Lucas Anderson plays drums and sings in Funeral Leech, a NYC death/doom band that recently released three new tracks recorded and produced by Travis Bacon of Black Anvil. He's also the drummer in straight edge hardcore outfit Claim, and in the past, Lucas has played in Manipulate and Grudges. In addition to his musical pursuits, the Lower East Side native is also a talented photographer whose work I'm sure I'll be featuring on the site soon.
As busy as Lucas is, he still finds time to indulge his passion for vinyl, and that's why he's now part of the site's Record Collector series.
How long have you been collecting records?
I've been collecting since I was about 13. My dad would always play me his old punk records and I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I started just with crust punk and hardcore, but eventually I started branching out to way more genres and just picked up whatever I was into. Lately, I've been really into getting Nintendo game soundtracks on vinyl.
Where/how do you usually find your records?
There's a few great stores in NYC, like Material World, Generation, and Academy, but I would be lying if I said I didn't also use eBay and Discogs a lot as well.
What is the most you paid for a single album, where/how did you obtain it, and what was it?
The most I've paid in recent years was for a copy of [Beastie Boys'] Polly Wog Stew on Ratcage Records, for a little bit under a $100. I got it at Joint Custody in DC which is an amazing record store.
What is your most prized record and why?
Two come to mind, I have an autographed copy of the first press of the self-titled Ramones LP, and it's signed by each member of the band, on the front and back. My dad passed that down to me. The other is the D.C. band Rain, their LP, La Vache Qui Rit, that my amazing girlfriend got for me one year for my birthday. They're one of my favorite D.C. bands and that record is insanely rare and so good.
Is there anything that frustrates you about the current record collecting scene?
I personally can't stand Record Store Day. I liked the idea that it was supposed to promote smaller shops and boost business, but now it seems like Record Store Day is a business of its own. Also, have you ever tried to press a record around the same time as Record Store Day? Good luck.
Which records are still on your want list that you've had a tough time tracking down through the years?
I'll always want the Type O Negative box set (ironically a Record Store Day exclusive). It's eluded me for years. I missed out when they had copies at the store by my old job, and now it's just ridiculously expensive. I still need to get a copy of Lower East Side Crew, I somehow never got around to picking that one up. Also there's like one or two Smiths singles I'm missing, I'd love the Underdog 7", and also both Rudimentary Peni 7"s.
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Follow Lucas on Instagram, and also check out both Funeral Leech and Claim for some top-notch jams. His photography website is also heavily recommended.
Tagged: claim hardcore band, funeral leech, record collector
