On The Rise: LOWEN

This interview has been a long time coming! Lowen is such a beautiful musician and we’re beyond excited to have her be joining our On The Rise class of 2020! Check out our conversation below!!

For people who may not know you or your music can you share with us how you began your musical journey?

Music has always been a central part of my life and identity. It was less of a conscious decision and more-so something that just “was” —  singing in school musicals, playing drums and guitar in bands when I was a kid, and slinging 4-hour bar cover gigs during college. It wasn’t until I started working at a music venue doing hospitality when I began songwriting. I was so inspired by the artists I was meeting and learning from behind the scenes that it ignited the spark to pursue my own art. I remember standing side stage, during long days running errands for these tours, and just quietly soaking up every minute of live show magic. That was the real beginning of it all. 

Can you tell us a bit more about your debut EP “Only in my dreams” how excited are you to be putting out a body of work?!

It was really special to release Only In My Dreams for so many reasons. It was my first step back into the world as an artist, sharing songs that capture and tell the story of a really specific time in my life and that feels like the best way to set the tone as an artist – with complete honesty. It feels like creatively, a seed was planted and I’m writing and exploring myself sonically more than ever.

We’re obsessed with your new single “just fucking let me love you“! Can you take us through your process of its inception to its release?!

Thank you! Just Fucking Let Me Love you started with a couple of phrases my wife had unintentionally poetically spewed out during a passionate argument about, who knows what (we can’t even remember). All I know is that her words felt so beautifully heartbreaking that I had to write them down. I had no initial song intentions at the time. Her words were so conversational but they carried so much weight that I just wanted to hold onto them. I do that a lot — write things down that inspire me, record voice memos of thoughts or ideas. Just to have. Just to look back on and learn from (sort of like taking photos). 

One night, two of my best friends and I were hanging out in my studio…..and I showed them the lines. I felt really safe in sharing the story and words with them. So, we started writing a song. We decided to just jump right into it from the perspective of me, telling the story I had just told them. I love writing conversationally and putting a magnifying glass on small life moments (because that’s where life happens – within a lot of up-close moments one after the other). 

We wrote the verses but felt stuck when it came to what the actual messaging + chorus of what the song was supposed to be. So naturally, we took a break, got stoned, and tried again. We started to cycle through the chorus a bunch and all of a sudden my friend Carlos started riffing and shouted “JUST FUCKING LET ME LOVE YOU” and we all went nuts. We finished the song at 5am.

When it came to production I had a pretty clear identity in mind. I’d sent my producer Chad Copelin some song references. We were both on the same page and loved the idea of making this both intimate and gnarly all at the same time. “Creep” (Radiohead) meets “The Story” (Brandi Carlile) sprinkled in with some Alanis. It needed to be visceral and real. We worked at Chad’s place (Blackwatch Studios in Norman, OK) and the production process was amazing, as we all just went with our gut. We (myself and other co-writer Ellery) ended up reworking a lot of the verse lyrics while we were in the studio. We cut vocals right away and comped them together as a team. When we came back to the studio the next day, something about the vocal didn’t feel right to me. They didn’t feel honest, or raw enough. We ended up re-recording all of the vocals and I’m SO glad we did. The process from inception to release was one that brought me closer to the relationship I get to have with the work I make and share. 

Can you take us through what a typical songwriting session looks like for you?!

The vibe of a session usually depends on if I’m working alone, or with someone else I know VS someone I’m just meeting that day. If I’m alone, it’s usually pretty organic in nature, and can sometimes be scattered (following an idea on the piano or guitar, mumbling melody ideas, opening a track and starting a session for it, going back to the piano, getting stuck, visiting old ideas, etc). It’s a lot of searching and stumbling. 

A writing session with someone else can look different each time but, I often like to see who has the seed of an idea started / who’s inspired by what; That can dictate how things flow and come to fruition. Usually, I’ll start playing around with chords on the guitar, and we can all mess with melodic ideas and see what catches on, while also mumbling out lyrical seeds. In a writing session, it’s really fun when everyone is on a similar page of just freely exploring what’s in their creative mind – where the puzzle starts to come together. I picture it like shaping clay — you mold a little bit here, a little bit there, commit to an idea…but also, that idea can be dismantled in a few hours, or in the next week, if another part of the mold starts to take a different shape. There’s no real rule book or road map. 

As an artist do you enjoy taking part in creative elements, such as live show visuals, music videos, cover art, ETC?

Yes yes, all of it. I envision everything as being art that serves and lends itself to the music as a whole. It’s all a part of the same story. My live show is something that’s REALLY important to me. I want to create something memorable that can make anyone coming to a show feel like they’re entering an environment – and experiencing something that they can connect to both sonically, but visually and emotionally as well. I want it all to be a reflection of the bigger message and picture. I love working on graphics (I do my own graphic design for this reason), and it helps me explore other creative muscles. 

What is your favorite part of performing live?!

