Sounds Northern: LOWES

In a new series called Sounds Northern, Paul Davies shines a spotlight on Northern musicians and bands to watch out for. First up, LOWES from the Lake District.

LOWES is Evie Plumb, Luke Paget, Jamie Walker and Oli Kane, and together they are earning a name for building powerful cinematic soundscapes that complement their roots and surroundings.

Formed less than two years ago from the environs of the Lake District and Lancaster, the group have an accomplished sound that would be at home on London Grammar’s debut album or as a soundtrack to a dramatic ending on your favourite HBO drama series. 

They have a penchant for delicate piano-led introspection with Evie’s voice cutting over the minimalism. She impressively mixes contemporary pop and delicate falsetto tones on newest release If you Leave Me Now, often within the same line. The song builds with sumptuous strings stabbing at her anguish (“If you leave now then the life we built is for nothing”).

Previous release Here We Are is another epic listen, a song with more beats to take their sound to a new place. “It’s about the calm and the wildness you feel when immersed in nature,” they say, and it pretty much acts as an introduction to the band and their natural surroundings. 

There’s a beauty and precision on their releases to date. The production is crisp and polished and every note is vital, but if you like the rawness of nature as well as the beauty then you may prefer their new live session version of If You Leave Me Now. It bodes well for future live performances and they’ve recently performed at the Highest Point festival (BBC Introducing) in Lancaster, headlined by Rae Morris.

They are very much a band focusing on the visuals and attention to detail. Norway is a beautifully shot film that showcases sections from each of the songs from their forthcoming Elements EP.  It’s almost like they are creating their own world of panoramic visions and sounds.

By Paul Davies

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