Lucero have been around for 14 years but never made a music video — until now. The video for the title track of their critically acclaimed Women & Work album will be available on YouTube on Thursday, October 23.
Lucero worked with director Jonathan Pekar, head of the film department at Memphis’ legendary Ardent Studios, on their first music video. It was shot at Massey Farm in the North Mississippi Hill Country environs of Senatobia, Miss. (home of Jessie Mae Hemphill and other blues legends).
In the clip, Lucero is partying with friends on the banks of a beautiful lake. When the band finds their van is missing, instead of being furious they get into the party spirit and much fun-loving destruction ensues.
Lucero lead singer Ben Nichols says, “Our fans have made videos over the years, we’ve never made one ourselves until now. Why? Basically because we’re unorganized and lazy.”
Either that or they were waiting for the likes of Pekar to take an interest. Ardent Studios’ ambassador of creativity and champion of fun, the Memphis native is a University of Southern California film graduate, stand-up comic, actor, and director with a lengthy list of credits.
According to Pekar, “These Lucero guys make me happy about life, ya know? The American spirit flows with these Southern gentlemen, yes indeed, Southern gentlemen with a full tank of gas, that’s the idea behind this video, to showcase the band’s right of passage from vans to tour buses.”
“And what better way than with friends, a catapult, moonshine and senseless destruction? Good times!”
“Wreckage wise, guitarist Brian Venable and I had some seriously ambitious ideas of what we wanted to achieve with this video; however, rational people dosed with common sense and safety concerns calmed our childish desires to a degree and yet I believe that the final video is a wonderful visual example of how much talent and personality this band has . . . they make me so proud of music . . . Viva Lucero!”
Tour dates:
Thurs., Aug 23 CLEVELAND, OH House of Blues
Fri., Aug 24 COLUMBUS, OH The Bluestone
Sat., Aug 25 CINCINNATI, OH Bogart’s
Sat., Sept. 29 LITTLE ROCK, AR Arkansas Sounds at the Butler Center
Thurs., Oct. 11 KNOXVILLE, TN Bijou Theater
Fri., Oct. 12 WINSTON-SALEM, NC Ziggy’s
Sat., Oct. 13 GREENVILLE, SC Fall for Greenville, Downtown Greenville
Sun., Oct. 14 ATHENS, OH Templeton-Blackburn Memorial Auditorium
Mon., Oct 15 MORGANTOWN, WV 123 Pleasant Street
Tues., Oct. 16 RALEIGH, NC Lincoln Theater
Fri. Nov. 2 AUSTIN, TX Fun Fun Fun Fest at Auditorium Shores
Sat., Nov. 3 HOT SPRINGS, AR Maxine’s
