Introducing Interview: Lõwli

Having received acclaim from the likes of The Irish Times and performed at showcases for organisations such as Sofar Sounds, Irish artist Roisin Lowry – aka Lõwli – has just released her captivating new EP, Otherworld. An ethereal collection showcasing her ability to create cinematic soundscapes oozing a spellbinding majesty – it beautifully interweaves a traditional classical musicality with more contemporary, heartfelt shades of alt-folk as Lowry’s rich, soulful vocals soar.

We caught up with Lõwli to find out more about the EP, what inspires her and her thoughts on the industry today. Have a read!

Hi Lõwli welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Thank you for having me! I’m a composer and songwriter from Galway, Ireland but I’ve been based in Dublin for the past number of years. I write and perform piano-driven, cinematic music which often combines strings, vocals and piano. Although it’s difficult to find a genre for my music, I’d describe it as neo-classical dark-pop.

How did you initially start creating music?
I began writing my own songs and pieces when I was about fifteen, mostly on piano or violin, but also experimenting with other instruments too. I then studied music in university where I developed a bit more confidence in composing as I had the opportunity to collaborate with other musicians and composers. I also wrote music in a few bands and original music projects around that time too. I then began my own solo project in 2016 and since then, I have been writing, releasing and performing music as Lōwli.

Your new EP Otherworld is out now – can you tell us what it’s all about? Are there any themes running throughout it?
Otherworld is a 3-track EP which was recorded back in May 2021 in Camden Studios, Dublin. The EP features two instrumental tracks and one track with vocals. As this EP was written and recorded during a time of strict covid restrictions, I wanted to emulate a ‘live’ feel in the songs, due to the lack of live music happening at the time. The tracks are written and produced quite minimally to achieve this authentic, vulnerable sound. Themes of transition, perspective and acceptance are portrayed in this work.

You’ve been compared to the likes of Agnes Obel and Olafur Arnalds, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
Agnes Obel and Olafur Arnalds are big influences. I also love the music of contemporary classical composers such as Hania Rani, Poppy Ackroyd, Max Richter and Nils Frahm as well as piano composers such as Debussy and Chopin. I’m also very inspired by Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley and many others.

How is your local music scene? Do you go to see lots of live music?
I live in Dublin and the music scene here is great. There’s lots of amazing, diverse music to experience and I go to see live gigs as often as I can. It’s great to see so much live music happening at the moment after a very difficult couple of years for the industry. 

And what can fans expect from your live shows?
My shows are very focused on the piano and vocals. I often have a string section playing with me as well as percussion and backing vocals. I’m currently experimenting with some new ideas for my live shows which will incorporate more modern sounds and techniques. My music is quite delicate and cinematic so my live shows are best suited to an intimate atmosphere. I particularly love to play in churches and halls, where both the audience and performers can be fully immersed in the experience.

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any new/upcoming bands or artists you’d recommend we check out?
I’ve seen some fantastic live shows in Dublin and Galway recently from Anna Mullarkey, Vale, Moon Looks On and Sive. I’ve also been listening to music from Una Keane, Rachel Lavelle, Bridin, Brian Crosby, BK Pepper, Aoife Nessa Frances, Pine the Pilcrow and lots more. Most of these artists have recently released new music so I would definitely recommend checking them out!

And how do you feel the music industry is for new bands at the moment – would you say it’s difficult to get noticed?
I think the music industry can be a challenging one to navigate as a new artist. It can also be quite difficult to get noticed as there is so much new music being released all the time and the standard is so high. But I’ve also found the music scene in Ireland to be very supportive generally, and people are often happy to help if they can. I think it also helps to put yourself out there and play live as much as possible.

Finally, what does the rest of 2022 have in store for Lõwli?
My upcoming EP Otherworld has recently been released, which is super exciting! I’m also working on new music for my debut album, as well as planning some Irish shows which I will be announcing soon!

Massive thanks to Lõwli for answering our questions! Otherworld, her captivating new EP, is out now on Veta Records.

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LISTEN: GIHE on Soho Radio with Big Joanie 21.09.22

Tash and Kate were back on Soho Radio’s airwaves playing loads of new music from some of their favourite female, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ artists, and Mari offered some of her “musical musings” too. They enthused about the eclectic mix of tracks on the playlist, their love for London duo Scrounge, and Kate revealed that her fear of technology stems from watching Terminator 2: Judgement Day on repeat throughout her childhood.

