Discography
Keep Coming Back (Single) (2023)
Lowheart's first release for 2023 is a duet with talented Victorian singer Tanya A, called "Keep Coming Back" - a Country-Pop-Rock ballad, sung from the perspective of a couple who can't quite get it together, but can't completely stay away from each other either. The song features sparsely arranged verses, highlighting the narrative lyrics and strong vocal performances, counterpointed by the big sound on the catchy choruses. Driven by the acoustic rhythm guitar, the track combines a variety of instruments, including piano, organ, mandolin, and harmonica, as well as Lowheart's trademark electric lead guitar - featured to great effect in the solo. The crisp production and melodic tune create a commercial, yet mature sound, that should have broad appeal. This stand-alone single precedes Lowheart's forthcoming Country Rock album "Dirty Drinking Boots", which will include a solo vocal version of the song.
Piston Broke (Single) (2022)
The hard-edged country rocker "Piston Broke" signals a rollicking new direction, as a stand-alone precursor to the upcoming country album "Dirty Drinking Boots" that the duo are currently working on. After last year's hard-rocking "Rock Du Jour" album, and the introspective alt-country folk-blues of the "Catharsis" set that followed it, the "Piston Broke" single, (and a country duet single, "Keep Coming Back"), will precede the new album's release. "Piston Broke" is a chunky, gritty, up-beat and light-hearted romp, with its tongue planted firmly in its cheek - revealing the humorous side of Lowheart - and revolving around a recurring double entendre.
Roots Run Deep (EP) (2022)
"Roots Run Deep" is Lowheart's first EP-length release after 6 albums and 4 singles, and is a six-track collection of traditional American folk songs, all originating from well before the birth of rock 'n' roll. These classic songs reflect the origins of both Country Music and The Blues and are all around 100 years old (and in the case of "Wayfaring Stranger", around 200 years old!). They are so old in fact that the original songwriters cannot be identified, and as such the songs are all in the public domain. They have all been covered numerous times over the years by a great many artists, and have now been given the Lowheart treatment on "Roots Run Deep", often with unique new arrangements that inject a different perspective and feel to these familiar songs. The instrumentation, production, and musical style are in a similar vein to the sounds presented on their previous album "Catharsis” - being driven by the acoustic guitar, with passionate vocals, and each featuring a memorable and dynamic lead guitar solo.
"Roots Run Deep" covers the spectrum of pre-rock American musical genres (with the exception of jazz); ie. blues, country, folk, hillbilly, bluegrass, and gospel - the amalgam of which can best be described in modern terms as Roots/Americana or Alt-Country, with the addition of Lowheart's ever-present rock edge. Among the lyrical themes featured in these songs include those of spirituality, redemption, temptation, punishment, loneliness, isolation, sorrow, and loss, with classic settings such as trains, prisons, whore-houses, and biblical legends. "Roots Run Deep" presents a concise summary of the roots of rural American guitar music, with a fresh take on some much-loved and well-worn classics.
Take These Times (Single) (2021)
The hard-rocking single, "Take These Times", is a furious, and angst-ridden aggressive rocker, that reflects the frustration many are feeling in these times of lockdowns, restrictions, confusion, contradiction, isolation, and the constant threat of a deadly virus. The single is something of a follow-up to last year's "Complex Times" single, which itself was written the previous year (prior to the covid pandemic) - hence the homage to the earlier track on the cover artwork.
"Take These Times" is driven by a heavy riff, reminiscent of the style heard on the "Rock Du Jour" album (which was released in March this year), paving the way for an angry vocal with soaring chorus hooklines. The punchy guitar sound is influenced by both punk and metal, and this non-album single provides stark contrast to the sparse sounds heard on the previous release, the "Catharsis" album, and also to the roots and country material that Lowheart are currently working on.
Catharsis (Album) (2021)
The sixth Lowheart album "Catharsis" is a collection of moody and heartfelt songs, written over the period of a decade or more, that form a concept album of sorts - creating a story arc that follows from the divorce of the writer's parents to their own marriage breakdown and subsequent aftermath. The album features intensely personal lyrics, delivered with appropriate emotion and passion, over an acoustic-based instrumentation.
This narrative thread ties the songs together thematically, taking the listener on an emotional journey. The acoustic guitar is the dominant basis for the music, each accompanied by dramatic lead guitar solos - many of which are electric, some quite heavy and often exhilarating, and always adding an extra dimension to the tracks. The variety of sounds created in these lead guitar breaks underline the diversity and uniqueness within the songs.
The overall sound is a genre-defying blend of country, folk, blues, and acoustic rock, that could best be described as "Roots Rock", or Alt-Country - but the dark feel and moments of despair, sorrow, and anger should appeal to fans of heavy rock. The album was mostly recorded simultaneously with its predecessor, the hard-rocking "Rock Du Jour" set, and sits in direct contrast to that album musically, with a lighter, subtle touch applied throughout - underpinned by the intense feelings of angst and melancholy. "Catharsis" uses the album format as a means of artistic expression and performance, featuring experience-based story-telling, musical mood captivation, and personal purging.
Rock Du Jour (Album) (2021)
The next Lowheart album, "Rock Du Jour", was two years in the making, and signaled a return to the hard-rocking style of their debut set "Act on Impulse", while taking the heavy sounds of that album further to the extreme - not letting the foot off the pedal for a moment.
