Lucas Oliver is a sophomore at Armstrong pursuing a major in music industry. Among a sea of students who wander the sidewalks and halls of our campus, Oliver stands out for his self expression through his creativity and fashion.

Stemming from “rebellion” in Catholic middle school to “old Hollywood,” his style draws upon many sources; but perhaps most tellingly, Oliver cites his grandfather as an inspiration.

“He owned a herringbone tweed suit, and I loved it so much. … Then when he passed away, you know, they were getting rid of a lot of his clothes, and I said, ‘Let me have it, please,’ and that was what kick-started me into this.”

Besides being well-dressed, Oliver is also an avid musician. You’ll often find him playing guitar in Downtown Savannah, or at the International Garden here on campus, “not busking,” he notes.

“I’m sometimes out there with my girlfriend who’s, you know, also a guitar player — and she won’t believe me, but a more talented folk singer than I,” he explained. “My joke is that I play guitar and everything that’s kind of a guitar. So I play bass, banjo, mandolin, a lot of sort of folk, and bluegrass.”

His love for music began at a young age, and helped him through difficult periods of his life. When COVID-19 hit, Oliver picked up the guitar again and has been playing ever since. He shows admiration for legendary artists such as Paul Simon (of “Simon & Garfunkel”) and Paul McCartney (of “The Beatles”), both of whom he’s seen in concert.

Oliver’s grandfather inspired more than just his sense of style, also introducing him to the joys of the culinary world.

“It’s another hobby of mine. I’m a cook. I’d like to consider myself a chef, but I’m a cook.”

Oliver recalls his grandfather’s influence on this hobby. “He was, you know, very much a Georgia man, but he was a missionary in Korea for a while. So when he came back from Korea, he suddenly knew how to cook the entire country’s worth of dishes. And so he exposed me to all sorts of food, Latin American food, Southeast Asian food.”

Right now, Oliver is on a ‘kick’ centered on “good, old southern cooking”.

What’s Next for Lucas Oliver?

Oliver is looking forward to two major events coming up in his schedule:

On March 27, he will be playing with a group of four other Armstrong students known as “The Council” at District Live, in the Plant Riverside District, Downtown Savannah.

In the fall, Oliver plans to release an album. “It’s mostly gonna be that sort of folk side of things. There’s a couple of blues tunes on there. … I even experimented with more of a, I guess you call it prog rock, on one song.” 

A true “smorgasbord,” as he puts it.

Despite the previous statement on “not busking,” if you see Lucas Oliver around campus, do think about “donating” some time to this wonderful talent.