Lowland Hum - Austin Sessions
It's rare when I feel like I've found good music. A lot of my friends listen to a lot more of it than I do. A lot of good music. They're usually the ones who enlighten me. That's how I found originally found out about bands like Pond, Radiohead, Lymbyc Systym, Grizzly Bear… You get the idea. Sooo…less than a year ago, I discovered the All Songs Considered podcast hosted by Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton. This was a defining moment in my musical development as an aging 30-something. *COUGH-36!-COUGH* It's not that good music is hard to find. It's finding the time to find good music. NPR's podcast has given me a way to get a spectrum of styles and tastes that I normally would never go for, much less give them a chance. Thanks to this little podcast I've found bands like alt-J, Tame Impala, Woods, Low, and Small Multiples. Is this an NPR plug? Newp. Regardless, here I sit singing praise. I have a point. I am going somewhere with this. Just pick up the bread crumbs. Mk?
Recently I was listening to an All Songs episode and one band really stuck out. Lowland Hum was introduced as a husband and wife duo from North Carolina. The song I heard was called War Is Over. Listen. Full disclosure. I'm not a writer nor do I know how to review music. That being said…the song was fucking great. Daniel Levi Goans and Lauren Plank Goans have the most amazing voices and harmonies that intertwine beautifully. I'm not gonna try to put their music into a specific category. Just give them a listen. You won't regret it.
Their upcoming album Native Air, releases in early August and was recorded in Daniels' parent's house in Greensboro. Why not in a studio? Well, maybe because the album was made possible by funding from a Kickstarter campaign. They asked for $12K and they got $12K. God Bless Amerka. While collaborating on Daniel's previous solo album BrotherStranger the two fell in love. A year later they were married and restructuring their musical style to fit their new life. Let me tell you people. They found a style, and it's sounds gorgeous. I've found them on Facebook, Twitter, and I've even had conversations with their manager via Gmail asking when they'll be coming to Austin. (Hopefully this fall) I've checked out some of their other songs on their YouTube channel , preordered their album on iTunes and so far I've liked everything I've heard. I can't wait. With some luck, maybe I'll be posting a follow-up blog this fall gushing about how I saw them at Cactus Cafe or Lucky Lounge. We'll see.
-J