LOW

Low. A band from Duluth, Minnesota, formed in 1993. Featuring Alan Sparhawk on vocals and guitar and Mimi Parker on vocals and drums and Steve Garrington on bass. Sparhawk and Parker are married with two children; they first met in fourth grade in rural Minnesota. Garrington is the latest addition to the band, longtime bassist Zak Sally previously replaced original bassist John Nichols and Sally departed the group after the release of Great Destroyer. Low released its first album, I Could Live in Hope, in 1994 (producer by Kramer) on Vernon Yard Records. Pegged as "slowcore," due to the band's minimalist soundscapes and the beautiful harmonies of Sparhawk and Parker, which stood in stark contrast to the era's fascination with "grunge." Low continued to work with varied producers and released a constant stream of critically acclaimed albums (e.g., Long Division, Curtain Hits the Cast, Things We Lost in the Fire), one-offs, collaborations and other miscellany, including a classic Christmas album, aptly titled Low Christmas. Throughout, Low toured the world and eventually found themselves in the company of acts such as the Dirty Three, Radiohead and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Sparhawk has formed a few side projects, notably the dirty punk blues band, The Black Eyed Snakes and, most recently, the rock trio The Retribution Gospel Choir. Low's latest album, Drums and Guns (produced by Dave Fridmann), was released in 2007 on Sub Pop Recordss.