It started as a throwaway comment in a conversation between Craig and myself: “Let’s start a band that fans love and musicians want to be a part of.” Six years later, I’m still doing my best to see that idea realized. I dare say we’ve come pretty close and as long as there are music lovers and lovers of making music interested in what we’re doing, I guess we succeeded.
Another year, another iteration of the band. Six weeks into 2011 and I’m mulling more personnel changes and further evolution of a group I’ve poured so much of myself into. To date, Lost Immigrants has had 12 different musicians (most of them drummers) come and go. It’s still fewer than those who have been a part of my friends, The Killdares, who I played with for a short stint in 2004-2005. But they’ve been around twice as long and Celtic rock is an acquired taste.
Longtime LI fans will know of which I speak; for some, it’s become a running gag every time they see us, who’s in the band and who’s moved on. I lose track myself. Hopefully, though, different players bring different musicality and”flavor” to the LI sound, and that’s exactly what Craig and I had in mind at the start.
I don’t think I’m an egotist. I could care less if anyone knew the name James Dunning or associated that with music or the band or whatever. But I do hope those out beyond my immediate circle get to know the name Lost Immigrants and get to hear and fully appreciate the music we write and perform. I’d prefer the members to be nebulous, ever-changing, hard to peg, and stand fully behind the music, never out front.
But I want the music to ebb and flow, evolve from simple natural acoustics to cosmic bombast and settle back down again. I want for the band to be a gateway for open ears to carry that soul to another place for a short time and remind all who hear that there is hope and promise and redemption amid the chaos and sorrow. We’re kidding ourselves if we think we’ve got anything more to offer than a simple truth reiterated a thousand times, and we are doing ourselves and our craft an injustice by squandering the few precious moments we have on this earth singing about drinking and screwing and being cool. (That may be a comment more for those on the Texas music scene.)
I’m not sure if the message is clear in the music you hear. I hope it is. If not, I’ll be more blunt. The last several months have found me writing with purpose and direction and renewed fire despite the setbacks, changes and disappointments. I, for one, am excited about the art we’re creating and the songs yet to be sung. I hope you’ll join us on our journey into the unknown.
