Rock and Roll Rediscovered… Low vs Diamond Arrives
Low vs Diamond is, in every sense of the word, an American band - with all of the members hailing from backgrounds as diverse as their hometown cities themselves… Seattle, San Francisco, Atlantic City, and Chicago. This melting pot of musicians was established a few short years ago when they formed Low vs Diamond.
Upon meeting in college, Lucas, Howie and Tad found themselves with a common ground; music. Tad remembers, “When Lucas asked me to meet him in LA, I had only heard a few rough demos of his songs. I was like Count me in. I threw away the books and started playing. I never looked back. None of us have.”
Howie agrees, “Looking back would be a waste of time. I’m more interested in driving this band forward.” He does so with his volatile drumming that holds it’s own in power, as well as style.
After moving to Los Angeles, the trio eventually met lead guitarist, Anthony, and bassist, Jonny, two Jersey transplants, who brought their own richly textured styles to the table. “Anthony is much more in the know in terms of what guitars make what noises, and he brought that to the table,” Lucas observes. “And Jon’s bass playing has a driving feel that guides the songs.”
With a lineup firmly in place, Low vs Diamond began to hammer out songs that have been described as lush, languorous and beautifully, guided by primary songwriter, Field.
For Lucas it’s all about the Big Moment, the place in a song where the music swells in sync with the emotion, and it feels like time—in the space of a few chords—comes to a momentary stop. “Playing live, you get a chill, with everybody singing along,” he recalls. “It’s just this big climatic moment of melodramatic emotion. I can’t get away from those kinds of chord progressions and those kinds of melodies.”
That much is obvious from listening to Low vs Diamond’s self-titled debut, filled with sounds and hooks, putting listeners on notice that this Big Moment-loving band is on the way to bigness itself. Kevin Bronson from the Los Angeles Times explains it best writing that the band “stands precipitously between overwrought melancholy and chimey hopefulness, avoiding both excesses… the band’s music plays to an optimism that stops short of outright glee.”
While never concealing their nods to current bands ranging from U2, in scope, to the Strokes, in grit… Low vs Diamond are clearly possessed by those that passed before them. It’s these roots that define the essence of what separates this band from the rest. Low vs Diamond achieve something uniquely intimate with their attention paid to songwriting. Real songwriting. You hear the complex song styling of Serge Gainsbourg, Burt Bacharach, and even Broadway. Real songs with real stories. Lyrically, Lucas weaves in themes dealing with family (such as “Actions Are Actions” and “Don’t Forget Sister”,) and stories about saying farewell to love (“Heart Attack” and “Wasted”). Each track on their self titled debut album is as lucid and cinematic in scope.
As a unit, Low vs. Diamond possess that rare abstract quality that says, “If you don’t hold on now, this whole thing may disappear forever,” bassist Jon concludes. “We’re just a band. All we want is to be able to get out there and play this music that we’ve worked so hard on together. We’re very happy to have the chance.”
Low vs Diamond are already receiving critical praise by media and music tastemakers alike after being chosen by iTunes as one of their favorite up-and-coming bands of 2008. As part of their "Next Big Thing" program, iTunes offers fans an opportunity to purchase the band’s upcoming self-titled album months before its release this summer. They've been singled out in Rolling Stone’s Hot List, Filter Magazine’s “Getting To Know You” section and LA Times “THE LIST," as well as making their national television debut on "The Late Show with David Letterman."
Band Members: Lucas Field, Anthony Polcino, Tad Moore,
Jon Pancoast, and Howie Diamond
Are you fantastic gentlemen coming back to St. Louis anytime soon? I saw you with Jack's Mannequin at my school last year, and have craving a return ever since! Pleeeease come back! :)
