Members: J.D. Nicholson

Lake Larsson and Derrick Semler (at right) stand next to blues keyboardist J.D. Nicholson, who they backed for several years in Los Angeles. Their times in the west coast blues scene would influence the music they played upon moving to Maine in 1983 and starting a band called the Soulbenders (after the name of Nicholson’s backup band). Also pictured are Brian Howard and Cari Ritchie. LAKE LARSSON PHOTO