Throughout her decade of elusive stardom, acclaimed Devon-born, Deptford-based singer-songwriter Rosie Lowe has developed into a fearless and magnetic presence. She’s a household name in all the right places, the type of creative who is seminal without the need to sell-out stadiums. An archetype of artistry and an effigy of endearment, Lowe’s new album further cements her seat at an invite-only table.
Constructed on trips to Berlin, Barcelona, Florence, and more, Lover, Other feels, in a lot of ways, like a love letter to the very axial of her craft. Building on the sonic foundations that she has so graciously laid out with her dazzling discography to date, the new œuvre sees Lowe take full creative ownership, taking on recording, writing and production elements, also stepping away from the major label whirlwind for the release. The results are as succinct and sprawling of a body of work as you can envision; a wholly unique and intimately crafted cross-examination of self and the world around her.
Lowe’s voice is broadly compelling, breathy and immediate, swooning and quietly confident. She slinks around the soundscapes, splashing a dichotomy of thoughts onto the rich canvases. Flaunting a peerless knowledge, the record samples Japanese multi-instrumentalist Makoto Matsushita, and plucks from diverse sonic movements, from 60s calypso and Brazilian Bossa, whilst still feeling deeply rooted in Lowe’s own creativity identity. It’s amongst the most interesting and provoking records of the year, undoubtedly.
Lowe connects with Wonderland, reflecting on a groundwork moulded to achieve continuous artistic heights. She breaks down the making of Lover, Other, divulges the record’s intention, and looks ahead at the next steps on her odyssey to enlightenment.
Listen to Lover, Other…
Read the full exclusive interview…
Talk us through your early musical education. What music surrounded you? How did you begin writing and creating yourself?
I was born into a musical family, my dad is a musician & my mum a huge music lover so music was an integral part of our upbringing. I’m the youngest of 6 children and we all listened and played music as a form of entertainment and expression. There were some big age gaps between me and my siblings and music helped bridge those gaps, which also meant I was exposed to a pretty vast spectrum of music in terms of what was being listened to in the house (jazz, folk, hip hop, RnB, soul, rock).
I was music obsessed from a pretty young age and wanted to pick up and learn every instrument I could get my hands on. Of all the instruments I played, singing was the one that I spent most of my time doing and I’d spend hours memorising lyrics or Ella Fitzgerald jazz scats in my dads car whilst he taught music lessons.
I started writing songs from a young age. I found (and still find) it easier to express myself through music. I became obsessed with the art of songwriting through artists like Carol King, Joni Mitchell & Al Green. When I was 14 I was approached by a music manager and began travelling to London and the USA for writing sessions. This was integral in learning songwriting process from experienced pop writers. Music was the thing that really excited me from a young age and there was never anything else I imagined myself doing.
How do you reflect on your career to date? In the sonic shifts that’ve occurred in your sound, the changes that the industry has made, and your own outlook on ideas like fame and success?
I’ve been lucky to have worked with people that have always encouraged me to do me and to block out the noise of what other people are doing. I think every release is a reflection of where I’m at in my life at that point in my life, and that is something I’m proud of. I always want to take my audience on a journey with me as I’ve grown. My sound changes as my life changes, but it’s not necessarily a conscious choice I make and I never approach an album with any idea of what I want it to be. The music seems to very much lead the way.
In terms of success, I’ve learnt that it looks so different depending on who you’re talking to. I’ve never had a desire to be famous, I think it can be a poison challis. For me, success looks like a sustainable career where I can keep making music in any way that feels right to me in that moment, and not have to compromise on my creative output. Of course, growth is a key part of it too. I never want to feel like I’m standing still. I want to feel growth in some way whether that be audience or new opportunities, but most importantly the music itself.
My ultimate goal is always to be able to continue making music that excites me and feels authentic to me; that it represents wherever I am at that point in my life.
Your list of collaborators throughout your career is enviable – who has stood out to you? What do you look for in a collaborator?
