 57

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Contents 1 LUCKY 57 (band) 2 ORIGINS 3 RECORDINGS 4 REVIEWS 5 SOURCES

[edit] LUCKY 57 (band)

LUCKY 57 are a Providence RI based twang rock/Americana rock band whose members are all formerly of well-known Boston bands from the 70s onward including Malcolm Travis (ex-Sugar, Kustomized, Concussion Ensemble, The Zulus, and Human Sexual Response), Sue Metro (ex-High Risk Group, a Harriet Records artist), Kip McCloud (ex-Quivvver, Augusta Furnace, Miss Bliss), Chris Fitzpatrick (ex-Ramona Silver) and McGregor McGehee (ex-Fate McCobb). They were the 2006 Boston Music Award winners for 'Best Americana Act.', the 2005 Providence Phoenix Poll winners for "Best Roots Act', a 2001 Boston Music Award nominee, and one of 5 Jim Beam Back Room Band Search Nashville finalists. Their Previous bass player Hilary Hanes was formerly with Pearl Harbor & the Explosions, Henry Kaiser, Helios Creed, Chrome and Jorma Kaukonen.

[edit] ORIGINS

In 1997, after the demise of McCloud's previous band Quivvver, she set out to write her own songs and also to tackle playing drums in a country western trio including Metro who was tackling learning lap steel guitar after having been the unconventional lead guitarist of the band High Risk Group, and bassist Phil Magnifico (ex-Red Tomato). With McCloud's increasing songwriting, singing and multi-instrumental desires, she forfeited the drum seat to Todd Foulsham of the Candy Butchers and took on lead guitarist Russell Chudnofsky (Lorri McKenna, Catie Curtis, The Confidence Men).

In 2001 McCloud and Metro re-located to Providence RI and began searching for replacement bandmates who were closer than the hour's drive to Boston. Through guitarist Rich Gilbert who had been subbing as lead guitarist for Lucky 57, they were made aware of the fact that drummer Malcolm Travis had recently returned to the New England area - specifically Pawtucket RI - after a stint in Nashville where his attempt to find studio work after Bob Mould disbanded Sugar proved less than positive. Coincidentally both Travis and Metro had ties via a mutual former bandmate Ed Yazijian, with whom Travis played in Kustomized and who had been violinist in Metro's former band High Risk Group.

While Metro, an electronics engineer by trade as well as a recording engineer, was working with SonicCord a small boutique amp company based in Pawtucket RI, she met guitarist Chris 'Fitz' Fitzpatrick, who had just finished a multi-year stint touring with Big Nazo, and was interested in getting involved with a new project. Fitzpatrick joined Lucky 57 in 2004.

Via a Craig's List ad, the group found bassist Hilary Hanes who had recently relocated to Providence from the San Francisco Bay area. Coincidentally, Hanes had shared stages with Travis during their times in Pearl Harbor & the Explosions and Human Sexual Response, respectively.

Most recently, Hanes returned to the west coast to Portland OR and McGregor McGehee joined Lucky 57 on bass. McCloud had encountered McGehee years before when she was bass player for a country music band in Boston's then thriving country music club scene and McGehee had fronted his own band where they played similar clubs, though she had not know him personally. Again, a Craig's List ad turned up McGehee who coincidentally had also performed with Henry Kaiser during the 70s, as had Lucky 57's previous bassist Hanes.

In 2004 McCloud won second place in American Songwriter Magazine's lyric contest for "Seven Mile River" the title cut of Lucky 57's sophomore CD.

[edit] RECORDINGS

Lovely Melancholy (2001 Looseground Records)
Seven Mile River (2006 Looseground Records)

[edit] REVIEWS

""...with the exception of McCloud's burnished, molasses-rich voice, it's the sound of guitars--mournful, dirty, ragged..." -- Boston Globe

"One of the best roots rock bands we've heard in awhile." -- Time Out NY

" Jangly and twangy describe this Boston outfit's irresistably catchy sound but it's the way McCloud wraps her boyish voice around lyrics of fed up loss that gives this effort heft." -- LA Daily News

"If this band were from Austin instead of Boston, they'd be up to their ears in critical praise and free BBQ." -- Boston Phoenix

"McCloud's dusky near-drawl drives an amalgam of twangy pop and simmering country-style ballads." -- Providence Journal

"Not only is Lucky 57 one of the finest country-rock bands north of the Mason-Dixon line and a shining example of New England's thriving roots music scene, but it has great tastes to boot." -- Boston Globe

[edit] SOURCES

Boston Music Awards
New England Music Scrapbook
Boston Phoenix Band Guide
High Bias