Hello, how’s it going? For those people who haven’t heard of Low Girl could you tell us a bit about yourself, your story?
It seems to be a constantly evolving story that started with a few songs recorded and written in my bedroom. Working with Tom, Brad and Toby took me out of that room and onto the stage where we began to see that things could be bigger. Nowadays, I still write the songs, but Toby, Brad and Tom make the instrumentations much spicier and take things to the next level. We are all extremely unassertive apart from Brad who functions as the band’s resident Dad, and music gives us all an irreplaceable buzz.
Who inspired you to get on stage and perform?
Introverted artists like Cavetown, Sufjan Stevens and Bearface assured me that I didn’t have to be this high energy performer to get on a stage. For a long time, I avoided gigs because I felt like I had no stage presence, but they showed me different ways to be expressive and communicate.
Are there any particular artists or albums that have inspired you and stuck with you throughout the years?
The aforementioned Sufjan Stevens has really stuck around, and more recently Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers has made a massive impact on me. Those influences are more expected, but then there’s also BROCKHAMPTON and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard shaking things up.
Where do you write songs, is there a set place or time that you usually write?
I do tend to write in the evenings when I’m by myself. That’s probably why loneliness is such a common theme! I don’t have to be anywhere in particular though, I once finished a song after waking up from a particularly productive nap on a plane.
Could you tell us a bit about the writing/recording of the Syncr Music competition-winning track ICU?
This song started out with the chorus lines “I see you in ICU”. I sang it to myself after having just listened to the latest phone call from the hospital. Steve had sent us a picture of himself and he was unrecognizable with this giant nebuliser strapped to his face. I felt this sense of impending doom as it was very clear that Steve wasn’t going to be okay even if he did survive. The song was written as we hung in that balance of not knowing, anticipating the very best and the very worst.
The track reminds me of Mad World by Gary Jules is that a coincidence or an inspiration?
I’d say it is a coincidence, but I spammed that rendition of Mad World in my mid-teens. I love bleak and melancholy music so it’s no surprise that it seeps into my own songwriting from time to time. Anyway, that is a very flattering comparison so thank you!
Your debut EP is due out early next year, how has the recording gone?
Recently myself and Toby (keys) have both been working on setting up our own home studios so that we could create more during lockdown. This helped massively when it came to this EP as it meant we could take the time to flesh out the songs before polishing them off in the studio. It was recorded at the height of the summer so I have fond memories of sweating to death in a vocal booth. Maybe that suffering will make it a better record.
What have been some of your favourite venues to perform at?
I really love the three counties classics such as Bedford Esquires, Craufurd Arms and The Horn. I also need to shout out Portland Arms in Cambridge, The Jericho Pub in Oxford and Club 85 in Hitchin. We have been really blessed to get to perform in these places and here’s to hoping we see them on the other side of this pandemic.
Here at Artistic Echoes, we are always on the lookout for new artists do you have anyone to recommend?
A really hot tip I can give you is Ellie Dixon. Trust me on that one! As well as Ellie, I have nothing but praise for Byfyn, Sarpa Salpa and Phantom Isle. Every one of those acts are masters of the craft and there are still too many people that are yet to experience their musical goodness.
What plans do you have for 2021?
I’m sure when I’m feeling more sleepy I’ll deny I ever said it, but it’s safe to say we all really miss performing and touring. So aside from hopefully a festival filled summer, it would be great to start recording the second EP or, dare I say, an album.
Find out more:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lowgirllowgirl
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lowgirllowgirl/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/lowgirl
