Lucille Klement Teases New Album in Sit-down Chat

Co-authored by Nathaniel Morefield

With Lucille Klement poised to release a self-titled album in the spring, we wanted a look at their big picture. Sitting down with frontwoman Maggie Woodall over tea, we discussed topics ranging from their origin to their local development and the aspirations they hold now.

Woodall had musical aspirations going back to the age of nine, before any idea of Lucille Klement. Dazzled by pop stars like Katy Perry and Taylor Swift, Woodall’s musical aspirations were fostered from many different angles. She attributes much to her father, who introduced her to bands like The Beatles. Her ambitions brought her to ETSU, still motivated by her father’s persistence.

“He would actually call me my freshman year pretty often, just like, ‘have you started a band yet?’”

Whether it was the calls to action or otherwise, Woodall began working on the inklings of Lucille Klement at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). Starting as a solo project, Woodall derived the name of her project from ETSU’s dormitory, Lucille Clement.

“I fell back in love with creating music there… I remember the first time I used my microphone again was to film this stupid podcast that my friend and I started.”

Woodall says the name wasn’t ever really meant to be serious, just being a one-off stage name. But that choice uniquely tied the band to ETSU and Johnson City, creating a strong sense of community amongst students. ETSU even has its own official webpage on the band.

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Eventually, Woodall had enough material to begin performing open-mics at the Hideaway, an alternative venue in town. She met Matthew Sykes at one particular open-mic, the founder of independent record label Downspout Records. Sykes has played a quintessential part in the band since producing Lucille Klement’s songs and playing guitar for the band. Woodall has nothing but good to say about him.

“His goal is just to like, uplift anybody in the community," she said.

Woodall eventually came across a golden opportunity from one of the Hideaway’s event managers. She decided to take it, having enough material and establishing somewhat of a name for herself at the venue.

“The sound guy, Sam Love, was like ‘Do you want a two-hour set? You have to find a band.'"

Sykes pointed her in the right direction, leading to their current member lineup of Jacob Hardin, Maggie Aldridge, Kevin Portwine and Matthew Sykes himself. With Woodall’s dream of a full-fledged band a reality, they played their first show on August 26, 2023, at the same place where it all started: The Hideaway.

Woodall reflects on the experience as "terrifying."

“I remember my roommate was a fraternity president, so he brought his whole fraternity. We just had a bunch of guys that I would never hang out with, just whooping and hollering throughout the set… It was a fun show but probably a bad one.”

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That experience is a far-cry from the performances and energy Lucille Klement channels today.

Today, their stage presence packs shows on weeknights, and the possibility of their bassist, Hardin, taking off his shirt leaves many fans coming back for more.

“I remember, probably like four months ago, he leaned over before the show started and was like ‘Can I take my shirt off?’ and I was like ‘Yes, take your shirt off, man. Do your thing.’”

Lucille Klement moved on to releasing their first album "How’ve You’ve Been?" on July 5, 2024. The album reflected the personal experiences of Woodall,

being mainly songs written during her solo project, which a full band brought to life.

“I called the album ‘How’ve You Been?’ because I felt like that list of songs was literally just how I've been. It was a personal cut for sure," Woodall said. “I remember when our album released, my parents called me and were like ‘Did you actually wake up someone’s porch?’”

Her approach to music has developed to be more collaborative over time. Woodall said she has been attending open jams more often, her approach developing alongside the band. This shift is apparent in their two new singles: “Lighter” and “20 Years,” which are meant to tease their new album.

“Thematically, I really feel like this record reflects our collaboration as bandmates. I feel like this is far more representative of what we each individually do, coming together, Woodall said. "As compared to ‘How’ve You Been, ' being really thematically consistent in lyricism and songwriting. This is, I feel, more consistent in truth to the artist.”

The self-titled features varied instrumentation and a bolder presence, making it their most ambitious and dynamic release to date. Inspired by cohesive album structure, compelling songwriting and Lady Gaga’s algorithm of featuring “...a random ballad that doesn’t fit in…”

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“We want to be true to what we don’t like about modern records," Woodall said.

“I do think this has some of our most identifiable songs that we perform live on it, and then it’s got a couple of left-fielders that I think nobody’s heard.”

The new album seems to be inspired by the composition of older records, a similarity it shares with “How’ve You Been?," an album that offers special moments you can only catch listening through its entirety.

Lucille Klement knows the direction they want to go, and hopes it will take

them far. Recently, they played Bristol’s Rhythm ‘n’ Roots festival and have toured Knoxville and Asheville.

“I want to go as far as we're allowed to go. You know? Like, I really value Mt. Joy and Alabama Shakes, this type of presence where they’re not too focused on being on the cover of Rolling Stone, but focused on playing well live and having fun while they’re playing," Woodall said.

While they continue to grow fast, Woodall maintains her core values. Lucille Klement has something special, and they show no sign of stopping. The band is a

standout in a region filled with passion. Keeping true to their local roots even as they grow, they continue to foster the community around them.