To Whom It May Concern:

Thank you for taking an interest in my son, Scotty, and his friend Brian's band, Local H. I know you are only doing this because it's your job, but thank you anyway.

Scotty's full name is David Scott Lucas, but he goes by Scott because his father's name is Dave. He plays the guitar and sings - Scotty, not his dad. He plays a guitar that lets him play the guitar and the bass at the same time. I really don't understand how this works, so you'll have to ask him yourself.

Scotty started Local H in high school with his old friend Joe. They both went to Zion Benton Township High School. They were Z-B's. They started writing songs and playing wherever they could. Gigging - they call it. The songs were good - I liked them o.k. Except for the really loud ones where Scotty screams and swears a lot. Especially the F-word. Oh, I hate that. I just want to say he was most certainly NOT raised that way. We did not talk that way.

Anyway, Local H got signed to Island in 1994 and made three records with them. Ham-Fisted in 1995, As Good As Dead in 1996, and Pack up the Cats in 1998. I was very proud. His friend Jerry, from high school, designed the cover to the As Good As Dead CD. Jerry was a nice boy - except he was into the punk rock. Pewww!

Everything seemed fine - and then those damn fools at the wine cooler company bought Polygram and then everything went to heck. Joe left the band. Everyone at the label got fired or quit. Scotty would call and say, "Y'know, Mom, I don't know anybody at the label anymore. It's kind of weird." Well, I say who needs it? Still, I must also say I was a little worried. No drummer. No label. Now what?

That's where Brian came in. Brian St. Clair plays the drums. Scotty met Brian quite a few years ago when he (Brian that is) was drumming in a band called Triple Fast Action. Scotty said they were good - but I've never heard of them. He used to call and say, "Oh, Mom, you should see this guy play the drums. He beats the heck out of 'em. Like Bill Bonham or Bonzo Ward." Brian seems like a nice enough boy - he likes bird watching, and all - but, that hair! When he plays the drums, he bounces so much that I can't even see his face. And he's got the prettiest green eyes. Such a shame.

After Joe had left, Scotty tried out a few drummers - but none of them felt right. Scotty would say, "Mom, if I can't find the right drummer, I don't think I can keep Local H going." I suggested he rig his guitar to play the drums, too - but he didn't seem to think that would work. So, he called Brian, who had been out on the road with Cheap Trick, drum teching for Bun E. Carlos. "Bun E." - well, that's a funny name. Anyway, Scotty asked Brian if he wanted to join the band and Brian came out the next day. Scotty called and said, "It sounds great, Mom."

So, they started writing songs right away (more cussing) and got on the road to try them out. Scotty said it was to get the songs tight so the next record would have "more of a live feel." They wrote almost 25 songs but only wanted to have 10 on the record. Scotty would say, "Y'know, Mom, there's only 10 on Back in Black."

Then, late last year, they followed some people they knew to a new record label that Chris Blackwell had started. He called the label Palm Pictures - but I never understood what the "Pictures" was for if they were making records, and all. Anyway, Scotty says, "Mom, these are the guys that liked us before anybody else did - so, why not? It just makes sense." Well, I guess he knows what he's talking about.

So, when Brian met producer Jack Douglas at a wedding in New York, He asked Jack to produce the new Local H record. Scotty says Jack's a legend who has produced records by Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Patti Smith, and John Lennon - but I don't know about all that. Scotty used to drive me up the wall with those records and he probably just wants to do the same thing to someone else's parents.

So, they recorded it in New York (yuck!) and New Jersey (yuck!, again) and brought in a bunch of other musicians they admired to do guest spots on the record. People that you may have heard of like Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age or Jerry Only from The Misfits and people that you may not have heard of like Shanna Kiel from Sullen or Simantha Sernaker from Simi. Well, I've never heard of any of them.

From there, they went to Atlanta (much better) to mix it with Nick DiDia - who has worked on records for Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and - oh, look at this - Local H.

Well, there you have it - the new record by Local H - Here Comes the Zoo. Wheee! It's set to come out in February (2002) with the usual endless tour to begin soon after, which means I won't see Scotty 'til next Christmas! But what can I do? You can't live their lives for them. You've got to let them go sometime. Am I right?

Sincerely, Scott's Mom