The Lost Boys band has been entertaining Houston with 80s hits for over 15 years. That’s a lifetime in Houston. Recently, the band has added different packages – expanding out from the 80s with their Soft Rock incarnation, Variety Band Extravaganza and (not leaving the 80s completely) Lucky Star- their Madonna Tribute Band. It’s a natural evolution for them as Houston grows, styles change, and new opportunities open up.
We sat down with Lead Singer: Renee Edd, Guitarist: Michael Lee and Keyboardist: Andrew Richardson who make up the original trio who first got together in a plain suburban house in Sugar Land in 2004.
Houston News and Events: You guys were one of the first 80s bands in Houston. How did that come about?
📷ML: When I lived in Los Angeles, there were practically 80s bands playing on every corner. But only a handful of them was really spectacular- and that’s exactly what we patterned The Lost Boys after. I’m most proud of our band that we can roll into any top venue in LA today and blow away crowds just like the bands there do. Some groups can come up with a good set here and there, but we pride ourselves on dazzling an audience for four hours straight with nonstop hits. The greatest compliments we’ve gotten are how much our performances sound just like the original bands performing back in the day. In essence, we bring an LA club night experience every time we take the stage- no matter where we are.
Houston News and Events: I know you guys are branching out from the 80s. But before we talk about that why do you think that genre of music endures?
AR: Some of the songs we play are just easy, fun songs that people like to dance and sing along to, but many of them (like many songs from the 80’s) are actually quite complex in their structure and in the level of their production. We have always taken a lot of pride in the fact that we can pull off our repertoire very close to the originals in a live setting, with live instruments and no sequencing.
RE: Yeah, we curate our list very carefully. Most comparable bands in Houston have almost the exact same set list. We pride ourselves on a wider variety of hits – you still know what we’re playing – but we’re playing songs other bands aren’t. You hear a lot of other cover bands go on about putting “their own spin” on a song. I call that BS! I think that’s usually because they can’t pull off the intricacies instrumentally and, certainly, vocally that these songs require. We don’t shy away from songs by, like, Queen and ELO.
Houston News and Events: So you are branching out from the 80s with these other acts? That must be exciting for you.
AR: With the synthesizer being such a big part of the 80’s sound, it’s nice to see so many modern groups embracing those influences and bringing it back into style with current music. We are always keeping our ears open for killer modern songs that we can perform that embrace it as a standout instrument.
RE: I’m excited to try new things. In some ways I’m vocally out of style. All these chicks down 1960 way doing their best gritty alto, Janis Joplin versions of 80s and new pop… it’s just the wrong vocal style for the era, but it’s what everyone associates with rock and roll, I guess. My style is straight up 80s rock soprano. My range lets me segue into modern Ariana Grande/GaGa/Sia pretty easily too. But I think everyone is used to that kind of darker grit that I don’t have. So it is what it is. But it certainly lends itself to me having the ability to have a wider vocal catalog than any other local band, that’s for sure.📷
Houston News and Events: What makes you guys have such longevity?
ML: There’s so much talent in this band….every member can sing lead, and the harmonies when everyone comes together really are a beautiful thing. The musicians are all multi-instrumentalists, so we can play anything- and we do! Our love for the music we play really carries over to the crowds we entertain. On any given night, a Lost Boys show is always unique and filled with incredible energy! The special play lists we put together dial up loads of fun and great memories for all. It’s like a contagious feeling we conjure up for the crowd…you just can’t help but bust a move or belt out a chorus along with us. We’ve been doing it for so long, we know how to read a room and how to get everyone moving. It’s an art, really. The Lost Boys is more than just a band- it’s an encounter and an experience everyone should have!
RE: We’ve seen it all and, unfortunately, these days a lot of bars don’t seem to want to spend the money on live music – at least in the loop. They either rely on DJs or they hire a bunch of original bands for the price of one cover band. I think original bands are important but I also think that when people are out and about just to drink, they like to hear the hits. And there’s something about hearing those hits live – especially if you can pull it off to sound like the original artist,that really fills the room/space with energy in a way a DJ can’t. It’s a definite investment and a guaranteed good time for your patrons.
📷 The Lost Boys also comprise of Nathan Kyle, bassist and Steve Bundrick on Drums. Both long-term local Musicians who have seen the growth and evolution of live music in Houston. Bundrick, who has his own sound studio, spear-headed the organization that fought back against new sound ordinances that were making live music a challenge some years back. Together this band of boys (and girl) are looking towards another 15 years in their favorite city!
For more information visit www.TheLostBoysBand.com find them on Facebook at facebook.com/LostBoysBand on Insta at LostBoysBandHTX.
Comments