After dodging two mammoth roadblocks, LaMP, the musical ensemble of Scott Metzger, Russ Lawton, and Ray Paczkowski are taking full advantage of the clearing roads they’ve waited years to travel.
Still in its infancy, LaMP has an EP and live album under their belts. The trio is adding to their official resume this week in Burlington, VT as they record their second album. Thus, happily cementing the future a brain tumor and worldwide pandemic couldn’t derail.
The world originally brought LaMP together in late 2018 for a live gig at Nectar’s in Vermont. On paper, it looked like a match made in heaven. A merging of Lawton/ Paczkowski’s Soule Monde with Metzger’s Wolf!. Anyone who had followed the three over the last generation could instantly see the potential lightning bolt that could arise from the clashing of those different musical forces.
Soule Monde is the long time side project of Lawton (drums) and Paczkowski (organ). Both are members of the Trey Anastasio Band and live near each other in Vermont. A combination that according to Lawton was destined to come together. “When we started playing with Trey, I already knew him. He lived in the next town over. I was doing a pickup gig and they had a Hammond B3 in the club. I keep running into Ray when we weren’t touring. I had an idea to do a duo with an organ player. Just two people. Not acoustic. I tried it with another guy and it didn’t click.”
Lawton continues, “Ray and I rehearsed for a small gig we were playing. I gave him some beats. After the gig, the guy was like do you two want to play here once a month? Once we started doing that, we made some home recordings. Then we realized this was cool. He brought in Tango. We created Bernard from one of my beats. We kept going. We’d get the calendar out and book some more gigs. We’d play Nectar’s and a few other places. It grew from there. We’ve recorded a couple of albums. He’s a dear friend.”
Incredibly, both of those early songs Tango and Bernard have stood the test of time and appear on LaMP’s recent Live at Nectar’s release.
The 2018 collaboration that would eventually create LaMP almost never happened thanks to a major health scare for Paczkowski. Earlier that year he underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor that threatened his motor skills and music career.
Lawson picks up the tale of the musical collision with Metzger once Paczkowski recovered. “We had the same booking agent as Wolf!. As I recall, Scott’s rhythm section was changing. The agent thought we should get together. Thought there would be a good connection musically and personally. We decided to do that one show at Nectar’s. We played a combination of Wolf! and Soule Monde songs. It went so well, we said let’s make a record. Let’s dive in.”
He adds, “Ray and I have been playing with Trey since 2001. Any time I play with people I have roots with there’s always an extra spark there. Scott had a nice bed to play on top of. There’s plenty of chemistry. He’s so musical and tasteful. He’s such a great player. If he was a shredder, it wouldn’t have worked.”
Determined to keep the mojo from their Nectar’s gig going, the newly formed LaMP went into the studio in 2019 to record their debut. The album was released in 2020 in the middle of the band’s next roadblock… Covid.
Lawson remembers the nerves that set in before that initial recording session. “I’ll admit the first day we went into the studio, I was nervous. We had to come up with something good. We’re at a nice studio. The first day, I asked if we could just rehearse. We got a lot out of the way and I felt better. Not that I thought it would be bad. The album holds up so much. It’s amazing.”
With a new project and no defined sound, Lawton used his “go to” musical process to create the songs on LaMP’s debut. “I’m lucky. I’m a songwriter. I write beats. I’ve been doing this for years with Ray and the Trey band. I bring in beats and songs get written around those beats. I did the same with Scott and Ray. There are at least four songs from the album that started with those beats. I got those wonderful guys to collaborate with. I was a very lucky drummer.”
For Lawson, LaMP’s debut solidified the sound the trio was shooting for. Especially, one contribution from Metzger. “It’s a new voice. There’s stuff we do in Sole Monde that we don’t do in LaMP. When we write together there’s definitely a style that’s happening too. Having Scott as the third instrument in there gives a chance for a lot of melody to happen. Ray only has two hands. It’s a different direction but has the Soule Monde feel. If you check out Q Division on the first record. Scott started doing this sustained thing. He just stays there and stays there. It’s on the record. I was like holy fuck it keeps going. This is so great. I was like don’t hit the cymbal too hard but build it up and build it up. It was unbelievable.”
Just as LaMP was settling in as one of the newest acts on the indy/jam band scene, they ran into the brick wall called Covid. All the momentum the trio had created came to an immediate stop. Fortunately, the musical bond created by the three was strong enough to wait out the pandemic. The second the world resumed, so did LaMP.
Like many side projects, LaMP would tour as much as their schedules allowed. Doing whatever they could to bring more recognition to their new project. Their Nectar’s shows in November 2023 were recorded for a live release through Bandcamp. The double-vinyl album of the concert will be released later this year.
Continuing Lawton’s patented “beats” process to create new music, LaMP has been using their time during soundchecks, live performances, or whenever/whatever they could to create new music. They’ve been in the studio this week recording their second album. For Lawton, the nerves and excitement are the same as the last time LaMP hit the studio. “We have history and know the process a little bit more. I still get nervous. We don’t work with a click tracker so I’m practicing the hell out of the tunes. It’s fun. I’m looking forward to it so much.”
Lawton wraps things up as he looks to LaMP’s future. “There’s nothing on LaMP and Live at Nectar’s were using for the album. It’s all new songs. The last tour we did, we introduced a couple of the new ones. We were trying three or four of them out live. We’ve been trading files back and forth. In March we went into a small studio and hacked out some ideas. It’s all fresh and new.”
“Ray and I are close friends. It’s nice getting to know Scott. It’s worked out so well. It can be interesting playing with a musician you don’t know. I’m too old to be dealing with people’s bullshit. I’d rather just stay home. The band has gotten some traction. Now I’m just trying to play music and the fact this is getting some attention is wonderful.”
cover photo David Gray