Low (band)
Low is a rock music group formed in Duluth, Minnesota in 1994, consisting of Alan Sparhawk (guitar and vocals), Mimi Parker (drums and vocals) and Zak Sally (bass guitar). Their music is commonly described as slowcore, a subgenre characterised by slow tempi and minimalist arrangements. Parker and Sparhawk's striking vocal harmonies are perhaps the group's most distinctive element.
Their mainstream exposure has been rather limited (their best-known song is arguably a hymnal version of "The Little Drummer Boy" as featured in a Gap advertisement), but Low tour regularly, and have received mostly positive press notice.
Sparhawk and Parker are married, have two children, and are practicing members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are hardly a christian rock group, however: Neither Sally's religious affiliation (or lack thereof) nor Parker and Sparhawk's faith is mentioned in their latest press kit [1]. There are occasional lyrical references to Parker and Sparhawk's religion, but they are generally indirect.
Low's first album, I Could Live in Hope, was released in 1994 (with John Nichols on bass instead of Sally). Their other album releases include Long Division (1995), The Curtain Hits the Cast (1996), Secret Name (1999), Things we Lost in the Fire (2001),Trust (2002) and The Great Destroyer ([2005]). They have also released many singles and EPs, two live albums and a collection of Christmas songs.
In 1999, Low joined forced with Dirty Three to record an In The Fishtank session for Konkurrent records; the result has been called "some of the best material either unit has produced."[2]
Their most recent album, The Great Destroyer, was released through Sub Pop in January 2005, and was recorded with producer Dave Fridmann. The Great Destroyer has received mostly positive reviews, and finds Low moving away from their traditional sound; the Village Voice described the record's "comparatively thunderous verve".[3]
They are known for their impressive live performances, and often drastically reinterpreted cover versions of famous songs by the likes of Joy Division and The Smiths. In July 2003, they toured Europe with Radiohead.
Low own a record label, Chairkickers Union, which releases material by other musicians such as the Rivulets and Haley Bonar, as well as some of their own material (including a 2004 four disc box set of b-sides and rarities to celebrate their ten year anniversary).