Punk rock legend Steve Lucas has a new band and a new album out.  But it might not be what you expect. 

Then, Steve Lucas has never been what you’d call predictable.  

Steve Lucas is well known to music lovers as the last surviving founding member of Australia's infamous, and much-loved punk rock band X. That band’s debut album X-Aspirations has been deemed a classic by countless experts of both the armchair and professional variety, and is consistently listed in the Top 100 most important Australian recordings and ‘records you must hear before you die’ type lists.  It’s a legacy that Lucas has fiercely maintained since co-founder Ian Rilen lost his battle with cancer.  

Duly described as a national treasure, a living legend, or the elderly statesman of rock, Lucas is a staunch believer in the independent music scene.  He has lived it, breathed it, nurtured it and sweated it for the last 45 years.  As well as X, Lucas has fronted Double Cross, Groovy Frenzy, Bigger Than Jesus, A. R. M., and more. His legendary voice saw him offered the opportunity to sing for Sweet during an Australian tour, an offer he turned down.

Lucas has also always pushed the boundaries and defied expectations.  He pushed for Cathy Green to join X – declaring he’d quit otherwise. Later he would do the same for Cath Synnerdahl, a full transsexual, decades before such support became widespread and these days, expected.  "It's simply about the right person for the right job. Sex or gender has nothing to do with it."  He proved the point when he took on the management and producer role for the 6 piece all-girl rocking outfit, DollSquad for their album Lethal In Leather.

Now Melbourne based and living with his wife Joey Bedlam, Lucas’ music tastes are, as always, wide and varied. "I don't care what it is, as long as it is good."    And right now, Lucas is revelling in the pub scene and playing a ‘groovy fusion of blues and jazz’ with his latest outfit The Rising Tide, his second band with a focus on blues/roots music after The Heinous Hounds.  Yes, you read that right – blues focused.

The Rising Tide released their debut LP ‘Cross That Line’ in April in 2022 via Lucas’ own label SLXPRESS. Originally available only on limited edition vinyl and digitally, the CD format has just been added to the mix – with a new track listing, deemed a better fit for the technology. While Gil Mathews was mastering it, he rang Steve and told him the track listing wasn’t ideal for a CD. Steve replied he wasn’t planning on releasing it on CD. Gil’s reply was ‘that he was’ and a deal was done. So, AZTEC has now released Cross That Line, as their first ever contemporary CD – with a track listing that differs from the vinyl, which is unusual – but, hey, why not?

Steve Lucas joins Dr Gonzo to present Cross That Line by The Rising Tide  on And This One's Introduced By...You can find this record and more on Steve’s Bandcamp page HERE