Local H mixing rock with politics as band gears up for St. Charles show

Local H frontman Scott Lucas has never shied from expressing his political views. A few years back, he skewered former President George W. Bush on the song "President Forever."

Lucas reflects on the current political scene on the band's upcoming album, "Hallelujah! I'm A Bum," set for release prior to the November presidential election.

The Zion band – comprised of Lucas on vocals, guitar and bass and Brian St. Clair on drums – will no doubt play songs from the new album when it performs at 9 p.m. March 30 at Chord On Blues, 106 S. Riverside Ave., St. Charles and at 8:30 p.m. March 31 at Otto's, 118 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb.

Tickets to the Chord On Blues show are $12 in advance, available at www.chordonblues.com. Tickets to the Otto's show are $13 in advance, available at www.ottosdekalb.com.

The Kane County Chronicle had the chance to talk to Lucas about the upcoming album and the band's other activities.

Kane County Chronicle: It seems like there are a lot of things happening with the band these days. The "There Went The Zoo" DVD, which was filmed at the band's May 4, 2002, sold-out show at Chicago's Vic Theatre, was released earlier this month. As far as that show, what made that show so special?

Lucas: We just had the footage, that's all it was. A lot of people really liked that show and had been asking about it.

For whatever reason, nothing happened with it when we recorded it originally.

Do you think it puts the band in a better light than other shows?

I don't know. It was a good set. It was.

The band sounded great, and everybody's really energetic, and it was a terrific set. But I don't think we do something like this for us. It's just kind of like for people who like the band.

And of course, the band's new album will come out in the fall. I understand there are a lot of political themes on the album, and that you wanted it to come out before the November presidential election.

Yeah, definitely. We've been playing some of these songs for the last year, and had gone in and demoed some songs about a year ago, sort of shaping this record into what it is.

It's something that I want to make sure comes out before November. It's definitely a timely record.

Are you wanting to change people's minds at all?

I don't know if it works that way. I would like people to be more active, and I would like people to pay attention.

But I don't know if a rock record can change people's minds.

On the other hand, this is what is interesting to me right now. As a songwriter, that's kind of where I want to go right now.

I feel we should be hearing more angry political rock. It surprises me that we don't.

One of the new songs, "They Saved Reagan's Brain," is your take on conservatives all fawning over Ronald Reagan. Did you want to poke fun at those politicians who invoke Reagan's name in everything they say?

Yeah. It seems a little ridiculous. And it's also interesting to me that the people who do that, their politics are so far removed from Reagan's politics.

If Reagan was alive today and still a politician, they would all be disagreeing with him. They'd be calling him a leftist.

What kind of feedback did you get when you released the song "President Forever?" Did you get positive feedback? Negative feedback? Both?

There was an article published recently about this new album being political, and I noticed there was some negative feedback from people on our Facebook page who said they didn't want to be told what to do.

I'm not telling anybody what to do. I'm speaking for myself.

If other people want to speak for themselves, start a band and speak for yourself. Do it. That's what I want them to do. Go ahead and do something.

To me, I think the worst thing that you can do is just be quiet because you are afraid of offending people. I just think that's silly. My favorite bands have always had something to say, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The music scene has gone through a drastic transformation since Local H formed and the band released its first albums in the 1990s. Do you think it's easier or harder to make music these days?

I think it's easier to make music and get it out there. Anybody can make a record and put it out there now. The democracy of that is great.

You see bands that are taking control of their own careers. It's great that there is not just one way to do it any more, where you had to sign with a big label and do what they say.

I think the music business is actually better now because there is not that hierarchy any more.