Featured Artist of the Month

September – Lucas Roy 

For some people, music is merely about the sound and the way the tones and chords make them feel; it’s what makes them tap their toes or move their hips, regardless of the words being sung. For others, it’s the story being told and the emotions the words illicit that makes music, music. 

Lucas Roy Takes The Stage 

Singer and songwriter Lucas Roy has always had a fond love for music, with memories of singing ‘90s country songs in the car with his parents when he was young. The first time he hit the stage vocally was when he was 16 years old and serenaded an audience to “Drift Away” by Dobie Gray. The eruption of applause from the crowd was the moment he realized, damn, I can really do this. 

He started taking music more seriously in his twenties and has now performed everywhere from Presque Isle all the way down to Kittery, Maine. Roy is the lead singer of the local band “The Middle Men” and together they have played shows here in Maine small and large, from smaller shows at beach bars to jamming at Thompson’s Point in front of 1,500-2,000 people.

Simple Vibes With Valuable Meaning 

Both Roy’s and The Middle Men’s music is easy and pleasant to listen to with soft yet catchy sounds that are digestible and allows you to really focus on what is being said and the story being told. 

The musicians’ sound can be described as “easy listening songwriter vibes” with a genre between folk, country, pop, and singer-songwriter. Roy has developed his sound by learning more about himself, what he personally likes to create, and what he thinks listeners will resonate with most. 

Rather than being influenced by a specific artist, Roy is often inspired by individual songs and is inspired lyrically by concepts, words, and phrases that can be molded into a piece with an unmatchable ambiance. As the artist shares, “a well-written song can change the whole mood and emotions of the listener. The ability to influence and inspire through music is one of the raddest things we can do as human beings.” 

The Power of Words

Every song has its own meaning and that can be felt and sensed through his music. Writing is a form of therapy for Roy and he possesses a talented ability to take the listener on an emotional journey through his words, allowing the listener to fully resonate with and feel heard. 

Creating music takes a special talent but being able to orchestrate the right words in the right way to convey certain meaning for the listener is an invaluable art. Roy tends to write based upon emotions rather than specific instances which really allows the listeners to feel the sentiments he’s conveying. 

“You have to write from the core of your being and other people will resonate with it”, explains Roy.

Writing is a part of the musician’s identity and he stresses the importance and power behind simply writing to write, not necessarily to create a masterpiece. To him, writing for the sake of writing is more powerful than writing with the intention of showing others; it allows you to let go of your self-judgment and ego and just simply write. It’s mindsets like this that have cultivated his skill of songwriting. 

Writing The Next Chapters 

Roy will always be a performer and will continue with his journey in music but a goal of his is to write songs for other artists. In the meantime, he is still creating his own music individually and with his band. The Middle Men are currently working on an album right now and plan to release it in late 2022 or early 2023. While most of their shows are private parties or livestreams, you can catch them on the Songo River Queen on Sebago on September 16. 

With a love of music, a natural talent and adoration for writing, and an invaluable gift of eliciting various emotions in the crowd, Roy will always be part of this industry in one way or another. 

“Sometimes the magic comes from the simple act of being part of something, not being at the center of it all.”