Olivia Osby and Avshalom “Avsha” Weinberg have a once in a lifetime kind of friendship. After meeting in high school and bonding over their shared love of music, the two quickly set to crafting their own project — thus, Lowertown was born.
Touching on the uncertainty, angst, and mish-mash of overwhelming feelings that comes with youth, the Atlanta-based pair have tapped into an emotive goldmine, and their approach is vulnerable and genuine. On the heels of releasing their debut album Friends this past year and with the promise of even more spectacular lo-fi indie instrumentation to follow, Lowertown is on the cusp of being something great and finally getting the recognition they deserve for it.
Recently, we had the chance to ask Olivia and Avsha about Lowertown’s beginnings, Friends, and what the future looks like for them.
For prospective listeners who have yet to know you guys, to know Lowertown, what should they know first-and-foremost?
Avsha: Hello! We’re Lowertown: a two-person band. Our names are Olivia and Avsha. We’re in it to win it. We won’t stop dropping albums until we drop dead. So, stick around because we’re just getting started.
Can you describe how Lowertown came to be?
Avsha: We met in our sophomore year of high school after Olivia switched to my school, and we quickly became close friends after we bonded over our hatred of math class and our similar music taste. That summer, we went to Canada, and on our first day there, we walked through an area in Ottawa known as Lower Town. There, we stumbled, unknowingly, into a crack alley. We were followed and eventually forced to nonchalantly stumble away from (not really) certain death. Though we were shaken up by the situation, we learned that in a fight, neither of us would probably last more than three seconds.
Olivia: On one of the last days before returning to Atlanta, we attended a Lebanese Culture Festival, and around midnight, we went to sit by the shoreline and began sharing old music with each other. We discussed our plans for music in the future, and listened to Avsha’s old guitar demos, which I immediately connected with, and from there we decided to start a band… and we already sort of had an idea for what we wanted to name it.
I know you each have your own side projects as well so I’m also curious as to how working together differs from the process of creating individually!
Olivia: Working together is definitely a completely different experience than solo work which is a great (but sometimes intimidating) thin[g]!! Solo projects, to me, are a safe, comfortable place where you can create things that you’re used to making or just not take the creation process as seriously overall; it feels like you’re just making music for yourself to listen to and enjoy and engage with. When Avsha and I work together for Lowertown, it’s a completely different experience.
We both have different strengths: mine being songwriting and singing and Avsha’s being his outstanding technical abilities with instruments and his critical ear. We try hard to push each other to progress past that level of comfort that comes with a solo project. Avsha sings and plays drums at Lowertown shows, something he has never delved into before. I sing and play many more complex pieces on guitar than I ever thought I was capable of on guitar. This work dynamic and dedication to “the craft” has created just the right balance of comfort and pressure that has helped us progress much faster than I would by myself.
Working on music with someone can be an incredible thing, but you really need to put your ego on the back burner because sometimes, constructive criticism can feel very personal and offensive.I’ve learned that I wouldn’t be able to create and perform with the creativity and energy that I do without someone to help and support me through the process.
In terms of your individual careers as musicians, what/who has impacted your journey to where you are today? Are there any artists that have inspired the direction you’ve gone down sound/vision-wise?
Avsha: I think we both grew up on a lot of different types of music. I grew up on a lot of Israeli, classical, ambient, and garage rock music while Olivia grew up on lo-fi indie, emo, and pop-punk, but I think what was most significant to the two of us was the music we became obsessed with together. Bands such as (Sandy) Alex G, The Microphones, Aphex Twin, White Stripes, Dirty Projectors, Modest Mouse, Chet Baker, Elliott Smith, Crystal Castles, Radiohead, and Animal Collective directed us towards a unique sound that takes influences from multiple genres and styles.
Earlier this year, you guys released an album entitled Friends, which is essentially a collection of existential, emotionally vulnerable tracks—a lot of which are acoustic and soft in nature. As this is Lowertown’s first full release, did you have any sort of plan going in, or did you simply write what made sense and came naturally?
Olivia: Our first goal was to make an album that combined both of our styles into one. Seeing as I wrote folky, singer-songwriter music and Avsha wrote experimental, indie electronic music at the time, we tried to find a middle ground, and with that came Friends.
