Today we’d like to introduce you to TJ Duncan.
Hi TJ, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
The heart of Lazy Sue lies in the friendship between Jane (vocals), Sol (vocals+bass/keys), and Zane (vocals+keys/bass) with TJ (guitar) and Zoe (drums) bringing a new air to old friendships. Friendships that started 12 years ago in a choir room in New Mexico and have brought Lazy Sue to the stages of Austin, TX. When TJ moved to Austin to start his graduate studies, he performed with a graduate cover band which soon added Sol and Jane as lead vocalists who ushered in a new level of performance. When keyboardist Zane moved to Austin, interests piqued to form a project focused on original music, and Lazy Sue was born. Named after the band’s favorite meeting spot, a grandparent’s house, Lazy Sue became truly whole after meeting their in-house lawyer & drummer, Zoe. With a combined 50+ years of music experience between its members, their eclectic sound comes from a constantly winding road that weaves between 70’s grooves, Motown, 90’s indie rock, and 2000’s pop that brings a new face to each song but is undeniably Lazy Sue.
Releasing their first singles, UFO & Chillin, to all platforms in August of 2024, the band has been working on a debut EP with influences from the likes of Lake Street Dive, Melt, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and Eagles to carve out their names in the Austin’s retro pop scene.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Chief among the difficulties for starting a band was coming to a consensus on what the brand Lazy Sue means. I think an element that we were able to attach onto was the look and feel of movies from the late 70’s and early 80’s. There is a comforting grain and blur that these movies have that we felt would compliment our musical influences. We were able to explore this visual theme through our first music video, UFO.
Beyond defining the outward look of Lazy Sue, it has also been a journey to discover our collective musical language. Since each of our members comes from a distinct musical background, we have a plethora of choices to explore throughout the song-writing process. Often, each of us will come to a writing session with our own idea of where a song should go and then filter these ideas through whomever has taken “lead” on a song.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Lazy Sue is a 5-piece band that focuses on creating Retro Pop songs influenced by Lake Street Dive, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Billy Joel, and Eagles. With groovy instrumentals paving the way, the special ingredient comes from the multi-dimensional harmonies between the three vocalists: Jane, Sol, and Zane. A Lazy Sue live set will have you dancing, singing along, crying, and laughing for the low, low price of cover-at-the-door. Their songs often explore narratives about “what I wished I had said” in everyday interactions. Their debut singles, UFO and Chillin, are odes to overly confident men that have had very little to back up brazen advances. With the band’s collective neuroses aimed at interpersonal relationships and the universal hurdles of “being in your 20’s,” the narrative of Lazy Sue is focused on creating catchy jams from the poetic waxing found in bedtime journals. Lazy Sue is available on all platforms to stream with songs UFO and Chillin. Their freshman EP is coming soon with new exciting originals which have allowed the band to write more collaboratively and further expand their sound. The band wrote and directed their first music video for UFO which is available on YouTube.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
We began recording our debut singles in May 2024 with little to no experience in demoing, recording, mixing, and mastering. Throughout this process we learned several things 1) There was no way we could have learned how to do these things without actually putting ourselves through the process and making mistakes 2) People that produce music are often happy to share their experience with people who are consistent, kind, and honest about their own knowledge level 3) Being specific about your artistic vision and exploring ways in which you can achieve your vision is often easier to work around rather than expecting someone to elevate your work.
Pricing:
- Email lazysuemusic@gmail.com for Booking
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/lazysue
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/lazysueband
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561148185105&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lazysueband
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/43jE5qOtaCT2IZyKLdfF0d?si=NCYoSFwNSoqx3co66iBx9w
