Even when you’re in a local band with fans that include Wesley Schultz of the Lumineers and Conor Oberst, getting signed to a major record label and receiving an advance on sales can be revelatory.
That was just one realization in “Lunatic Dreamers,” a new film on the Felice Brothers, a band with Palenville roots, which made its world premiere Wednesday, Oct. 14, before a Woodstock Film Festival audience at Assembly Kingston.
“I can sense us now edging into this dangerous world,” keyboard player, accordion player, and vocalist James Felice said of himself and Ian Felice, his bandmate and older brother, in the film. “I mean, this is our first major label thing.”
The money changed things for the brothers.
“Everything is a pretty nebulous state of affairs right now, and then we got this check from Sony, half of our advance, this was, like, a lot of money for me and Ian, and now I don’t have to actually work a real day job,” James Felice said. “There’s this money in my bank account that’s just sitting there and I check it a few times a day.”
The sold-out crowd erupted into laughter. That outburst stood in contrast to the tone found in parts of the film.
Between Ian Felice’s passion for painting, songwriting, and live performance, and James Felice’s reverence for his older brother’s artistry, the movie captures bleak moments for a band whose loyal following has both regional and national reach.
The title comes from a spoken-word piece that guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Ian Felice delivers during the film.
“I want to write great songs that can help support Ian’s songs,” James Felice said in the nearly two-hour film. “I don’t want to feel like I’m just there because I’m Ian’s brother. Like, that’s something that keeps me up at night sometimes and that drives me nuts.”
“Lunatic Dreamers” is one prong of a hat trick for the Felice Brothers, whose members also include Jesske Hume on bass and Will Lawrence on drums.
Following the world premiere of the documentary, “Felice County Fair,” a tribute album, comes out Friday, Oct. 16. A new album by the Felice Brothers, recorded at White Feather Farm in Saugerties, is set for release during the first half of 2027. No date was available.
The album, the band’s 15th, will be released on Sun Mountain Records, an imprint of Sony Music Nashville run by producer David Baron of Boiceville. Baron produced the album, and songs from it were featured in the film.
Contributors to “Felice County Fair” include the Lumineers, Nathaniel Rateliff, Dawes, Bright Eyes, Bebe Stockwell, Old Crow Medicine Show, Brandon Flowers, and Deer Tick.
In a moment of cinematic triumph for the Felice Brothers, Oberst, the leader of Bright Eyes, had plenty to say about the band in “Lunatic Dreamers.”
“Every time, you know, there’s a new batch of songs, I’m like a little kid, like, opening a present, you know?” Oberst said. “I’m never disappointed.”
During a discussion following the film, Ian Felice said he and director Tiller Russell had corresponded for years before working on the documentary. He said they tried to write a screenplay together “about Texas turning into hell,” which drew laughs.
“We’ve been talking about doing a project for a long time, and then, you know, the opportunity came to create this film,” Ian Felice said.
He said the process of making the film was “strange.” The finished product, he added, “was good.”
The festival runs through Sunday, Oct. 18, in Woodstock, Saugerties, and venues throughout the region.
John W. Barry is a reporter for The Overlook. Reach him at john@theoverlooknews.com.
