Working in the music industry for over a decade, Lowen knows how to keep things fresh. The indie-pop artist (formerly Emily Kopp) recently re-emerged with a new persona, a new album and a tour to go along with it. The “Only in My Dreams” tour makes a stop in Nashville at The Basement on March 6, 2020. Listeners will hear the “explosively-charged outpour of raw emotion” in her music as she is sure to perform some of the new singles from her debut album as Lowen such as “Morning, Mourning” and “Just Fucking Let Me Love You.” We asked Lowen a few questions about her professional changes, the love and heartache in her new songs, and about her upcoming projects.
Focus: What made you decide to rebrand (so to speak) to Lowen?
Lowen: When I started performing and writing songs, I did so under my name (Emily Kopp). I’d spent the next few years touring, releasing music on my own, playing shows both big and small, and I’m really proud to say I just jumped right into being an artist. With that said, while that time was rich in incredible moments (touring with songwriting heroes of mine, taking ownership of my career in a big way, and making memories in a van that broke down every other day), it was also trying both personally and professionally, which is why I’d ultimately decided to take a hiatus to backpack the world. I needed to gain perspective on life, experience myself and the world around me outside of making music/ being a workaholic, and ultimately, I needed to hit the reset button.
When I moved back to the U.S., I did so with fresh eyes and a more balanced mind. I’d connected with people all over the world, shared in meaningful moments and conversations, slept in nature, learned from others, worked on farms, played with musicians in music clubs in Thailand and Vietnam. I’d found my “why” again – my purpose again, and I’d learned to find my identity not solely in being someone who makes music, but in that being a part of my identity. This allowed me to come back to my artist career with a fresh perspective, and that’s why it was important to me that I begin again fully – starting with releasing music under a new name – Lowen.
F: I know “Morning, Mourning” is a personal story of some emotional times in your life. Can you tell us a little more about the song and the story behind the song?
L: Morning, Mourning stemmed from the shame and guilt I’d felt saying goodbye to a long-term relationship, falling into new love soon thereafter, processing both of those things at the same time, and desperately not wanting to compromise this new blossoming love. It’s an apology letter to my person saying, I’m sorry for all those nights I cried – thank you for giving me the space and understanding I needed to heal. I’m falling in love with you and I’m so sorry if my mourning is messing this up or getting in the way of us — our “morning”. I had the seed of the idea that I’d been journaling and some melodies for the song. My ex passed away and mourning took on a whole new meaning. I brought the song idea to two of my songwriter friends, and we all realized we’d shared in some version of this duality of pain/grief vs happiness/healing. It was cathartic to finally say it all out loud in a safe space and be able to express it in this way.
F: In the song “Just Fucking Let Me Love You” were these words you told someone or were these words being told to you?
L: The song starts out with me narrating what has been expressed to me, “She said ‘go and find someone who doesn’t always cry when it rains….'” etc…, but the perspective changes in the chorus, when I respond directly to my partner. “I’m tired I know it’s hard to, just fucking let me love you….”. The remainder of the song is from my perspective, by the time the second first comes around. It’s a conversation between two people in love.
F: How did it feel putting that emotion into both the song and the video?
L: It felt cathartic, but it also felt outwardly revealing in ways I’m not really used to. I wrote this song and worked on this music video with my heart in the most honest place, which feels incredibly rewarding as an artist. However, the song isn’t just about me, and that, in certain moments can create an element of fear of over-exposing your personal world (what I like to call a vulnerability hangover, haha). At the end of the day, ultimately the work I’m making will only feel right to me if it’s coming from a place of honesty, and that requires a sense of letting go and a willingness to share those internal things with the outside world.
F: Tell us a little about your current project and upcoming tour/shows.
L: In October, I released my first EP as Lowen. It’s six songs woven together by the feelings/journey surrounding a very specific time in my life and that felt like the best first leap into releasing music under this project. I just put out a new single, “Just Fucking Let Me Love You”, on Valentine’s Day, and I’m currently on a three-day break from a tour supporting the EP. On Thursday 3/5, we play in Oxford, MS, and on Friday we finish up the tour here at home in Nashville at The Basement. It’s been a beautiful experience getting to go back out on tour and play shows because, while writing songs and expressing my heart through words is a huge facet of how I process, heal, and share, playing music live is what gives me life, as well as the songs. Connecting with people in real-time through playing and sharing in that experience is without a doubt, one of my favorite things to do.
Touring plans for the rest of the year are TBD, but I’m definitely in a creative flow right now as far as writing goes and continuing to explore my sound. I’m sitting on a lot of songs at the moment and am continuing to dive deep into writing as much as I can.
You can read more about Lowen and her upcoming tour at https://linktr.ee/earthtolowen.
