Tess: So who is The Low Tide?
Ben: The sweetest smelling band in Boston!
Laz: Alphabetically and by primary instrument: Aaron on bass, Ben on keys, Johanna on vocals, Laz on uke, Nicky on trombone, and Paul on drums [Paul was here in spirit for the interview, but he's the strong silent type so you won't hear too much from him].
I also like to include my little sister Elora, since she was a big part of the reason this originally got started, and she wrote a couple of my favorite songs we play. She lives in Seattle though so we have only actually played together for one practice.
Tess: So how long have you been together and how did you all meet?
Laz: We've been getting together to practice for a few years now. We all had some mutual friends -- our friend Christian probably HAS to get a shout-out here, the self-promoting jerk -- and we all wanted to learn how to play music, so we figured starting a band or at least all playing together was a great way to go.
Aaron: Laz is right, Christian literally DEMANDED a shout-out from me on this one. I met Laz through Christian, and Laz and I both met Johanna through Christian, and I guess we all met Ben through Christian and Laz's friend Anna. It's a tangled web of friendship, and Christian has encased at least half the band in its horrible, horrible cocoon.
The seeds of bandness were planted around 2009 I think, when Laz was teaching himself the uke and asked me to come jam on some songs his sister Elora wrote. We started working on some of our own songs as well and eventually invited Ben in to flesh things out on keys.
We started to talk about searching for a female vocalist, since Elora lived in Seattle, when as fate would have it, during our friend Marco's karaoke birthday party we discovered that Johanna was an amazing singer, so we asked her to join.
Nicky: I just appeared out of thin air with my trombone
Aaron: We had all known Nicky for years but had no idea she hid such a deep, shameful, tromboney past. After several months of grueling therapy she agreed to join the band.
During all this time -- about 2 years -- we went through several drummers that we would inevitably berate and embarrass until they started crying like little babies and quit like the sissies they were. Just kidding, it was always either about schedule conflicts or traveling distance. Finally, Johanna referred her friend Paul, who charmed his way right into our highfalutin elitist inner circle. Plus he has his own drum kit.
Tess: Okay, I think I got all that. How would you describe your sound?
Laz: I think our sound is like a kind of Indie Wuss-rock.
Aaron: I hate to say "twee" but that's probably the most accurate pre-existing label
Laz: Interesting, I haven't heard that word before
Aaron: It's basically indie wuss-rock
Laz: We're the kind of music you might sit around your house cutting paper snowflakes to
Tess: For what it's worth, you kind of remind me of early Arcade Fire, with equal parts the irony of The Decemberists and the honesty of The Lumineers. I hope that makes sense. Moving on though, is there anywhere in the world where you would particularly love to play music?
Laz: Well, we play mostly small libraries right now, and that's been great, but I think we could go bigger. I'd like to think we could someday play the Library of Congress Downstairs (Civil War letters and hats room!).
Johanna: Paris. Just because I want a reason to go to Paris.
Nicky: Wherever Carmen Sandiego is, but also maybe like in Europe
somewhere or somethin'
Aaron: I have to choose a place "in the world"? I was
going to say I'd like to play in outer space, like David Bowie did so
many times back in the 70's. But if it has to be on earth I suppose it
would be cool to play at an observatory during a meteor shower. Or a
beautiful meadow near a little creek, next to a barn, a herd of wild
ponies looking on.
Ben: Tie between Aaron's basement, Nicky's basement, and Laz's bedroom.
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They really do play anywhere and everywhere
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Tess: If Low Tide could collaborate with any musician, who would it be?
Nicky: Stevie Wonder
Laz: I'd kill to work with someone experienced who consistently manages to get a unique sound together. Probably Modest Mouse tops my list there.
Aaron: Anyone besides these jerks. Nah, just kidding, they're alright.
Tess: Now on to what everyone really wants to know: who is the heartthrob of the band, and who is the bad boy? Bad girl?
Ben: Ummm, hmmm, none of us are really that "bad", per se. But Aaron---he might be bad. You never know what he's thinking. So mysterious!
Nicky: Aaron, but only because he wears that "I'm the bad boy/heartthrob" shirt all the time.
Laz: Aaron, definitely.
Aaron: The consensus seems to be that I am all of these.
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| Bad boy Aaron is prone to bouts of rebellious farming |
Johanna: I am working on my Ph.D. in Sociology at Boston College and I teach there. I study digital inequality, media, pop culture and gender. I also do some painting.
Nicky: I work at a division of Harvard Medical (Harvard Clinical Research Institute) monitoring clinical trials. I also volunteer at the MSPCA and have recently started learning karate.
Aaron: I'm a 2D artist whose work can occasionally be seen around town, usually in conjunction with my artists collective, Rifrakt. To make cash moniez I work as a photographer's assistant during the day.
Laz: Programming and state government.
Tess: You're quite the diverse bunch! Which brings me to my next question: what's your favorite dessert?
Johanna: Cupcakes
Nicky: Chocolate and peanut butter in any capacity
Aaron: More dinner
Laz: Cheesecake!
Tess: Awesome. Now when The Low Tide wins their first Grammy we'll know what kind of spread to have prepared backstage. Really though, thanks for sitting down and taking time to answer my questions! If folks are interested in hearing some of your music where can they do that?
[In apparently typical Low Tide fashion I received many varied responses including but not limited to: In the glint of a sailor's pocketknife, the bitter tears of an old widow, the gap-toothed grin of a Thursday's child, and offers to sing it in person, on request. However, their sharp wit was no match for my high-school level Googling skills, so I present you with this Bandcamp link]
http://thelowtide.bandcamp.com/
More Low Tide goodness!
Low Tide on Facebook
Johanna's paintings on Etsy
Low Tide's Reading list:
Johanna: Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo
Nicky: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Aaron: The Sagas of the Icelanders
Laz: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Ben: Are You My Mother by Alison Bechdel
Low Tide's Playlist:
Laz: You Only Live Once by The Strokes, D&D Soundclash by Afu-Ra, Ambling Alp by Yeasayer, The World at Large by Modest Mouse, Go Outside by Cults, and I'm a Pilot by Fanfarlo.
Aaron: Japandroids, Old Man Gloom, Kimbra, Robyn, Andy Maher Candy Bar (an excellent Boston indie-pop band), Save Ends (an excellent Boston pop-punk band), and always Neko Case.
Nicky: Been listening to the new Beach House and Shins albums. Besides that, the usual suspects- TV on the Radio, The New Pornographers, Daft Punk, maybe a little Elton John when I'm feeling wacky.
Johanna: Just got the new Fiona Apple album, The Idler Wheel. Also on the recent downloads list: The Lumineers, The Avett Brothers, Kimbra, and First Aid Kit.
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