I’m Tom, one of four members of Melbourne group Lowlakes. We make dark, atmospheric pop-music and have just finished recording our debut LP, which is due out in February.

We grew up in Alice Springs and have recorded all of our music in a small studio on the Mornington Peninsula. Here we spend a lot of time experimenting with sounds and creating songs like ‘Newborn’, which is the first single from our album. We’re currently touring to support its release.

Who and what inspired the incarnation of Lowlakes?

Lowlakes was created to reflect a change in the music we were making; we had played together for a couple of years, but had changed direction and felt we needed a new name.

We became Lowlakes in 2011 as we recorded our first EP – which was released in 2012 – inspired by the more down-tempo, atmospheric sounds of groups like Slowdive and Talk Talk.

You’ve just finished recording your debut album Iceberg Nerves, what were some of the highlights from being in the studio?

The best part of recording Iceberg Nerves was experimenting with the songs, and producing them to embody a sound we think is our most moving.

Our EP was a really important step in this regard because it gave us a starting point, from which we explored what we see as the most exciting elements of Lowlakes in greater depth. So, when it came to recording Iceberg Nerves, we had a clear idea of what kind of record we wanted to make and the kinds of songs and sounds that it would comprise.

Experimenting to find these sounds was very special, it was like putting together a complex jigsaw – we had an end goal and a vision, but some parts hid from us til the end.

Iceberg Nerves is a rather interesting title too, how did that name come to fruition?

Iceberg Nerves is one of the first songs we wrote for the record.  It captured a sentiment we think is really compelling and so formed the base on which the rest of our album was written and produced; all of the other songs are in some way an extension of the original idea that was developed in Iceberg Nerves.

You’re currently on the road touring the first single from the album ‘Newborn’, can we expect a similar sound to this track on the rest of the album?

Each song on the record has its own personality, so although there is an overarching concept, we wanted it to have a number of shades. I’m sure there are a few surprises in there, and plenty of different sounds throughout.

Lowlakes are still a completely independent band on a label called Kunsthaus, why have you decided as a band to stay independent?

We released our first EP through Kunsthaus and have done all of the recording and production for Iceberg Nerves at their studio on the Mornington Peninsula. They’ve played a huge role in Lowlakes’ development and have given us complete freedom to make the record we most wanted to. I don’t think you could separate that limb from Lowlakes without affecting the sound we’ve worked so hard to create.

If you could curate your own festival, where would it be, who would be on the bill, how many people would you let in and what features would it have)?

It’d start in the late afternoon and would be in a forest somewhere – but nowhere too cold. There’d be a couple of clearings in which a bunch of bands played til dawn, and between the spaces would be wacky lights and contemporary dancers, who’d be dressed up in bizarre costumes. Massive Attack, Portishead, Bat For Lashes, Burial, Slowdive, Fever Ray, Talk Talk, Depeche Mode, Boards of Canada, Bon Iver, Chromatics and Radiohead would play. Whoever could find it could be let in.

You’ve announced small European tour at the end of October too, tell us about that?

We’re heading over to Europe for some shows with Canadian band Half Moon Run after our Aussie dates. We’re playing in Hamburg, Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne and Zurich. We have a couple of days off too, but haven’t decided where we’ll go. There’s talk of Prague?

Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living Australian artist would you most like to collaborate with?

I’d love to collaborate with Seekae. I think they create awesome vibes and write beautifully understated music.

What is your band’s music the best soundtrack for?

Moving through a city in the early hours of morning.

Why should we not miss you on the rest of ‘Newborn’ launch shows?

We’ll be playing a bunch of songs from our forthcoming album and have got some great supports in tow.

Lowlakes ‘Newborn’ Tour Dates:

Saturday OCT 12 @ The Gasometer, Melbourne (VIC)

Thursday OCT 17 @ Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney (NSW)

Friday OCT 18 @ Yours & Owls, Wollongong (NSW)

Saturday OCT 19 @ Smith’s Alternative Bookshop, Canberra (ACT)

Listen to ‘Newborn’ here:

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