There have been so many stand outs, but Jay Electronica was a big career moment for me. I’m such a huge fan and when myself and Dave Okumu finished ‘The Way’, we both could hear his voice on it. Jay hardly ever does features, but we sent it to him on a whim and he came back wanting to be a part of it. It was a huge testament to letting music do the talking. Collaborative relationships are so important to me and a huge part of my albums come through collaboration and I think the best collaborative relationships are built on trust and a willingness to be open and vulnerable. I had such amazing collaborators on this album, with Uma Bunnag & Luke Bower on much of the co-writing, and Harvey Grant & D’Monk on the co-production. I didn’t know most of these collaborators before the album process and they’ve become a second family to me. I’m eternally grateful music allows me to form such important life long friends.
Congratulations on your new album, Lover, Other! How are you feeling about the release now it’s out in the world?
Thank you! It feels amazing to have it out in the world. The response has been so positive, which has felt amazing after having such a fun process making it.
Talk us through the process of conceptualising the album, in terms of its sonic and thematic identity?
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 & 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.
I wanted the album to be a collage of different elements and processes of music I love to make. I love choral music, sample culture, live music & the more produced elements of electronic music. I wanted to weave all these things together in one body of work. 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.
It’s your first full-length LP since 2019. Why did now feel like the right time to return with an album? What, to you, has changed it that period of time, in terms of the industry, marketing, and consumption of contemporary music?
I love albums, as a listener as well as a creator; It allows space to dive in deeper. In 2020 I parted ways with my previous label and after releasing a mixtape I made over lockdown and a collaborative project with Duval Timothy, I felt like I was ready to dive into another longer-form project.
The music industry and the way people listen to music changes so quickly these days, I can hardly keep up myself. There’s so much emphasis on self-marketing through social media and there’s an expectation to be really active. I think, for me, I just do whatever feels natural and authentic to me. I’m never going to be sharing my whole life through my socials; I already do that through my music and I guess I feel like I need to keep some things back for myself.
In what ways is this album an artistic step out from its predecessors?
I think this album feels a bit rawer than my previous body’s of work. I’m always working on pushing against any perfectionist tendencies I have as I think this pulls me away from creative freedom. I wanted this album to feel more undone at the seams and to not get obsessed with tiny details or with recording the perfect vocal take. It was really freeing to lean in to the imperfections and to just let things be.
For this record, you made your studio portable and created across several locations. What was the purpose of this? What perspective did you gain in doing so?
I knew I didn’t want to create the album in 4 walls of a soundproofed studio. I didn’t find the idea of that inspiring. I wanted to be able to travel and move and respond to my surroundings if I felt the creative urge to. I find being in different places, different temperatures, around different language, food and music brings so much inspiration so it felt like the perfect way to be writing a pool of music to pick from. This process was integral in the sound of the album. Each place I was in would change what I wanted to make that day, as well as it allowing me to work with people in a different way. In their cities and their spaces. Perhaps it allowed them to open up in a different way. I’ll never really know, but I know it was the fun and most fulfilling of processes.
There’s a focus on sampling on the new album – what provoked that shift? What do you think it added to the sonic moxie?
I’ve always been a huge fan of sampling; using something that exists and letting it spark a new idea. I bought a SP-2400 early on in the album writing process as I was keen to get myself away from the computer and this became a big part of the writing process. I was constantly sampling records I heard along my travels, songs my collaborators shared with me over dinner or re-sampling myself, my iPhone voice notes or my surroundings.
The album marks a step away from the major label record rigamarole. In what ways has that changed the way you’ve released the album? What are the challenges you’ve faced and what are the advantages?
It’s allowed me to hand pick my team, who are all just so brilliant. It’s meant less money over all but I also think that can be positive in pushing more creative ideas. For the visuals I worked with my brother (Louis Hemming-Lowe) on the music videos & my best friend (Sylvie Pyne) on the artwork and another bestie (Abiella Aland) on the press photos. It’s been a small, trustworthy team who I love and who know me deeply.
In essence, what does the album mean to you?
It marks a very very beautiful, memorable and transitionary point in my life and I’ll always smile at the memories of making it when I hear the music.
What’s to come, this year and beyond?
I’m excited to be re-imagining the music for the live show, it’s going to be so fun, so we’re planning some exciting shows next year. I hope to be getting back to writing asap too, so hopefully, much more music to come!