They were thrilled to have Chardine, Estella and Steph aka DIY punk legends Big Joanie join them on air again to talk about their latest single ‘Confident Man’, which is taken from the trio’s upcoming second album Back Home, due for release on 4th November. The band also spoke about their recent work organising Decolonise Fest, the inspiration behind the artwork on their new album, working with amazing producer Margo Broom at Hermitage Works Studios in North London, and their top tips for surviving life on the road whilst touring.

Listen below:

 

Tracklist
Noga Erez ft. Missy Elliott – NAILS
Maury Blu, Peaches – Vashti Part One
Lucy Dacus – Night Shift
Scrounge – Starve
O Hell – I Watch The Women
AGAAMA – Blackbox Oracle
Moglii, Palmaria – Volcano
TSHA, Clementine Douglas – Dancing In The Shadows
Tokky Horror – Jazz Music
New Pagans – Better People
SPRINTS – Literary Mind
Amaroun – Brown Skin Beauty
Perera Elsewhere – Who I Am
Big Joanie – Confident Man
**Interview with Big Joanie**
Gustaf – Best Behaviour
Grandmas House – Body
Connie Constance – Mood Hoover
Brutus – Victoria
adults – things we achieve
DIVES – Say
Zahra Haji Fath Ali Tehrani – Waiting
th’sheridans – Luka
Perfume Genius – Queen
Jemma Freeman & The Cosmic Something – Helen Is A Reptile
The Big Moon – Trouble

(you can listen back to the our original 2019 interview with Big Joanie here too)

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Five Favourites: SRSQ

‘Saved for Summer’ is the latest single from American ethereal-pop artist Kennedy Ashlyn – aka SRSQ (pronounced seer-skew), taken from her latest album Ever Crashing. Although Summer may be over, this is the powerful pop anthem we need to get us through the upcoming gloomy winter. Opening with a fun ’80s synth-pop beat followed by a thick lush synth pad and a fuzzy catchy guitar riff, it’s clear from the start that this track is going to have an impact. Full of atmospheric layers and ethereal sounds, a frenzied cacophony builds, but in a way that immerses you completely. Ashlyn’s voice is theatrical and powerful and her eclectic genre-bending style brings to mind artists like Kate Bush and St Vincent. The recurring vocal “oohs” lodge themselves in the ears and stay there all day long. Of the lyrics, Ashlyn explains: “‘Saved for Summer’ echoes the yearning to escape a depressive miasma, the desperate desire to stop watching life through a window”.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the recent release of Ever Crashing, we caught up with SRSQ to ask about the music that has inspired her the most. See below for their choices of their five favourite albums, and be sure to watch the trippy new video for the ‘Saved For Summer’ at the end of this feature.

The Horrors – Primary Colours
This album has consistently been in my top three favourite albums since it came out over a decade ago, which I think might make it my favourite record. I was 15 when it came out, and what really drew me to it was the sound design and guitar tones, which I still think are very unique, but at the time I hadn’t heard anything even close to similar. I remember hearing in an interview that the guitarist actually made a lot of his own pedals, which I had never even heard of at the time. The sound is simultaneously ambient and harsh, and you can definitely hear that influence in my music. I also think the album starts in such an intriguing way and has such a captivating arc, it’s really an enchanting listen. 

Slowdive – Souvlaki
My TAUT bandmate Cash introduced me to this album when I was 19, and it was love at first listen. This album is one of the best examples of how sound itself can be vastly emotional, outside of the songwriting, beyond the lyrics – how the textures and timbres can pull at your heartstrings and reach you in a deep visceral way. I saw them live the following year at the Fox Theater in Oakland, and in between songs they would sometimes break out into this ambient harsh noise, and these were the most beautiful and impactful parts of the performance. They have an uncanny ability to create a synesthesia of sound and feeling, and I don’t think anyone does it better.

