What started as three guys playing music in the Anderson courtyard with a 12-string acoustic guitar, harmonic vocals and various textbooks as drums has turned into “a band which creates the spirit of a lucid dream through the magic of music,” said Patrick McCleery, a resident of Anderson.

Adrian Tuohy, lead guitarist of Lucid Dream, knew he wanted to start a band the first day he got to Whitman, and a few section mates ­ ­ ­: drummer Matt Oakes and lead vocalist Patrick Miller ­ ­ ­ ­: took interest. The band name came about when Miller entered Tuohy’s room one morning and said “I just had the greatest lucid dream!”

“Before that we had come up with a name that was horrible. In fact we were ‘Green Smoke’ for about a day,” said Tuohy.

The addition of bass player Kyle Byrd-Fisher, originally a guitar player, came later. “He is an amazing musician. He picked up the bass in like four days, and then we played a show,” said Miller.

“We’ll do our thing and write our music, then we’ll go to Kyle. He’ll always know what to add on to make it better. Certainly a solid addition to the band and an enhancer to the music,” said Oakes.

The guys’ primary influences for their music are The Beatles and Oasis. “We’re trying to bring it back to the whole ’60s feel because I think we all agree that it was the best time period [for music],” said Oakes.

“But at the same time,” said Miller, interjecting, “we acknowledge that some new styles do sound good. Our electric stuff is inspired quite a bit by Oasis. We hope to kind of mix the styles of The Beatles and Oasis.”

Although Oakes writes most of the lyrics, each bandmate contributes, usually inspired by past experiences or being in nature.

“To give an example, one of our songs details an experience we had on a road trip,” said Miller.

“It was not good,” said Oakes, laughing. “That night could have turned out very badly, but we made it home, so the song is called ‘Maybe I’ll Die.'”

“I like the band because of their lyrics. I feel like they’re actually really meaningful,” said Brigitte Meyer, a resident of Anderson.

Lucid Dream is always practicing, playing their guitars, throwing around ideas or jamming outside.
Since developing solely acoustic music into electrically fueled “louder, more complex, more rockin’
music, the band has written about 14 songs and played concerts in the Anderson courtyard, the Anderson lounge, and the Coffeehouse in Reid Campus Center.

“I like it when they serenade people in the courtyard,” said Lissa Erickson, a resident of Anderson.

“The only problem right now is it’s hard to find a place to practice. We practiced in the Anderson basement for awhile, but [the school] said it was too loud and we can’t play there anymore. … But I guess you gotta respect the people who live here. I think we’re gonna work things out and hopefully find a new place to play,” said Tuohy.

The band would like to play shows around Walla Walla, but until then, students can expect more shows in the Anderson courtyard and at Coffeehouse from this upcoming gem in the world of Whitman rock music.