Lucky Soul

Lucky Soul took shape in London during 2005 once guitarist Andrew Laidlaw relocated from Scotland and crossed paths with drummer Nathaniel L. Perkins. Placing a notice seeking a vocalist, they auditioned more than three hundred applicants before Ali Howard alone captured their attention and entered the lineup. The resulting ensemble, steeped in girl-group traditions and classic soul textures, also included bassist Toby Fogell alongside guitarist Ivor Sims. Their first live outing came supporting the Pipettes, after which the double-sided debut single “My Brittle Heart/Give Me Love” quickly drew acclaim from British critics in March 2006. Ruffa Lane, the band’s own imprint, issued the follow-up “Lips Are Unhappy” that June. Early the next year they released the EP Ain’t Never Been Cool. Entering the studio with producer George Shilling, they augmented the arrangements with strings and horns that evoked Stax and Motown palettes. Ruffa Lane put out the resulting debut album, The Great Unwanted, in early 2007; widespread praise and radio exposure steadily broadened the group’s audience.

Crafting the follow-up proved far more arduous. After declining Tony Visconti’s production offers, Laidlaw assumed complete oversight of the sessions. Temporarily without a home, he spent daytime hours tracking material and slept inside the studio each night, remaining immersed around the clock. Months of meticulous labor later, the tracks reached Victor Van Vugt—known for his work with Nick Cave and PJ Harvey—for mixing. Co-released by Ruffa Lane and Elefant in 2013, A Coming of Age presented a somewhat darker lyrical perspective and drew sonic inspiration from an expanded array of sources. Following promotional touring the band entered hiatus, allowing Howard and Laidlaw to concentrate on family life after the couple welcomed a child. Although Laidlaw continued writing new material, several years passed before the group reconvened, now augmented by keyboardist and vocalist Art Terry. Sparked by the social tensions that marked Britain in the first half of the 2010s and by the late-’70s disco sound, they shifted direction on the next record. Once again self-produced by Laidlaw, Hard Lines appeared on Crystal Paris Records in mid-2017.