These ladies might be from Brooklyn, but they're hardly abiding by the flannel hipster dress code. In direct contrast to the way Brooklyn's new normcore scene will make you feel approximately zero feelings, the ladies of Lucius' vibrant style and catchy tunes will make you feel exactly all of them.
When Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig walked out on stage at the 2014 Firefly Music Festival, I was immediately struck by their identical presence. Not only are they matching from blonde bob to boot clad-toe, their two voices become one magical, melodic pile of joy. As Laessig puts it:
The music comes first and we've just kind of created this world around that. It's representing us all as a unit.
So much of the experience of seeing Lucius live and letting their music hit you has to do with the entire aesthetic. Each and every band member is playing multiple instruments — and having a damn good time doing it. Wolfe and Laessig are joined by Dan Molad, Peter Lalish, and Andrew Burri. While you're jamming out it's hard not to notice how seamlessly integrated, but carefully calculated their entire act is.
Their blonde bobs, which require maintenance every six weeks back in New York City, and their winged tips are as much of a guarantee as their powerful harmonies. Pro tip: The ladies get their perfect winged tips by using liquid Stila or Eyeko. They favor felt tips over brushes — the blacker, the better. But there's so much more to the female-fronted quintet.
At Firefly this year, the two ladies decided to shake things up a little. Don't worry, they still dressed identically, but Wolfe and Laessig told me they had dyed their blonde bobs blue just that morning. After looking in the mirror less than three times each they rocked out on the Lawn Stage. Back away from your mirrors and take notes, ladies!
“We like to be bold and have fun and be playful with our style so there’s where the colors and sort of the eccentricities come from," Wolfe told Bustle.
Some other stage favorites of the pair include full-blown Supreme's style sequined jumpsuits and orange shift dresses. You feeling that '60s vibe yet? "We're drawn to those cuts and colors, the boldness and the sharpness of it," says Wolfe. Most of their influences include over-the-top personalities like David Bowie and Little Richard, and they're not thrilled by the laid-back look of other modern music stars. "Nowadays its like, 'Oh, let’s wear a flannel shirt that shows that I’m, like, normal," Wolfe lamented. "For me, I want to go someplace. Not that there’s anything wrong with flannel shirts."
Just like actual identical twins, Wolfe and Laessig are quick to point out their individualism, even as they make a pointed attempt to dress the same. “We are as individuals and very different personality-wise," Laessig said. "Our voices are very different, but when we come together to work on music to sing it creates something that’s bigger than both of us individually.”
The best part of Lucius' style and vibe? They're feeling it as much as you are. Their main goal is to transport the listener along with themselves to a place where everyone is having fun.
"We like having fun up there, it's not an act. We are smiling, we are enjoying what we do, we love who we're making music with. We love what we stand for and I hope that shows," says Wolfe.
The pair also appreciates fans who like to have as much fun with fashion as they do. You know that sort-of-maybe-crazy guy in the outfit made entirely of LED lights who tries to talk to everyone at a festival? He's their favorite. "If you're going to go to a festival, you might as well go all out," Wolfe said. "He's making an effort. I appreciate that."
There's a lot to learn from two women who can make a drastic change to their hair, step onto a stage with audio problems (eek Firefly!), and still walk away with giant smiles on their faces.
Images: Rosanne Salvatore; Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
