Lowly Spects headline the Coach House March 7
Lowly Spects is one of Orange County’s most loved folk alternative bands from Costa Mesa, CA. The group will be headlining at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on March 7.
The band consists of Ethan Hulse, Tyler Johnson, Luke Peach and Trevor Kelso. They made their presence in Orange County in 2011 with the release of their first EP. “I Don’t Feel Simple” followed by the EP IN 2012 “Hardest Man To Love.” They have played many local venues in Orange County and LA.
They have been nominated for Orange County Music Awards best live band as well as other nominations including: best new artist and best folk. This year they are in the running again for Best Live Band.
Influenced by Wilco, Arcade Fire, and Elbow they have managed to create their own sweet sounds. Their music is a mixture of creative lyrics and catchy music.
OC Concert Guide caught up with Tyler Johnson to see what the band currently has in the works.
OCCG: What does the band typically do on their spare time?
TJ: Believe it or not, all of us in some way either work full time or are apart of the church doing music also, so on most Sunday mornings you will probably find us doing that. In our free time however, we love to writing new music, going to other shows, going to Yard House during happy hour and a time we can, we all love to travel!
OCCG: What is the story behind the name?
TJ: This question for us has always been interesting because there really isn’t a good answer. We originally wanted a name that would be unique and hard to forget, kind of like Bon Iver. The name actually came from a children’s book that Ethan read when he was a kid. There was a worm named Lowly and he always wore these big glasses that made him look ridiculous. That’s where it came from. It was everything we had imagined; random, unique and hard to forget.
OCCG: What can we expect from one of your shows?
TJ: One of our biggest values as a band is creating a shared experience between the listener and us. We believe music is a universal language and therefore try and shape our shows around that idea. Many times we have sang songs, unplugged on acoustic guitars in the audience, with everyone singing right they’re with us. Much more than us performing for you, you can expect to be included in our music to some degree.
OCCG: How would you describe the bands sound?
TJ: I would describe our sound as somewhere in between the genres of folk and alternative music. Much of our influence as a band has come from classic folk songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, etc. More recently however we have been largely influenced by artists like Wilco, Radiohead, Ryan Adams, Dawes, A.A. Bondy. I think our sound lies somewhere in between those influences.
OCCG: What is the best advice you have been given about music?
TJ: I think the best advice we have ever been given is that nothing in your journey as a band will ever be THE thing. Any success for us has always been in making sure we do the smaller things right and consistently. Never expect anything to single-handedly contribute to all of your success, rather, all the little things that you put all your energy into.
OCCG: Name the most random thing that inspired you to write a song.
TJ: I can’t really speak for Ethan, but we recently wrote a song about a huge music festival I went too in Tennessee called Bonarroo. Basically it talks about all the fun you can have there but also feel unsatisfied and lonely at the same time.
OCCG: If you could re-record any song of your which one would it be? How would you make it different?
TJ: There’s a song on our first EP that Ethan recorded called My Love Is Gone. That’s one of my favorite songs that he’s written and over the years of playing it, it has kind of evolved a bit into something I like a lot. We added some harmonies and changed the feel of the song to give it more of a rounded out sound. I think it would be nice to try that one again in the studio!
OCCG: What is your favorite place to eat in the OC?
TJ: Like I mentioned earlier we eat at Yard House very frequently because of their incredible happy hour and delicious beers. However my favorite place to eat is probably Little Pickle for lunch on Fairview in Costa Mesa. It’s this little Deli that’s been around forever with a bunch of sports team’s pictures on the wall and absolutely incredible sandwiches. Unmatched in my book.
OCCG: What is the difference between playing in LA vs. OC?
TJ: Playing in LA is different because it seems like the people that attend the shows genuinely have a respect for music. They come to listen, and discover new artists and that’s why so many artists like to perform there. OC, while also having similar quantities at times, feels more like a homecoming for us when we perform, only because so many of our family and friends always come out to the shows. Most of the people that come to our OC shows know our songs and it always feels like a big party with everyone apart of it. Always a good time.
OCCG: Anything new in the works?
TJ: We are currently gearing up for a new single, and album sometime this year. We have so many songs that we need to record; we’re just in the process of narrowing it down and finishing our songs. You should expect to hear new music soon. Maybe summer?