Lowlakes is Tom Snowdon, Bill Guerin, Jack Talbot and Brent Monaghan Originally hailing from Alice Springs in the central Australian desert, the band formed in 2011 after relocating to Melbourne. Their debut album, Iceberg Nerves, is released in the UK on 1 September.
Hello Lowlakes. Where are you and what have you been up to this week?
We’re in Göfis in Austria, on the border of Switzerland and Lichtenstein. We spent a few days in Stuttgart where we performed at Marienplatz Festival and then at Café Galao, which was really special. We’ve played in Stuttgart a few times, so it was great to see some familiar faces.
You’re originally from Alice Springs, in the central Australian desert, but have relocated to the Austrian Alps. How much does the environment around you influence the music you write?
Lowlakes’ music is pretty cinematic and I think where we are or even the weather can influence our writing. Coming from Alice Springs, there’s so much space and freedom, which is restricted in a big city like Melbourne (where we’re now based). Being here in the Alps is a refreshing change from more sprawling places. We’re feeling really relaxed and excited about writing new material.
I hear echoes of Talk Talk and Boards of Canada in ‘Now She Said’ – are either an influence?
Absolutely. In making our record Iceberg Nerves we wanted to explore the elements of Lowlakes that we think are the most special, and that meant aiming to create something a bit otherworldly. Our music is informed by a number of groups who we think do this beautifully, and create haunting and open atmospheres. Talk Talk and Boards of Canada are two, others include Fever Ray, Burial, and Massive Attack.
Have you noticed a big difference between the audiences you play to in Australia and the ones in Europe?
The big difference is that in Europe we can access bigger crowds more easily – densely populated cities with markets for our type of music are closer together and far greater in number than in Australia. That means in Europe we play to more people more often, which is great. We’ve worked really hard to establish ourselves in Europe over the past 18 months too (this is our fourth tour here) and that’s opened up some cool opportunities for the band over the next few months.
What do you miss most about Down Under?
Australia is a beautifully unique and diverse country and I think the more time we spend away from it, the more we feel an attachment to it. So we miss being home sometimes and also our friends. That said, we’ve made some great friends here in Europe and are seeing some pretty breath-taking spots.
What were the first and most recent albums and gigs you shelled out for?
First Album: Blink 182, Enema of The State – Mark, Tom and Travis Show. Last Album: Todd Terje It’s Album Time. First (memorable) gig: Caribou in Melbourne, 2011. Last gig: Youth Lagoon in Melbourne, 2014.
You’ve played a number of festivals over the summer. If you were given the opportunity to curate your own festival, who would you book and why?
We would pick a bunch of bands that have inspired certain elements of what Lowlakes has become. We’d want dark and atmospheric music that is otherworldly sitting alongside music that is pop-driven with hooks that don’t leave your head for days, as well as music that is impossible not to dance to. For these reasons we would have: Chairlift, Todd Terje, Fever Ray, Sigur Ros, James Blake, Caribou and Frank Ocean.
What’s next for Lowlakes?
We’re promoting our album around Europe for the next few months, as well as taking the opportunity to work on new material in our home away from home in the Austrian Alps.
Iceberg Nerves is released on 1 September. Lowlakes will be playing the following shows to support the release: 23 September, Rough Trade East, London (In-Store @ 1pm); 24 September, Old Blue Last, London (Communion gig); 26 September, BETA @ Gullivers, Manchester
Paul Sng
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