Something About Lux Trevis
Lucas Trevisan, better known as Lux Trevis, is the one man, eight instrument band hailing from Sydney’s Northern Beaches who seems to just about be the embodiment of peace, love and happiness. We chatted with him recently to learn a bit more about who he is and what he’s up to. We chatted about how he creates the unique sounds behind his psychedelic groove, about how he grew into this passion of his, and a few other fun things. Do yourself a favour and have a read, then have a listen, and we guarantee it will leave you feeling pure bliss!
WANDERER: It seems like there’s another influence than just good old Aussie in your music and identity. Have you lived outside of Australia, if so what was the influence of this other country like to you?
LUCAS: There is definitely some influence from around the world in my music haha! I grew up in Brazil and lived there most of my life (fifteen years). I feel really blessed to have grown up there, Brazil has got such an amazing culture of music and dancing! I grew up playing Samba and Bossa Nova music with my Dad’s side of the family, some of my first ever memories are playing percussion instruments with them. Every weekend we would gather the family and friends to sit down and play songs, and pretty much everyone that would be there was involved in some way, either playing, singing or dancing.
I also grew up exposed to many other music genres. There was a lot of Reggae, Hip-hop, funk, soul, rock, latin and jazz music at home. On my Mum’s side of the family, my Pop used to play Dire Straits, Pink Floyd and Santana on repeat, feel really lucky to have had that music around me haha. Growing up surrounded by this blend of musical genres made me a really open minded person and musician, which I believe has played a major role in shaping my artistic journey. I love the mixture of cultures around the world and how they complement each other in a beautiful way!
What were your first creative and artistic interests, where did they stem from and how have they shaped your life?
Music has always been a major one. There are photos of me playing the tambourine when I was like three years-old haha. I remember being really interested in music from a young age and asking names of bands and songs to people around me. Everywhere I would go as a kid if there was music on I would always be drumming on my lap and bouncing to the beat. By the time I reached the age of seven I started playing guitar and absolutely fell in love with it. At that age all I did was play guitar and skate. After a couple years I picked up the bass and drums and around the age of thirteen got into music production. Making music has played a major role in developing my identity as an individual and feeling freedom to be and express, let alone the joy that comes with ripping a guitar solo when you are ten.
Another artistic expression that has played a major role in my life has been surfing and skating. The freedom of drawing lines and flowing with a wave or a skate park has been a huge part of my journey. I feel like they also go hand in hand with music and have crossed paths many times
We’ve gotta ask, how many instruments can you play?
At the moment I have got a guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, flute, keys, synthesizer and trombone. I wish I had time to practice all of them but it gets a bit much haha. I just love how they all relate and complement each other when writing a song. I also feel like knowledge of all instruments makes me better on each one. E.g playing bass makes me a better guitarist because I learn how to harmonize with the bass notes and leave room in the low end for the bass to sit nicely.
4. How did you come to be such a multifaceted artist, is it challenging balancing yourself between various instruments as well as various bands?
I feel like that came from my true passion for music and how much time and dedication I have put into it. I have always been super keen to play with whoever wanted to jam, learning from different players is an important part of my journey. Networking and watching other players is also a big thing, I try and catch a gig whenever I get the chance! As far as time goes, I try and always maintain my focus in studying and exploring new sounds and ideas. That keeps me happy and excited to play gigs and keeps me fresh. I feel like I have a good balance at the moment with the main focus on Lux Trevis and Rainbow Riders. It gets busy sometimes but the froth is so hard that we get through it.
If you were an instrument which one would you be?
A flute, she is magical.
Who are your top three fave artists and how do they influence you?
There are lots but to name three I will go Cymande, Wes Montgomery and The Wailers. I feel like what they have in common is that their beautiful personality and view of life shines through their music. All of them share feelings of love, joy, compassion and positivity and you can hear that clearly by how much they groove.
What do you want people to take away from your work/ what is it you most want to convey to others?
Honestly I just want everyone to have a blast and froth super hard on groovy psychedelic tunes haha. I can’t wait to keep meeting open minded legends that love art and nature, soon we will put on a psychedelic music and art surf festival for everyone to get together for the best time. I do my best to include in my music influences from various cultures, which brings people from different backgrounds together and makes magic happen. I want people to feel free to have as much fun as possible without any judgement. I also love mystical and ethereal experiences, so I love making psychedelic music that can send people into meditative states. In essence just trying to share what makes me feel good about life (:
If you are, or if you had to pursue any career outside of music, what would it be and why?
My other main passion is surfing. I have had the vision of making surf movies and starting a brand so me and my mates can travel and surf the best waves in the world. I also love experiencing different situations. I love working, doing gardening or construction work here and there.
What’s one of your greatest or most memorable achievements, something that you yourself are most proud of?
A memorable achievement for me was when I did a short set at a place called The Plantroom and the legend Leo Sayer was there. He came up to me and was so honest with how impressed he was with my playing and how much he loved my music. I have had many people that don’t really get what I do, so hearing that from an absolute groove master was something more than special. That just came with all the hard work and love I have put into my craft, I could see that Leo clearly saw my passion for music and was keen to support it.
Can you tell us your favourite gig story/experience yet?
My favourite gig story was when I just jumped up on stage with this random band at The Steyne in Manly. I was fresh eighteen and hadn’t really played gigs before, but I was so keen to play that I used to bring my flute down to gigs and try and jump up. This time I just went for it and I took a solo on a Led Zeppelin song. It was sick. The gig was packed and everyone went loose haha. I got such a buzz from it especially because playing on stage was so fresh for me.
INTERVIEWED BY: Matilda Reid