Luce

Tom Luce formed his self-titled band after completing his debut LP, an effort that enlisted seasoned players drawn from Counting Crows, Lisa Loeb, and Clarence Clemons. While enrolled at a North Carolina college, Luce was drawn back to his birthplace in the Bay Area by his father’s terminal illness. A local arts patron offered him housing, allowing the first album to be tracked inside a residential studio. From that base Luce built a following through regular appearances in Bay Area clubs and earned paid support slots on national tours. Heavy rotation of two tracks on a prominent San Francisco station generated widespread local interest and soon translated into national exposure. One song was also licensed for a television commercial promoting leather goods. Although the group breaks no strikingly original ground, its performances display assured playing and polished compositions reminiscent of adult-alternative outfits such as the Dave Matthews Band and Counting Crows.