Despite centering themselves in the middle of the Los Angeles music scene, the band Low vs Diamond should not be mistaken for the typical LA band. Much to the contrary, as their members hail from across the country, they have appropriately called their project an “American Rock Band.” With origins at the University of Boulder-Colorado in 2002 playing primarily as a jam band for house parties, the band has since relocated to California’s thriving music scene, welcomed two more members, shifted genre and made some big steps toward making their name known.
Consisting of five members, Lucas Field (vocals, guitar), Howie Diamond (drums), Tad Moore (keys), Jon Pancoast (bass) and Anthony Polcino (vocals, guitar), the band is called Low vs Diamond, an unusual name without a simple story behind it. Field described it as “a little of a lot of stuff,” with origins in both personal experiences (a conflict between Diamond and a girl mysteriously dubbed “Lo”) and musical influence (track “Low” from David Bowie’s album “Diamond Dogs”), but they also maintain it’s “just a name now.”
Drawing inspiration from a “random palate” of a vast pool of artists, today the band pursues more of an indie-rock sound, blending somberness with joy through self-described “eclectic musical sounds.” Further marking the band’s particular flavor is a heavily narrative quality to their songs that brings to mind the style of fellow modern American rock band Jack’s Mannequin.
Written primarily by Field, the lyrics embody stories and the things that are hard to just say normally — a personal infusion of heart and soul that leads Field to describe the sound as “Billy Joel or Carol King, but with a rock band. I’m not playing any tricks and there’s not a lot of irony. I try to tell stories that you can sink your teeth into.”
Having released their EP in 2007, the band followed up with their first full-length self-titled album in 2008 under Epic Records. With their debut album came a quick rise to recognition, and a busy year, with appearances on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and a feature spread in Rolling Stone magazine, which named them as one of the six artists defining pop and rock in 2008. With the sudden rise to (pseudo-)fame, or at least visibility, Field sees the media appearances as the precursor to their 2009 goal of getting real fans, wishing “that everyone could hear us and decide if they hate us or like us, and then come out to the shows.”
And the shows are both plentiful and widespread. Starting in mid-January Low vs Diamond embarked on a cross-country tour that ends in California, partially with band Nickel Eye, a tour which gives the East Coast and the Midwest a taste of the band’s style. Having previously gone on tour with Santogold and Mates of State, venturing outside of sunny California is nothing new to the band, but they aren’t exactly accustomed to the bitter cold of Wisconsin. Although when asked about his favorite venues to perform, Field was quick to reply, “The Majestic in Madison — it’s a great place, and I’m actually friends Matt Gerding, who started it.”
In fact, Low vs Diamond will be making a second appearance at the Majestic on Friday, Jan. 23, and Field hopes “to see some new faces in addition to the die-hard fans at our last shows.” One can expect nearly the full album to be performed, while tracks meriting special anticipation include “Cinema Tonight,” “Killer B,” Field’s personal favorite to perform, and “Don’t Forget Sister,” which earned them the No. 59 spot on Rolling Stone’s list of the top 100 songs of 2008.
The future remains up in the air for the upcoming band, for which the immediate is hectic enough.
“A year from now? No idea. I cannot even see in front of me five feet at this point, and I just don’t know. I hope to be playing shows and writing another album, but it’s so hard to predict where we’ll be. That’s what makes it so exciting.”
To potential listeners Field said, “It’ll be a full show and we work really hard. So if you want to see an American band doing some good shit, they should come on out,” adding, “and the lead singer’s dad was a Badger!”
Low vs Diamond’s will be performing tonight at the Majestic Theatre with Nickel Eye. Tickets are $12, and the show starts at 9 p.m.