My favorite part of performing live is having the opportunity to experience the songs as new life forces each time we play them, in real-time. Each show is like a new chance for the songs to come alive in very different ways over an over again – it’s both with, and because of an audience, the vibe of the night, the way the band and I are experiencing playing together. All of these elements have a relationship and work together to dictate how things will feel. It can be the most visceral experience. 

Being a woman in the music industry, what are your thoughts and feelings regarding women having fewer opportunities and notoriety within the industry? 

Historically, it’s obviously been an unfortunate part of not only our industry but many male occupied industries. As a kid, I was heavily involved in both sports and music and naively went about my business, forging my path without regard to the boys who didn’t root for me, or even take me seriously. Looking back, I think my passion for the things I was interested in was always greater than my awareness of the parts of it that could have potentially held me back. Basically, I never gave a shit who said no or felt discomfort. I only wanted to play ball with, or jam with or write with those who were on the train of what I was doing, and those are the opportunities I was able to create for myself.  I think it’s that same mentality that’s stuck with me into adulthood. I’ve always just kept moving forward regardless. The men who are supportive, who are teammates and collaborators and advocates — those are the ones I want to work with. Those who fail to recognize that women are capable of leading, of producing, of writing, of putting on incredible shows— they don’t matter because women like me will continue to move, and the opportunities will have no choice but to reveal themselves. Look at Lizzo, at Brandi Carlile, Alex Hope (a producer I’m a huge fan of), Sara Bareilles, Linda Perry, Alanis….Nothing can stop tenacious and talented women. 

Do you believe traveling the world made you a better musician?! can you share with us any stories of art in other countries 

I think traveling the world with nothing but a backpack and a guitar and a hunger and willingness to meet the unknown was an experience that gifted me access to parts of myself that I’d never met before. That knowing, and that insight and perspective has definitely made me a better writer/artist. 

One night that I remember most in my travels was in the town of Pai, Thailand. Pai is a small eclectic town in Northern Thailand that borders Lao — filled with characters and artists from around the world; Some who come for a visit and leave with stories and inspiration, and some who visit and stay indefinitely. There’s a jazz bar – where people sit in hammocks, walk around barefoot, and can listen to music all night while sipping on a $2 Tiger beer. There’s a reggae bar, street artists, huts on the river, and a circus hostel (yes – think Burning Man… but at a hostel). Pai is a magical little corner of the world. I’d become friendly with the folks at the Jazz bar and they offered me a gig there for the night in exchange for some beer and food. I was so memorable because I’d gone so long without performing and didn’t want to play on this trip unless it felt natural and came from the most honest place possible. That night, I played, and it felt so special. Some friends we made in town even came to watch. High off of playing, my lady and I decided to stay out. We walked around town and found ourselves at an outdoor bar across the river. Under a hut, with a band playing, and technicolored lights bumping. I ended up sitting in on drums and suddenly found ourselves making friends with the band, and with everyone around us. Through music, through meaningful conversation, through our shared experience of the “now”. The night ended when our (now) group made our way over to the “circus hostel”. I remember walking through the gate and into the back yard of the hostel and being in awesome people were juggling fire, some were singing, some were smoking, some were partying, and some were doing acro-yoga it seemed. The night ended when we all gathered together, sitting in a circle on the floor underneath a gazebo. Someone lit up a joint, and we all laughed, too stories, and sang together. Some of us were friends, most of us, complete strangers, and by any stretch, this would have been perceived to be a strange experience inside of everyday “normal” life. It was one of the most memorable nights of the trip for me – as it showed me how much people can connect when they have nothing to prove to one another, and only willingness to give and share. It was an adventurous, soulful, music-filled night.  

Where do you see yourself musically in the next 5 years?

Being deeply focused and honest on my path as a writer, in tune with who I am as an artist, and helping to produce other artists. 

As readers and fans, how can the public help musicians in need all around the world? Can you share with us any charities benefiting musicians in Nashville?

The timing of this question couldn’t be more serendipitous, as most of the world is now on quarantine from COVID-19. It’s a scary time, but a beautiful one as well because, in a time like this — where we’re sitting with our solitude and lack of face to face interaction, we have no choice but to turn to the things that got us started on this path in the first place. Being in this moment reminds me of being 12, sitting at home, trying to learn chords on my guitar. For hours and hours. We didn’t have cell phones yet, let alone Instagram or Facebook. It was just you, and the thing that drove you. 

In times like this, we turn to art, both in its creation and in its appreciation. I think about everyone sitting home right now listening to music, watching Netflix, and reading books — art. I hope this can serve as a reminder to the rest of the world how important the artists are. The public can help them by going to their shows, buying their art pieces, reading their books, and blogs and videos. A lot of bands have had to cancel tours because of this virus outbreak, and many artists have lost their homes due to the tornado that just hit Nashville. It’s been quite a month. MusiCares is an organization that provides preventative recovery and emergency assistance to those in music who are in need of it. Music Health Alliance is another organization here in Nashville doing amazing work by providing healthcare access and advocacy for music professionals. Ultimately, I think it’s about showing up for the artists. If you like what we make, support it.

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