Lucid Kane

The band is Lucid Kane, hailing from the bucolic but haute confines of St. Helena, in the Napa Valley of California. In contrast to the natural sedate beauty of the landscape, Lucid Kane is raw angst ridden energy, loud guitar based rock with a driving beat. Stretching the term Alternative Rock to its limits, Lucid Kane delivers a sound that is both cutting edge and retro at the same time. Lucid Kane sounds unlike any other band current or in the past.

Lucid Kane is a trio comprised of Raoul Urbina on drums, John Preston on bass and voice, and Siobhan (Jennifer Siobhan Kennedy) on guitar and voice. The band, loosely formed a couple of years ago as a lark, played local gigs doing covers and slipping in a few originals. This formula started to shift as the band became more focused on the originals, and a deeper exploration of the human condition started to evolve within the original songs. The sound that has evolved is proving to be a very powerful original statement, being both edgy and accessible at the same time. On top of this musical base, the band is also bringing aspects of rave culture, experimental theatre, performance art, and increased audience participation in the performance itself. The driving beats of Lucid Kane gets people up and out of their seats by making the performance one hell of a raging party!

The songwriting chores fall mainly to Siobhan, with expressions of childhood alienation, disillusionment, anger, and gender dysphoria - a psychotherapist’s delight of issues and unresolved problems. Topics cover songs such as the light BDSM (Bondage Domination Sadomasochism) aspect of consuming sexual relationships in the lyrics of "Pet", as well as the dysfunctional love/hate relationship with parents that is carried over from childhood into adulthood as expressed in "Bitter End". The song "My Life" deals with the contemplation of suicide, born from Siobhan's experience with her own mother committing suicide. The atmospheric but hard edged song "Fly" deals directly with Siobhan's gender dysphoria, exploring the notion that the face in the mirror (external representation) for some may not match the inner gender representation of oneself. The song “Seattle Mud” calls to task corporate greed and personal addictions. Siobhan has been accused of channeling Kurt Cobain in her songwriting.

Raoul hails from Puerto Rico, and has experience both live and in the studio with Robby Draco Rosa and can be heard on the Bagabundo CD. Raoul is influenced by Tool, Metallica, Perfect Circle, and NOFX. Raoul is the heart of the band, bringing rock and roll swagger to the songs and propelling the sound of the band with an intense physicality. Raoul likes to crash his vehicles, as well as beat his drum heads to a pulp – no one hits their drums harder than Raoul!

John is a gifted neophyte, who goofed around playing bass, piano, drums, or whatever but never took any of them seriously until Lucid Kane. John has the ability to create and compose without any formal training whatsoever, and adds a driving and soulful rock edge to anything that he attempts. John is influenced by Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Metallica, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, John is also starting to expand his interests into the purist realm of cutting edge jazz and fusion. Besides music, JP likes to hunt down feathery objects and shoot them, as well as to surf and party.

Siobhan spent time in various Northern California based groups including the bay areas Assault - having appeared on the Shrapnel Records recording US Metal (Unsung Guitar Heroes). This recording generated reviews in Circus, Cream, Rolling Stone, and Guitar Player magazines and was the starting point for Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records label (Mister Varney also went on to be a columnist for Guitar Player Magazine). Starting on the organ, Siobhan studied music in High School and played keyboards, bass, and guitar in local bands throughout her teens and twenties. Siobhan is influenced by Nirvana, Perfect Circle, Cracker, Sublime, Iron Maiden, Ministry, Primus, Sex Pistols, Big Black, Mott The Hoople, and Queen. Besides rock, Siobhan loves Opera and Classical music. Siobhan considers herself a transsexual on the gender scale, and alternates between being a redhead, brunette, and blonde.

The demo CD represents where Lucid Kane has come from over the last 6 months. The demo has varied flavors and recording techniques used to capture the music, all the way from two microphones tossed in the room before a jam to layered recording tracks done on a Roland 2400 CD digital audio workstation. The recordings all took place at home in Siobhan's oversized living room where the band practices. While the recording itself is rough, the concepts of the songs and the power of the band can be felt in the 7 songs contained on the demo CD. The band is beginning to work on a full CD, and is looking to release the debut CD by the end of 2004.

Lucid Kane is building its l