Currently based out of Norwich, United Kingdom, The Lowtones are a five piece Indie Rock band that have been together since February 2020. Working tirelessly to finish up their debut Front Row Empty, we can confidently say that the wait was worth it because from start to finish they’ve managed to create something effortlessly unique. Covering themes of isolation, loneliness, and generally telling tales from the last couple of years, they’ve juxtaposed the message with bright and inviting instrumentals.

Released on April 23rd, 2022, they’ve already been making their way around locally playing the album and continuing to build their fan base. We’ve got a sneaking suspicion that once everyone checks this out, there’ll be plenty more diehards begging for more. Coming in at five total tracks, spanning right around thirteen minutes, they’ve consciously created a tight and concise listen that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Featuring signature guitar tones, groovy bass lines, and bombastic drumming, you’re as enticed by the sound and style as you are by the themes being covered.

We speak to the band post soundcheck at Voodoo Daddy’s, Norwich.

How long have you guys been together?

Mav - We've been together since we started in March 2020, that’s when we had our first jam session.

Jack - I think we had two practices in February and then literally went to lockdown at the beginning of March. But I think we have actually been to Pirate(studios) once or twice.

Mav - We agree on February or March!

What's the origins of the band?

George - Just something to do, really. We didn’t really have much direction at the start.

Tim - We used to just play together around our houses, pretty much just playing tunes.

Jack - Yeah, It wasn't structured at all. Something to do in the evening, pretty much getting pissed! Ollie came back to Norwich, he gave us some organization, and now I think that helped with our progression.

What would be your guy's greatest influence? And do you feel that this is the blueprint of the direction for The Lowtones?

George - Depression *laughs*

Mav - It’s just a pop band really. I think that common ground is that we like pop.

George - We like The Smiths, Morrissey - The Cure, things like that. Our influence is obvious, everyone says the same thing to us.

What's the main thing they say?

Jack - I think we try to make it sound modern. I think we have a bit more difference to those links, not like a pastiche to The Cure. We wear our influences on our sleeve, but we have a modern touch of bands like Block Party or Interpol. We have elements of those.

Mav - Yes, we're a pop band, people can label us post punk or Indie rock or whatever. I think we're a pop band.

You think genres are blended into one now?

George - We are what we are, we don't want to be completely like everyone else.

Mav - People will naturally put us into subgenres, but I don't think we belong in them.

George - I don't think we are like many other bands in Norwich, you've even got these grungier bands that are heavier. We kind of stand out on our own in terms of songs and hooks and catchy songs because we like similar music.

Jack - We are quite diverse, we don't navel gaze. We were not like - oh, let's put some really complicated time signature, funny breakdown bits, - just simple.

George - Yeah we do the opposite. We keep it really like pop sensibilities and write really catchy hooks with a good chorus in short songs.

Jack - And the juxtaposition of the lyrics are quite an up-tempo, upbeat, jangly sort of music.

Mav - I think in terms of the direction of where we're going, we will continue like this until we feel like we want to change. We're not under pressure to make any changes.

Jack - We've evolved already and we develop - there's a lot of songs within our set that there’s a common theme, but they have a different sound. Some of them have a different vibe about them. Some slower, some are a bit more driven.

Mav - I think that was a good point that George was saying, regardless of what is going on around us, we don't follow suit. We're quite content with our sound and our approach, we don't feel like we need to jump on any trend or whatever.

You guys are back from New York right? Was that your proudest accomplishment of the band to date?

George - That's probably the proudest accomplishment, maybe the longevity. We aren’t an old band yet, but we could have easily misbanded. There's been plenty of time that we could have stopped doing it.

Jack - I would say the sheer amount of good music we've produced, we probably recorded three albums worth of material or not recorded, but we probably have written, played and disposed of more songs than a lot of bands.

George - Each member of the band has their own stamp on certain songs so far. In our last rehearsal we came in with two songs that we pretty much didn't even know, and we've got two songs at the end of the day.

As I say, it's our first band. A lot of people we've met can't believe how many songs we've got. We've already been gigging and we're already doing this and we're so tight, even since day one. That's impressive to be like we're still kind of geling and learning our trade.

Jack - And we've been around for two years, but one year has been completely lost.

Tim - You'd be surprised at bands that have been around for a lot longer than two years, and they'd have five songs, six songs.

I think going from the four piece to the five piece has been quite a big thing for us. Though he should stop moving about too much, a little. *laughs*

What is your creative process when making music?

Mav - At the beginning, it was more that the music came first. Write the structure - write the song - write the parts. and then develop an idea. We would bring it to the room and figure it out and the band works on it. But now I think it's more the other way around, where I've got a backlog of lyrics ready to go. Now it's finding the right piece of music from Tim/Jack/George to fit and make a song out of an idea, like a chord progression/riff or something. It's been developing around the lyrics rather than putting the lyrics on top of a finished piece of music. So it's kind of changed now in a way.

Tim - I'm always playing parts at home. If I have something decent, like a riff, I'll send it to Mav and we will start to piece it together.

Mav - We then meet up and work out a structure on what we've got. Sometimes the whole song is pretty much there, other times we have different parts to use.

George - I think when we first started you (Mav) had so many songs, you brought so many demos to us. It was like we've only just got to that point now where we're going into the room, and learning the songs on the go. The songs are a bit more together rather than learning that the songs are almost done.

Mav - I think this way of doing it is much better since we are all together in the room, and they(songs) have come on so much like originally. Now it's like we do it all together and get it right the first time through trial and error.

Jack - There've been a couple of songs with a lot of rewriting, almost cut it up and started again. Some of them got the axe and then they've had a new lease of life.

Do you guys have any plans for recording new music in the future?

Mav - We're now recording two songs, an A and a B side brand new song called Radio. We think it's going to be our next big song in terms of how it goes down with people.

Are you going to do anything different with the recording process with regards to your previous songs?

George - Previously we're really happy with the songs that we got back, but it definitely felt like there was more of a production style that we didn't really fit, I think we will be more in control and be more independent. We just want to go and get our songs, the whole experience taught us that we can do things ourselves.

What do you think is your best song currently?

Tim - I think Let Go is still the best song.

Mav - I agree, I think it is the strongest.

Jack - It's been around a long time, it's never got kicked out of a live set. When it comes to practicing or playing it live, we still all really enjoy it.

Aaron - If I get a tap on the shoulder at a gig, people always single out that song.

Jack - I like playing it and it's a good song that's a really nice recording, it's got great dynamics. It's one of the first songs we wrote as a five piece with two guitars.

What are your favourite venues to perform at?

Jack - I think the best venue we played was either Chelsea Musical, New York - that was a really good venue and I thought the Waterfront Studio was a really impressive venue and had a really great sound.

Mav - I think the best one that we've played at is the Chelsea Musical, New York, just because it was a massive crazy experience that we never thought we would ever do. I think the ones that we enjoy and play the most and have the best sound are probably the Waterfront Studio and Voodoo Daddy’s. There's still many venues that we have yet to experience.

What's next for the band?

Tim - Recording - keep gigging more over the summer.

Jack - I think just getting some gigs outside of Norwich like Cambridge, Ipswich or Peterborough. We want to grow a bit and try to reach a bigger audience.

Listen to The Lowtones - Let Go click here.

Photography: Gemma Geraghty, The Lowtones @Voodoo Daddy’s

Interview & Artwork by Aaron Davies-Jones, Introduction copy by www.wewriteaboutmusic.com