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Nearly 30 years along, Low is still reinventing itself.
AS:We just thought,I guess this is going on awhile.
Maybe we should attempt to figure out how to record.
MP:Do something.
AS:Sometimes, its kind of automatic.
You get done touring a record, and maybe you got a couple songs.
Youre like,Maybe well work on some songs.
Maybe well do another record.
After a while, you have 13.
Our daughter got COVID.
We were all testing.
She knew who she got it from.
But, I dont know.
I think because we have family, it was good.
That was quite a feat.
We were lucky to have each other.
We did it piece by piece, real careful.
When things first started shutting down, musicians doing livestreams were a lifeline.
It restored a feeling of normalcy to see music happening, even if you werent in the same room.
How was that experience for you?AS:At first, we were a little reluctant.
We kind of felt like,This isnt going to last long.
There were other artists that seemed like they were good at it.
I think Jeff Tweedy immediately had something.
I think our manager came to us, and was like, This might be a cool thing.
I think your fans would really like it.
You should do a little something.
We thought,Okay, maybe.
MP:It was great for us because it gave us something to do, for one.
And wed written these songs, so it gave us a chance to play them.
AS:Try em out.
Theres something about being able to play something in front of someone when its still new.
It kind of solidifies it in your mind, You gain some confidence.
We went through our whole catalogue.
It was a good challenge to go over our old stuff.
Wed have to sit down every week, pick songs, rehearse a little bit, sing.
Thats the thing with things shutting down and going home.
Artists and musicians, people, theyre used to engaging that thing almost every day.
You take that away, and its just really disorienting.
I remember having to really adjust my perspective about what am I doing.
What is my motivation?
How do I think each day to where I can then actually get some stuff done?
Because when you dont have a goal or some deadline to meet, its surprising how motivation falls away.
You tapped BJ Burton as producer on the last three albums.
I think that collaboration ushered in a radical change in the sound of the band.
Most bands only get a few years.
Its a good journey.
He does this stuff with Justin Vernon.
Hes doing EDM stuff.
I find it fascinating that hes worked with Charli XCX, Taylor Swift, and you.
Wow, thats inspiring.
If we work with this guy, wed really be jumping off a cliff here.
We could really go deep here, couldnt we?I think it gave us license.
That dictates the next thing.
Were really an open cable for how you do rhythm.
Sure, I play guitar, but Im really excited about finding sounds that dont sound like the guitar.
MP:If theres drums on it, theres drums on it.
AS:Yeah, Mimis not going to be precious about whether theres drums.
MP:I guess the one steadfast thing through the whole band has obviously been our voices.
Most people didnt notice that.
That was something we were conscious of for sure going into it.
It kind of happened by accident.
But this one definitely has a different attitude.
Glad that came through.
Yeah, its fun.
Thats kind of the only way to describe it.
Thats what it is.
The odds and ends technology sometimes is just a great little switch to help you think differently.
It can be an inspiration.
Sometimes, you’re able to get a song out of a certain piece of gear.
Now, things are way worse worldwide.
The lyrics ofHey Whatare full of unnamed adversaries and this heaviness.
Characters seem to be nearing the end of their ropes.
Is that just the weight of 2020 bearing down through your writing?AS:It must be.
We dont sit down and intentionally go, Im going to write about this or that.
You cant fight it, really, and thats fine.
You go to therapy, and sometimes all you do is just talk.
Sometimes, when youre sitting down to figure something out on the guitar, you struggle.Im not getting anywhere.
Im almost getting worse.
All that time that you thought there wasnt progress happening and you werent processing anything, you actually were.
Sometimes, you go into therapy and you just talk and youre like, Wow, this is frustrating.
All I did was complain about stuff.
MP:So maybe thats what our music is.
People are still filling up venues to see you, and youre making interesting changes.
I couldnt begin to compare to David Bowie.
Speaking of Neil, who are your guitar inspirations?
As a kid, I was also a big U2 fan.
There was something about him that was a big influence.
Ill say Jimi Hendrix, even though its too holy to say that youre even trying to replicate it.
Also this guy Marc Ribot, hes in New York.
Hes played on a bunch of different things.
Thats always my favorite sound: Marc Ribot playing a guitar that he found in a dumpster.
How much of the open space and patience in your sound is Minnesota bleeding through?
We grew up in a rural, pretty economically ground-down community, and the winters were long and hard.
MP:Theres also [Lake Superior], too.
Weve got a pretty great view of the lake.
Its open, just endless.
It looks like the sea.
IsHey Whatyour first album created as sort of a duo?AS:Yeah.
MP:We did thatMurdererEP.
Is it the bassist curse again?
Youve had a few bassists.AS:InSpinal Tap, its the drummer, right?
MP:Weve had each other the whole time.
But its stressful, life on the road.
Sometimes, creating conversation needs three people.
Theres something about that.
With two people, its always like, Well, Ive got my tendencies, youve got your tendencies.
Its always going to fall a certain way.
Theres been a lot of blowback over that.
Im wondering how you feel about it as members of the church.AS:We are very pro-vaxx and pro-mask.
I have to admit, its definitely been a heavy conversation that weve had.
It changes the way you think about people.
Its hard to be like, Were brothers and sisters and were on the same page.
I wish the leadership came out even harder and said, Hey, this is serious.
Its life and death, health.
So your actions
AS: are protecting other people.
Or your actions are causing the suffering or safety of other people.
Its frustrating seeing people in religious communities being loud and wrong about public health.
No matter what side youre on, its really shaking peoples faith, I know.
I just remember it wasnt contrary, but they were creating this atmosphere that was …
I dont want to say uncomfortable.
Its kind of like this cryptic music.
MP:It really made an impression.
Maybe some people were going to be so uncomfortable they left the room.
People were excited about music.
They were going to shows sight unseen; the internet hadnt hit yet.
People were just going out to see whatever.
Whos playing in town?
Lets go see whats going on.
And there was a feeding frenzy at the labels, who were looking for rock bands.
But, nah, we knew we always were a little off the beaten path.
AS:If we were and had appealed somehow in the late 90s, we probably wouldve died out.
MP:Im sure we would be around.
Wed be trying to replicate that success our whole career.
That, honestly, has allowed us to do whatever we want.
Its given us freedom to surprise ourselves and hopefully others, too.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