After three albums that cover the sphere from alt-country, through country-rock, to the classic rock of 2019's "Gravel or Gold", "Rock Du Jour" blends anthemic hard rock, with frenetic punk energy and metal tinges, to create a powerful, aggressive rock assault that never lets up - all driven by Lowheart's usual strong melodic sensibility, memorable hooks, and crunching guitar riffs. Lowheart's pure hard rock direction on this album was heralded by the "Opportunity Lost" single - a stand-alone release that preceded the album's arrival, at the beginning of 2021.
The punchy sound of "Rock Du Jour" aims to inject some gutsy fire-and-balls back into Australian Rock, and wears its hard rock influences proudly on its sleeve.
Opportunity Lost (Single) (2021)
At the start of 2021, Lowheart released a hard-rocking new single "Opportunity Lost", their third in a trio of non-album singles, produced while they work on the two new albums that would be released later that year. Although the song did not appear on the forthcoming "Rock Du Jour" album, "Opportunity Lost" is an entree to the heavy rock featured on that upcoming set, and is very much in a similar vein sonically.
The track is a frenetic punk-tinged burst of energy that warns of missing out on life's possibilities, with an aggressive feel yet a bouncy and vibrant catchy hook propelled by a strident vocal performance.
The Other Side (Single) (2020)
Lowheart have released their second single for 2020, a hard-edged upbeat rocker called The Other Side, with a big anthemic chorus, rock-solid rhythm, and plenty of punchy guitar, including some tasty lead guitar solos!
Lyrically, The Other Side deals with pushing through depression, and other setbacks and battles in life, in order to reach a state of greater peace, joy, and strength. Hopefully it's a track that resonates with many people, who can relate to the message and maybe gain some inspiration and courage - as Lowheart deliver the song with their usual passion, gusto, and verve.
Complex Times (Single) (2020)
Complex Times was the duo's first non-album single as Lowheart after four album releases since 2015. Written in 2019, prior to the worldwide pandemic, "Complex Times" somehow still managed to contain some topical relevance in the COVID era, and may have struck a chord with listeners in the strange days we were inhabiting at the time - while at times planting the tongue firmly in cheek. "Complex Times" features a classic rock sound, driven by a shuffling rhythm, a strong melodic vocal hook, and Lowheart's trademark guitar sound. Originally intended for inclusion on a forthcoming album (entitled Sleeping Dogs Bite), the pair decided to bring forward Complex Times (with several overdubs and a new mix added) for release as a stand-alone non-album single. This single release provided some new Lowheart material, while work continued simultaneously on the hard-rocking Rock Du Jour album and the acoustic-based set Catharsis.
Gravel or Gold (2019)
The fourth Lowheart album, Gravel or Gold, released in early 2019, followed on in a similar vein to the previous set Lost and Found, but veers slightly more towards the harder rock sounds found on Act on Impulse than its predecessor did. There are still several acoustic-driven tracks, including diverse ballads, and songs with Country/Folk/Blues tinges. Despite the great diversity of the material, the overall feel on Gravel or Gold is Classic Rock! An acapella intro on the opening track I Wanna Know leads into a frenetic hard-rocker, which is followed by the punk-tinged rocker Kicked To The Curb which features a big pumping chorus, before Give Me Something chills proceedings with a bright, acoustic-based country-tinged mid-tempo ballad. Other highlights include the up-tempo rocker Some Kinda Love, the doo-wop infused Falling Fast, and the moody, intense folk-blues ballad The Darkness.
Lost and Found (2016)
The third Lowheart album Lost and Found was, in effect, the lovechild of the duo’s previous two albums - both released in 2015 - combining the hard-edged rock sounds of Act on Impulse, with the acoustic-based country and roots influences heard on Long Hard Road. The result was a hard-edged but bright, crisp Country-Rock sound. Highlights include the defiant rock I Ain't Done, the catchy dancefloor anthem Country Voice, the power-ballad Come Back To Me, the Dylan-esque loping Country-folk narrative Where Do I Go From Here?, and a pair of angsty hard-edged rockers: Be Your Own Guru and Blowin' a Fuse.
Long Hard Road (2015)
Long Hard Road is the more rootsy, acoustic-based set, of the two sister albums released in 2015, brimming with Country-Rock and Alt-Country sounds, touches of Folk and Blues influence, stripped-back acoustic rock, and several heartfelt ballads. Although many of the lyrical themes deal with dark subject matter and emotions such as isolation, disillusionment, frustration, disgust, longing, depression, and betrayal, there are also several love songs that reveal a softer side to Lowheart. There are also moments of tongue-in-cheek humour, particularly in a couple of bluegrass/ hillbilly tunes that border on pastiche. The acoustic guitar dominates proceedings and is augmented by harmonica on half the tracks. The production feel is earthy, raw, and organic, with a diversity that attempts to capture the spirit of experimentation of The Beatles’ “White Album”.
Act on Impulse (2015)
Act on Impulse is a Hard-edged Rock set, filled with powerful riffs and defiant anthems, with a Classic Rock sound, gritty Punk and Metal influences, and occasional Country-Rock tinges. Fuelled by an aggressive attitude, Lowheart crank it up on this collection of strident, fist-pumping, blistering hard rock tunes, driven by a chunky guitar platform, searing solos, and fiery, roaring, impassioned vocals, all with a firm focus on strong melodies and memorable hook lines. Some of the lyrical themes addressed include feelings of confinement, freedom, entrapment, lust, revenge, defiance, primal instincts, and relationship breakdowns. Along with the intense angst is a cheeky comical side that often appears. Although there are no ballads on this album, there are several moments of mild respite to provide variety from the bombastic rock assault, particularly on the cruisy, laid-back Livin’ Free, and the bouncy but biting Rat on a Wheel.