Uncle Lucius is finally back with new music.
Best known for their 2012 hit “Keep The Wolves Away,” country rock outfit Uncle Lucius initially formed in Austin, Texas in 2002 and quickly rose to prominence within the Texas music scene following their 2006 debut record Something They Ain’t. Led by frontman Kevin Galloway, Uncle Lucius went on to release three more albums over the next nine years, including their biggest record And You Are Me in 2012.
Eventually, founding member and bass player Hal Vorpahl decided he needed to leave the band, and by 2017, Uncle Lucius had fully dissolved, with the remaining four members parting ways as well following a six month farewell tour that culminated with multiple sold out shows at the legendary Gruene Hall in 2018. After that, Uncle Lucius fell into relative obscurity as a legendary Texas band that called it quits shortly after reaching their peak.
“Keep the Wolves Away” continued to soar, and bolstered by a feature in Paramount’s Yellowstone series, the song has now amounted well over 100 million Spotify streams. As a result, Uncle Lucius’ fan base seemed to grow despite their absence.
But nearly a year after the Turnpike Troubadour announced their return, Uncle Lucius followed suit, and on December 5, 2022, they announced the band was getting back together after a near five year hiatus. They quickly announced a run of comeback shows and haven’t looked back since, touring the country for most of 2023 with sold out show after sold out show. Despite their return to the stage, though, Uncle Lucius still hadn’t released any new music since their 2015 album The Light.
Until now.
On Wednesday, Uncle Lucius surprised fans with the release of their comeback single “Keep Singing Along,” and broke the news that they will be releasing Like It’s The Last One Left, their first full album in over 8 years.
“Keep Singing Along” plays right into the iconic sound Uncle Lucius forged in their early days on the Austin scene as a soulful country rock band with a little bit of funk and a jammy, improvisational aspect that most bands in the scene haven’t mastered quite like they have. If anyone was worried about Uncle Lucius losing that sound over their hiatus, then those concerns can be put to rest, as “Keep Singing Along” is proof.
Released in tandem with an accompanying music video that takes the band back to their roots and features some of the most recognizable locations in Austin, as they take off from The Continental Club and ultimately end up back on S. Congress Avenue for a show at C-Boys Heart & Soul.
Without further ado, check out their new single “Keep Singing Along” for yourself.
Like It’s The Last One Left, the band’s forthcoming record, will be released to the world on December 8, 2023, and if “Keep Singing Along” is any indication, it’s going to be quite the comeback for Uncle Lucius.
While I haven’t had the good fortune of seeing them play live yet, Uncle Lucius’ live shows are legendary, and they still have quite a few on the schedule for the remainder of the year. If they are coming to a city near you, I highly suggest you jump on the opportunity to see them live.
9/20 Oklahoma City – Beer City Music Hall
9/21 – Omaha, NE – Waiting Room Lounge
9/22 – Dubuque, IA – Fox Den Motel
9/23 – Springfield, IL – Leaf Life Stage at Knob Hill Landscape
9/24 – Wisconsin Dells, WI – Showboat Saloon (SOLD OUT)
9/25 – Wisconsin Dells, WI – Showboat Saloon (SOLD OUT)
9/26 – Milwaukee, WI – Shank Hall
9/27 – Grand Rapids, MI – Elevation
9/28 – Detroit, MI – El Club
9/29 – Columbus, OH – Rumba Café
9/30 – Ashland, KY – FoxFire Music Festival
10/1 – Johnson City, TN – Down Home Club
10/2 – Crossville, TN – Grinder House Coffee
10/3 – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5
10/4 – Chattanooga, TN – Barrelhouse Ballroom
10/5 – Birmingham, AL – Zydeco
10/6 – Hawkins, TX – Red Rooster Icehouse
10/15 – Bakersfield, CA – Temblor Brewing Co
10/20 – Goldthwaite, TX – Goldthwaite Music Festival
10/21 – Kountze, TX – Hogs and Strings Music Festival
10/27 – Terrell, TX – Silver Saloon
10/28 – Coleman, TX – RLVenue
11/10 – Stillwater, OK – Tumbleweed Dance Hall
11/30 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom *
12/1 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up *
12/2 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater *
12/31 – Goliad, TX – Schroeder Hall
* Supporting Paul Cauthen
Keep on streaming “Keep Singing Along,” and be on the lookout for more singles off of Like It’s The Last One Left as the December 8 release date approaches.
In the meantime, though, cue “Keep the Wolves Away.”