Cocteau Twins – Garlands
Though it’s hard to choose, I’m pretty sure this is my favourite Cocteau Twins record. It’s just so driving, and the guitar tones are so perfect – it’s moody and beautiful, and solid from start to finish. Cocteau Twins were (are) my mom’s favourite band, so I listened to them growing up and kind of wrote them off as a teen, assuming it was “mom music.” When I started writing what would become the songs on Remain, my mom heard them and told me I needed to get back into Cocteau Twins, and burned me a few CDs. I obviously fell back in love immediately, and it was an interesting experience being subconsciously familiar with all of the material while still feeling like I was hearing it for the first time. I think it’s super interesting how everyone points out an “obvious Cocteau Twins influence” in Them Are Us Too, but I didn’t actually get back into them until after writing most of the songs on the first record, so that influence was largely subconscious, at least in the songwriting stage. 

Beach House – Bloom 
I honestly think this is a perfect album, I’m not even really sure what else I can say about it. The songwriting, the tones, the production, the mix- all of it is just phenomenal. Every element just shows true mastery of the craft. Cash considered Beach House one of her greatest inspirations for guitar work. I was lucky enough to see them three times while they were touring for this record, and I still remember those shows vividly. One time was at a festival (I don’t remember which) and they performed in front of a sunset over the water. A breathtaking moment. 

The Knife – Deep Cuts
I think a lot of records could have gone into this fifth and final slot, (Loveless and Disintegration come to mind), but I think this one is a little less obvious of an influence, which is why I wanted to touch on it. The Knife have truly some of the most unique and genre-defying sound palettes – what they create is truly their own in every way. The sounds and the songs are strange, but they just work. I also love that they put ‘Heartbeats’ in a commercial, totally blew up, turned the band into an anti-capitalist collective, put out one more record, and then dissolved the project. And when they toured on Shaking the Habitual, they had a bunch of performers onstage, which obscured who “The Knife” actually were, as like a statement about art and celebrity and consumption of artists, and they didn’t play ‘Heartbeats’ – both of which pissed off the audience who only knew them from their commercial success. It’s like the most punk shit I’ve ever heard of. 

Huge thanks to SRSQ for sharing her Five Favourites with us! Watch the self-directed, wonderfully psychedelic new video for ‘Saved For Summer’ here:

‘Saved For Summer’ is produced by Chris Coady (Beach House, Slowdive). Ever Crashing, the second album from SRSQ, is out now via Dais Records.

Ella Patenall
@ellapatenall

Photo Credit: Nedda Asfari

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Track Of The Day: O Hell – ‘I Watch The Women’

A twitchy electronic soundscape that explores the personal confines of imposed femininity, Brighton-based artist and producer Lucy Sheehan aka O Hell has shared their latest single, ‘I Watch The Women’. The follow up to previous releases ‘Down’ and ‘Untangle’, the new track is underscored by a quiet agitation, released via atmospheric synths, crystalline beats and hushed vocals.

After years spent touring and recording music in alternative bands around the UK and fronting PROJECTOR, Sheehan has ventured into fresh sonic territory under their new moniker O Hell. Influenced by a love of eclectic, brooding soundscapes and a desire for creative independence, Sheehan continues to explore their new sound further on ‘I Watch The Women’, deconstructing their notion of femininity and reassessing the personal toll this process can take.

“‘I Watch The Women’ is about feeling distanced from your femininity: being drawn to it and wishing you embodied the classic vision of womanhood, but sensing you’re on another side of it,” Sheehan explains. “The first lines came from a moment I recall, standing across the street from a nice cafe, the women outside looked so polished, real, womanly. I felt like a girl, or something else?’

I wrote it while living mostly in a cabin last winter, quite isolated, picking at drum patterns. I think that feeling of abstraction, even alien-ness, guided the lyrics and delivery towards being off-kilter, almost at odds with the outside world, even the language itself. Later I spent a long time with George Godwin (Moon Panda, Zooni) exploring weird textures, re-amping, tape delays etc to find the track’s atmosphere. Then at Christmas, he handed me a tape of a mix he’d done, to tape, and it was perfect.”

Accompanied by a video, shot by Godwin and directed by Sheehan, the visuals show O Hell traversing the stairwells of a block of flats, reflecting the tumultuous inner journey that’s explored in the track’s lyrics.

Check out the video for ‘I Watch The Women’ below.

Follow O Hell on Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Annie Dorrett

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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