Luce

LUCE broke onto the national scene in 2002, and its second album, Never Ending, is well worth the wait. And so it is that Bay Area sensation LUCE is back with an independent album that solidifies its trademark penchant for melodic flair, warm vocal tones and big grooves. Never Ending is a thematic album about love that can best be described as open-heart surgery. “Love can be a brutal thing, sometimes,” says Tom Luce, a gifted singer/songwriter and the heartbeat of LUCE, who is influenced by Lennon and McCartney, “and a beautiful thing at other times.” Never Ending kicks off with “World of the Lonely,” a song about infatuation that sets the tone. Lead radio track “Buy a Dog” and “ Amsterdam” set the pace and are followed by the equally enduring "The Sweetest Smile" and "Fortunately, I". Love hits a high point with the breezy tracks “Worth The Wait” and “Wanna Be” that slides gently into “Interlude One (Open Up Your Heart).” But the upbeat title track shows the relationship hitting an unsuspecting quandary that is magnified in the plaintive “Outside Of It All”. “With A Kiss” and the melancholy “Diamond Lights” signify a break-up. The sultry “Maria” basically renews the never-ending quest for love. For Never Ending, Tom once again enlisted the help of his good friend, co-producer and band mate, Adam Rossi, who plays keyboards and other various instruments while providing background vocals. Also back from the first album is drummer Steve Bowman, formerly of Counting Crows. While the band has undergone changes, Larry Riggs remains on bass. Together, they’re as tight in their relationships with each other as they are in playing LUCE music live. Never Ending features Bay Area artists, including former Train guitarist/bassist Charlie Colin. Tom Luce has spent the last year writing with Colin extensively for a new album and the two will continue to do so while also playing occasional acoustic duo dates, performing songs they’ve written together, plus material from the LUCE and Train catalog. The door opened for LUCE in 2001 when KFOG started to play “Long Way Down,” then "Good Day". Soon, other radio stations became interested in LUCE after seeing the success on KFOG. “Good Day” went on to be a minor hit at Triple A and Modern AC radio. Subsequently, LUCE earned the honors as one of Radio & Records 2002 Triple A Breakthrough Artists, and then won the California Music Award for Outstanding Debut Album in 2003. The run for “Good Day” did not end there, as it landed in two major motion pictures — 13 Going on 30 and How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days — as well as several network television placements, including The O.C. and Alias. Now, it’s back to a quest for never-ending love and music.