September 3, 2024 |
Rosie Lowe, idiosyncratic artist and producer, will make her long-awaited live return at the Institute of Contemporary Art this September following the release of her sun kissed, soul-filled album, Love, Other. The Devon-born, Deptford-based artist has continually placed herself on the front lines of the growing lyrical slow-beat scene.
Debuting hot on the music scene with her EP Right Things in 2013, the now 34-year old artist has effortlessly captivated audiences for over a decade with her R&B roots, experimental electronica and jazzy introspection. Her debut album, 2016’s Control and 2019’s follow-up YU, solidified Lowe’s experimental style and garnered the attention of audiophiles around the world. As a fan of the occasional collaboration, Lowe has already worked with the likes of Jay Electronica, Little Simz, Machinedrum and Lil Silva.
Having moved to the London-based record label Blue Flower in 2020, the artist’s third album release is Lowe’s first solo endeavour since her 2021 single, ‘Now, You Know.’ At the helm for recording, writing and production, Lowe continues to evade categorical genres and continues to mix fluid sultry, electronic-tinged beats with poetic lyricism. Having layered background noises from her walks across Spanish streets, Devon’s countryside or Sri Lankan trips, Lowe’s use of sound is unfailing and always original.
Ultimately, the 15-track collection is an open door into Lowe’s mind with its meticulous rhythm, universe-building ambience and openly-conflicting lyrics.
Lowe began teasing her album this May with the slow-release of two tracks, ‘Mood to Make Love’ and ‘In My Head’, accompanied with coinciding music videos directed by her brother, Louis Hemming-Lowe. The family affair offered a testament to the creative visuals that can be created from the mutual synergy between siblings.
Ahead of her now sold-out show in London’s esteemed Institute of Contemporary Arts on September 26, we sit down with Lowe to chat about musical inspiration, her ideal Sunday itinerary and rider essentials.
1. How did it feel to return with your first solo music in three years?
It always feels amazing to be back with music to share. I had such a wonderful process making this album. People seem to be really connecting with the music and the response has been very positive, which is everything I can hope for.
2. How do you feel your musical style has changed in the past three years?
I feel very happy in where I’m at in my life and I hope that reflects in the music I’ve been making. I’m more self-accepting than I’ve ever been before; I’m happy to explore and lean into the more imperfect parts of myself. Stylistically, that was reflected in a lot of the production choices and choosing to leave things more open and undone at the seams; to leave doors open when I was recording, to stick with an original demo vocal take, to not overthink what something could be and let it be what it was.
I also think I take life less seriously these days and I hope the music reflects that too. The album is a collage of different elements and processes of music I love to make. I love choral music, sample culture, live music and the more produced elements of electronic music. I wanted to weave all these things together in one body of work.
3. What was the inspiration behind your new album?
My main intention for the album is I really wanted to allow myself time to write a big pool of ideas and be able to pick from that. I wanted to take my time and most of all, I wanted to have fun. I travelled around a lot with this album – I chose a few studio items and created a studio-in-a-suitcase where I could take a set up with me wherever I went and have the option to respond to my surroundings. I travelled to Florence, Sri Lanka, a residential in Spain where I ended up co-writing with Uma Bunnag and Luke Bower, to Berlin where I worked with producer D’monk, back to London where I worked with producer Harvey Grant and lots of places in between.
Thematically, it looks at the delicate line between opposing feelings I’ve been questioning; self-doubt pitted against self-assurance, age against youth, life against death.
4. What’s your favourite track?
It changes all the time, ‘Sundown’ is one that means the most to me but right now my favourite is probably ‘There Goes The Light.’ It’s a very laid back track about kicking back, being still and watching time pass. I’m writing this on a Sunday so it feels like an appropriate Sunday track!
5. What are you most excited about for your performance at the ICA in September?
I always love the challenge of reimagining the recorded music for live performance. It brings a new opportunity for creation and I have both the co-producers on the album (Harvey Grant and D’monk) on stage with me so it’s going to be a lot of fun! We’ll be surrounded by a lot of beautiful analogue gear!
6. You’ve worked with Jay Electronica, Little Simz and Lil Silva – who is your dream collaborator, living or dead?
Kendrick Lamar would be pretty high up on that list. Mary Lou Williams too. There’s so many.
7. What’s your perfect Sunday?
I love Sundays, it’s my favourite day of the week. My perfect Sunday is going for a morning walk, cooking up some delicious food at home for my family, drinking some wine, playing some records and dancing around our flat with my baby boy.
8. If you weren’t a musician, what would you be?
I love furniture and architecture so perhaps something around that.
9. For anyone just discovering your music now, what song would you suggest they start with and why?
‘Mood to Make Love’ is a good place to start I think as the song feels indicative of my vibe. My voice is a pretty big part of my music, so otherwise something all vocal like ‘Sundown (Reprise).’
10. What can fans look forward to from you in the next year?
I’ll be doing some more live touring and have some exciting musical things in the works. Hoping and wishing I’ll get some time to get back in the studio to make more sounds too!
Photography courtesy of Rosie Lowe.
