Low | Artist

Low is an American indie rock group formed 1993 in Duluth, Minnesota, by founders Alan Sparhawk (guitar, piano, vocals) and Mimi Parker (drums, vocals). The duo have worked with a number of bass players, the long standing third member is now Steve Garrington. Their style is referred to as Slowcore due to the slow tempos, looping pedals and pared-down arrangements. Their sound is characterised by Parker and Sparhawk's vocal harmonies which have been described as "chilling as anything Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris ever conspired on — though that's not to say it's country-tinged, just straight from the heart". Low hit the ground running with the release of their superb debut album I Could Live in Hope in 1994, which attracted rave reviews from critics from for its oppressive, melancholy atmosphere, which is at the same time emotionally compelling. Dual vocalists Sparhawk and Parker's sparse lyrics often come across as oblique riddles, requiring their audience to fill in the blanks themselves and frequently leading to a far richer listening experience than those offered by more traditionally ambitious lyricists. And while there is an undeniably claustrophobic quality to the band's playing, the songs generally feel less like walls closing in on you and more like wandering through the woods on a dark starless night, your path constantly looping and circling back on itself until you have no idea how long you've been walking or where to go next. Although the band's mainstream exposure has been limited, they've built an impressive catalogue of 14 consistently fine studio albums, plus live albums and EP's. Standout albums include I Could Live in Hope, The Curtain Hits the Cast, Secret Name, Things We Lost in the Fire, Trust, Double Negative, and the latest 2021 release, Hey What. As a side project Alan Sparhawk formed Black Eyed Snakes, a blues-rock revival band, in stark contrast to Low's musical style. Sparhawk and Parker are married, have two children, and are practicing members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, otherwise known as the Mormon faith.

Artist Website: chairkickers.com

Featured Albums: Low

Related Artists: Retribution Gospel Choir

Video Clips: Fly, Nightingale, Days Like These