Lucius' previous studio album
Good Grief was released in March 2016, followed by a compilation album in 2018 titled
Nudes which consisted of acoustic versions of previously released songs in addition to new material. The band initially worked on an album self-described by band member Holly Laessig as "super heady [and] super conceptual" before shelving it in favor of what would eventually become
Second Nature. Work for the album began shortly prior to lockdowns stemming from the
COVID-19 pandemic with sessions beginning in
Nashville, Tennessee that saw Lucius collaborate with outside writers for the first time such as
Trent Dabbs and
Lori McKenna. Sessions continued in
Los Angeles virtually via
Zoom before the band returned to Nashville for three weeks to complete the album at RCA Studios A. On January 11, 2022, Lucius announced details about the album, revealing its title
Second Nature and its release date of April 8, 2022 with production helmed by
Dave Cobb and
Brandi Carlile. In a press release, Lucius member
Jess Wolfe stated that the album derived from the personal experiences of grief that she and the rest of the band experienced during the pandemic, further adding that the album's musical direction was intended for the band to "[dance their] way through the darkness". ==Singles==