Colorado-based Downey Chase reflects the rich landscapes and clear skies of the Rocky Mountains. A new single – “I Spin” – marks the beginning of Downey Chase. The moniker defines a solo breakaway project by musician Nic Lussier. A member of the indie rock group The Brazen Youth, Lussier finds time to tour with the band while pursuing his own quieter folk vision.
“I’d classify my music as folk because it’s what comes from the deepest parts of my soul. Hope that’s not too corny,” Lussier said. His upcoming Downey Chase EP includes songs he said “felt so simple and natural while writing.”
“All I was trying to do was capture whatever I was feeling without any masks, shiny things, or grandiosity,” he explained. “To me, that’s what folk is.”
Lussier said his biggest influences for Downey Chase have been Bob Dylan, Adrianne Lenker and Gregory Alan Isakov.
“They’ve set a standard that I feel I’ll never live up to,” he confessed, “but will keep me going forever because I know that such a high level of beauty can be created.”
Lussier tried to record music that reflects that beauty, which is available in ample supply in Colorado.
“I recorded this EP from a closet in my apartment here in Boulder,” Lussier said. “I’d often go for a run or a drive in the mountains when I’d want to listen back to my mixes. Most of these songs are inspired by little ‘Colorado moments,’ too.”
He said the new single was “inspired by a trip my partner and I took to the Sand Dunes back in September. It’s considered an International Dark Sky place, with some of the best star views in the world. Lucky for us, the night we camped was a new moon. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.”
Before tackling solo work, Lussier put out several records with The Brazen Youth and “toured all over the country.” He sees that band’s tone and sonic quality as quite different from that of Downey Chase. This venture allowed him to do something new.
“I’ve always felt this strong connection to folk music and the lifestyle it promotes, but I’ve never seen The Brazen Youth as a ‘folk’ band – we hover more in the indie-rock sphere,” he explained. “It’s been a dream of mine to put music like this out – something that feels deeply personal and uninhibited.”
Lussier has been involved with music since childhood.
“I grew up singing with my family and playing guitar. As a kid, I spent a lot of time gigging around town with my [The Brazen Youth] bandmate, Charlie. We’d play at farmers' markets, town events, and birthday parties – whoever would let us play, really. He used to play a singing saw and keys, and I’d sing and strum the guitar and pedal away at a kick drum.”
He’s spent the last seven years traveling with The Brazen Youth, but now, an additional chapter will be added to his ongoing journey.
“This new project has been a big challenge for me,” he said, “forcing me to rely on myself playing instruments I’m not too comfortable playing, like piano, mandolin and banjo.”
The new single, “I Spin,” features Lussier’s brother, Joe, who performs under the stage name of “Shower Beer.”
“He guided me through this song and played banjo on it,” Lussier said. “Carson McHaney, a fiddler who also lives in Colorado, really brought this song to life with his additions. I gave him such a mishmash of thoughts, and he took them, polished them, and added something beyond my wildest dreams. Anna Frick, over at Ally Sound in Longmont, Colorado, mastered the track.”
Lussier said a few more Downey Chase singles will be released over the summer, and the full EP is expected to be released sometime in autumn.