NEW ORLEANS NIGHTLIFE & MUSIC - New Orleans Musicians

New Orleans Musicians: Ingrid Lucia

Born into a family of street musicians, Ingrid Lucia sang her family band, the Flying Neutrinos from the streets of the French Quarter to New York where they played with everyone from Tony Bennett to Porno for Pyros.

How did you get started in music?
When I was 11, I played washboard bass in our family band. It was me, my cousin Todd Londagin on trombone, my aunt and my parents. We played on the streets of the French Quarter.

What is a Flying Neutrino?
The year we started, my aunt read in National Geographic that a new subatomic particle had been discovered. Neutrinos are smaller than neutrons. You can't live without them and you can't catch them.

You've just released a solo album, Fortune, what can we expect?
I wrote the songs for it. The style is '60s Etta James meets '70s Willie Nelson.

What's your best habit?
My generosity.

What's your worst habit?
I'm so disorganized. And my generosity keeps me broke.

What's the most underrated thing about New Orleans?
Everything outside of the French Quarter. The French Quarter is great but there is so much more to the city.

Do you miss singing in the streets?
The spontaneity is fun and being in my family's band was fun. It's a hard life playing every day in the sun. But the audience is only standing there because they like you. That's nice.