Poor Old Lu
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Poor Old Lu was a pioneering alternative Christian band based in the American Northwest. The band experimented with a variety of sounds and genres, particularly grunge, funk and psychedelic rock. Most distinct were Scott Hunter's vocals, simultaneously melodic and menacing. The band as a whole owed a debt to Pink Floyd and The Cure for its high emphasis on atmosphere, and to Nirvana for its edge. Drummer Jesse Sprinkle was among the band's greatest assests, propelling song after song with his mastery of the drum kit. Scott proved to be a tremendous lyricist with philosophical, metaphorical, and spiritually-oriented topics. Common themes in the lyrics include introspective struggles with identity and spirituality, struggles with a superficial, secular, and modern society, and hope for life abundant.
The name refers to a segment in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, in which Lucy ('Lu'), returns from Narnia and tells her brother, Peter. Peter doesn't believe her story, however, and responded patronizingly, "Poor old Lu, hiding and nobody noticed."
While Poor Old Lu developed an extremely loyal following, it did not achieve wide popularity in Christian circles, due in part to its edgy sound and challenging lyrical content. The band addressed hypocritical televangelists, drug addiction, sexual guilt, domestic unrest and spiritual rebelliousness in its lyrics, topics generally considered taboo in Christian music.
History of the band
While sophomores in high school, Nick, Aaron, and Scott started a band they called "Bellbangvilla," composed an album named 'In Love with the Greenery,' and performed shows around the Seattle area. A few months later, Jesse joined the group, and the band changed its name to Poor Old Lu, and recorded its first album under the new band name, entitled Three Song Demo.In the spring of '92, they recorded their first full-length release, 'Star-Studded-Super-Step' in three days in an empty classroom in their church. After graduation, the band played more shows to even larger audiences and was widely praised for being so young, so original, and having a good message.
Aaron and Jesse's father gave the demo to Randy Stonehill, who in turn passed it on to Terry Taylor, who in turn approached Frontline/Alarma Records. In the summer in 1993, the band recorded its first professionally produced album, Mindsize.
The following summer, the band recruited engineer/producer John Goodmanson to create a more raw sound and aggressive edge, and Sin was recorded and released with rave reviews.
In late spring of 1995, Poor Old Lu recorded Straight Six, an EP with a raw and unique sound. In early spring of '96, Poor Old Lu recorded A Picture of the Eighth Wonder, which broke new ground with a darker sound. In November 1996, Poor Old Lu played its 'Farewell' concert in Seattle, Washington.
For a time, the band members moved on to independent projects - Nick Barber played in the bands Meekin Pop and Blue Collar Love, Aaron Sprinkle formed the short-lived Rose Blossom Punch before starting a career as a solo artist, and Jesse Sprinkle released albums as Sunsites and the World Inside. In 2002, the band reunited and recorded another album, The Waiting Room for Tooth and Nail Records. They played a handful of reunion shows in Seattle. Poor Old Lu does not plan to reunite again.
In 2005, Aaron Sprinkle formed the band [Fair] with Joey Sanchez, Nick Barber and Erik Newbill. Fair released its debut album, The Best Worst-Case Scenario, on Tooth and Nail Records in June of 2006. Aaron produces records out of Compound Recording Studios in Seattle, WA. See http://www.aaronsprinkle.net for a complete discography of the records he has recorded and produced.
Jesse Sprinkle ran the recording studio the Illuminata in Dansville, NY until early 2006, when the studio closed. Sprinkle has drummed in a variety of bands including Morella's Forest, Serene UK, Demon Hunter, and Dead Poetic. He also records his own music under the name the World Inside.
Band members
- Scott Hunter: Lead Vocals, Lyrics
- Jesse Sprinkle: Drums, Percussion, Vocals
- Aaron Sprinkle: Guitar, Keys, Vocals
- Nick Barber: Bass, Vocals
Discography
- In Love With The Greenery [as BellBangVilla] (1990) Cassette-only
- Three Song Demo (1991) Cassette-only
- Star-Studded-Super-Step (1992) Cassette-only
- Mindsize (1993, Alarma Records)
- Split 7" with Mortal (1993, Intense Records)
- Sin (1994, Alarma Records)
- Sin LP w/ bonus track (1994, Alarma Records)
- Straight Six (1995, Alarma Records)
- Star-Studded-Super-Step (1995, independent)
- A Picture of the Eighth Wonder (1996, Alarma Records)
- In Their Final Performance (1998, KMG Records)
- Chrono [1993-1998] (1998, KMG Records)
- Star-Studded-Super-Step CD re-release (1998, KMG Records)
- The Waiting Room (2002, Tooth and Nail Records)
Popular songs
A few of Poor old Lu's more notable songs include:- [Where were all of you?], addressing the futility of civilization grounded in secular humanism;
- [Sickly], addressing the struggle of a man against his inner demons.
- [Receive], addressing the importance of recognizing and admitting one's struggles, and seeking to transcend them and Receive.
- [Drenched Decent], describing the joys and challenges of salvation.
- [Ring True], marks Aaron Sprinkle's debut as a vocalist.
- [Hello Sunny Weather], a great positive song.
External links
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