Cy-Woods graduate and Lone Star College Cy-Fair alumnus Jordan Lane has always had a passion for music. Now, he is living his dream as the vocalist and guitarist of up-and-coming rock band Lucid Illusions.
Lane has played instruments from a young age. In high school, he sang in the Cy-Woods choir as well as played in other bands. He said he is inspired by his grandmother who was also a successful musician. “I have always played music and I feel like it’s just my turn to do it,” Lane said.
Lucid Illusions includes two other band members, drummer Donovan Hanson and bassist Conner Graham. Although the band was first formed in 2017, Lane was introduced to Hanson several years earlier after their fathers developed a friendship. Lane said his dad used to listen to and call-in traffic reports to a radio station where Hanson’s dad was the host. When they discovered both of their sons were musicians, they set up a meeting between Hanson and Lane. “I found them in the weirdest way, and we just started making music together and it took off,” Lane said.
Often described as “blues-punk,” the band has opened for national acts such as Bush, Papa Roach, Seether, Saliva, and Warrant, among others. They have also played at renowned venues and festivals, including Whiskey a Go Go in Hollywood, South by Southwest in Austin, and Buzzfest at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.
The band released their first full-length album in 2019. Lane recounts recording their second album “Something New” in a makeshift studio in Hanson’s house during the height of COVID-19. However, they eventually had the chance to finish recording at a studio in Nashville before the album was released in December 2022.
Recently named Best Local Band by the Houston Chronicle in 2022 and 2023, Lucid Illusions has received various kinds of local recognition. In addition to performing at several local venues and events, their single “Move Along” has played on Houston’s 94.5 The Buzz, a radio station Lane often listened to growing up. “I remember listening to The Buzz in the car and I would go to Buzzfest whenever I was younger,” he said. “To not only be able to play it but also have my music sung on the radio is crazy.”
The band keeps itself busy with at least two gigs or more each month, along with receiving more opportunities to perform outside of Houston. Most recently, the band performed at a New Year’s celebration at BFE Rock Club in Houston and at 602 Brewing Company in Bastrop. “I wouldn’t say that it truly means that we’re the best, but I also like to think that it means that we’re doing something right,” Lane said.
While the music industry is often competitive and unpredictable, Lane said the band aims to continue working hard to get noticed by the right people. “At the end of the day, we just want to be able to pay the bills, make music and love what we do,” he said.
