Emerging from the US, electronic pop duo lowcats are capable of mellow, meaningful and relatable songwriting. Reviewing their debut effort ‘Air’, we had to say: “Perhaps our favourite tune so far, it channels a pretty minimal arrangement, alternating icy verses to warm, melodic choruses. What wins us over is, in fact, the glorious topline in the hook. Such a great moment, poignant, nostalgic and sad – just as we like it.”
Chris Suter and Paul Ward are the humans behind the project. Long-time collaborators, the pair bonded over shared musical taste, with a particular focus on bedroom pop and indietronica.
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with lowcats to find out more about their artistry and future goal… Interview below!
Hey guys, how is it going? some of our readers might not be familiar with your project, how would you describe yourself, in a few words?
We are lowcats, a lo-fi Indie Pop music duo based in Charlotte, NC. Our influences range from neo-soul to post-rock, and everything in between. To balance the self-serious artistry, Chris and I describe ourselves as silly geese.
Chris and Paul, you are longtime friends and collaborators. Did you bond over shared musical taste or just life in general?
Both. While we initially bonded over our tastes in music, it was finding a collaborator equally as grounded and non-ego-driven that really cemented our friendship. We love making fun of each other and feel most comfortable maintaining very blunt feedback between us.
If you had the opportunity to pick any artists in the world for a collaboration, who would be your first choice? (and second choice, perhaps?)
For Chris, it’s Tom Misch – every time I listen to him I’m inspired to write. And to learn from his approach to writing would be invaluable. For Paul, it’s Yebba – her melodic choices and ability are so sophisticated. It would be such a treat to hear her transform a track with her vocals.
You recently released a fantastic introspective gem, ‘Air’. We love your minimal yet intensive electronic style. What were your references in writing and producing the record?
The initial conception of this song was a happy accident. We formed the beat of the track by scrolling through drum samples, and the rest came together in a day. The guiding principle for the instruments was a minimalist dark pop approach. As far as the message of the track, Chris is singing about getting out of your own head, away from the chaotic static. It’s about transporting your focus to a space outside of yourself and above the noise where you can objectively recognize things for what they are; similar to the peace you find secluded in nature.
Singles ‘Want’ and ‘Space’ are perhaps a tad poppier, although always eclectic in their productions. Are you evolving and learning as you go?
We’re always learning – especially how to be more efficient songwriters. It can be difficult to recognize that the simple approach may be the best one. We typically start off with a loose concept, but collaboration makes the outcome unpredictable. However, it’s artistically satisfying to be surprised by both the process and the end result.
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Do you feel more confident writing music alone, or together?
Definitely more confident that a song will come out better when we collaborate. There’s immeasurable value in having a collaborator who consistently elevates your ideas into something new and unexpected.
Artistically speaking, what challenges have the last two years presented you with?
Navigating the logistics side of the music business. As artists, we love to create. But then you have to sell your ideas almost as a business to the masses, which means shifting into the polar opposite mindset. This project is also a bit of a departure for us. Coming from much heavier/louder music, we had to learn to do more with less.
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What are the next steps for your project? Anything exciting on the horizon?
December 20th will be the final single release from our debut EP. In the meantime, we’re hard at work in the studio preparing a few new tracks that will be released next year!
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