Lucette on her recently released EP ‘Nice Girl From The Suburbs’

Lucette is a solo project by Edmonton-based artist and songwriter Lauren Gillis. She broke out in 2014 with her debut Americana album Black Is the Color. She went on to work with Grammy-nominated Sturgill Simpson, who produced her second album, having her covered by Rolling Stone magazine. Six years later, she’s released her new EP Nice Girl From the Suburbs, a step away from the Americana/folk sound. 

While the new EP expands her range of sound to incorporate elements of rock and pop, Gillis said aspects of her old sound will always remain present.

“Roots and country songwriting will always be a huge part of the backbone of what I do. The storytelling aspect of Americana still definitely leads into this EP. Like on songs like “Rodeo Clown” where there’s this big story arc, that’s still part of what I do.” 

“I don’t want people to feel alone,” Gillis says

The story and meaning behind the songs are a big part of the new release overall. The EP is her most vulnerable release, Gillis said. One of her goals is to make people feel less alone. 

“[This release is] the most vulnerable I’ve been. As far as showing people my inner-workings as a person. I don’t want people to feel alone in having sad or dark feelings. And also like they’re getting to know me a little bit more as a person. The whole arc of who I am, but also what I’ve been doing for the last five years, since I released my last record.”

She said that the themes on the record revolve around “finding humility in flaws and kind of not playing the victim. Owning that you kind of hold yourself back in a lot of ways. The overarching theme is just being like, ‘yeah, I have issues, and I kind of make them worse for myself sometimes,’ and just recognizing that and being okay with it and not feeling alone in that.”

“We all cheer each other on,” Gillis says

With her EP release party on April 24 at Double Dragon here in Edmonton, she mentioned what the city and the Edmonton music scene means to her.

“I’m still in Edmonton because of the community here. I really believe in the music that comes out of the city. I think there’s so much talent here, and I try to collaborate a lot with local people as well. There’s a few producers in town that I work with and help write with their artists. It’s home for me. Having a place that’s quiet and community minded is really lovely.”

She added that she herself started in the same way many other Edmonton artists do when they get around to their first gigs: getting on the bill for Rockin’ 4 Dollar$.

“I started playing around Edmonton in my 20s. And that’s when Rockin’ 4 Dollar$ started in Edmonton. It would be like 100 people who would come out on a Monday night. And you look at the bands that come out of just that, there’s so many talented people. For me, what’s so cool about it is that we all cheer each other on.” 

Catch her at her EP release party at the Double Dragon on April 24.