I had never worked musically with anyone before, and I was extremely insecure about my ideas and abilities, so it was a momentous task just trying to get me to sing in front of him or share any lyrics I had written.
“Charlie” was our first collaborative piece. It was a song I had originally written for my solo project, Olivia O., so I had some chord progressions and lyrics which I ended up sharing with Avsha. He decided that we should try and record a first take all in one try so I could get comfortable singing in front of someone, as he was going to produce and listen to our tracks over and over again. Avsha accompanied me with a lead guitar part and vocal harmonies, and we realized from that first recording that a sound was conveyed that we hadn’t anticipated. It was raw and interesting and a perfect combination of our ideas and styles which is what we wanted to get out of the project from the beginning.
In terms of the song titles for the Friends EP, did you draw those (and the content of each track) from specific individuals in your own lives?
Olivia: The songs were most definitely written about people in my life and the significant impact they have had on it. We changed the names so no one would know who we were talking about. Some of the characters I write about are a mash of many different people or a character created from similar traits I recognized in others or myself. Sometimes, I like to write about the problems I have with myself but in the perspective or context of someone else, and when I think about those problems as if I’m looking at someone else, it’s easier to understand how to change myself for the better.
“George” was written about things I’ve been through and things I didn’t like about myself that I wanted to change. In the lines “Now your hairs falling onto the ground, Your fingers are old and worn out, The smoke in your lungs weighs you down,” I was disappointed with how I was treating my body at the time, and I felt ashamed that I was falling into a cycle of telling myself I would stop and never following through. The chorus ends with “wisdom always has a price, it’s never given for free,” which was me reflecting on the fact that the experiences I went through to make me who I am today—while seemingly unbearable and confusing at times—were necessary for the formation of my identity and maturity.
One of your latest singles, “New Song,” was released in October—lyrically, it expresses this sort of hesitance and uncertainty in dealing with life in a general sense, and I think that resonates really thoroughly! When writing this track, what inspired the direction it headed in?
Olivia: This song was written as an expression of my anticipation and intense anxiety for the future. Next year, Avsha and I will most likely move away from each other and thinking about living apart from my best friend began to catch up with me. I started becoming extremely anxious [to the point] where I’m constantly thinking about living my life without him and what that would entail. I began to develop intense insomnia, and would lie awake for hours with thoughts of going through the next chapter of my life alone and about Avsha and I growing apart and losing the valuable connection we both share.
Writing “New Song” was my attempt at coping and understanding the ever-changing nature of life and of moving away from someone you dearly love. I personified these emotions into two characters: a friend, which was negative half of myself that was constantly worrying about the situation, and the second character being myself, which was the voice of reason that tries to help the friend accept the uncertainty he feels. Writing this song has helped me sort out a lot of the feelings I was working through at the time, and now I feel a lot more optimistic about the future.
Of everything you’ve released thus far, which track(s) would you say you’re most proud of? What would you recommend new listeners to check out first?
“New Song,” “Charlie,” and “Gerald” are our top three songs right now but we have some more singles coming soon that we’re really excited for!
Social media undoubtedly impacts artist outreach, considering it’s the “age of the Internet” and you guys have a decent following. How would you say social media and the Internet in a general sense have affected Lowertown’s growth and your growth as individual musicians?
Olivia: Social media has been huge for us being able to connect with our audience. We haven’t played many shows outside of Atlanta, so it’s great to have a tool that allows us to find people outside of our city and connect with them. I have met a majority of my friends and fellow musicians through social media as well; without Instagram, I wouldn’t know half the people I do now.
I like social media because it allows Avsha and I to be open to display our personalities and experiences, which I think has helped us form a bond with many of the people following our pages. I think social media, while it isn’t my favorite thing at times, has helped us tremendously with finding an audience that appreciates our music and aesthetic, as well as with meeting other artists to collaborate with or to learn from.
Aside from living your lives and making music together, what kind of plans do you two have for the new year? With new releases in mind, what should listeners expect?
Olivia: We have a few more singles on the way and then we’re gonna drop Honeycomb, Bedbug, our second full-length LP! We also want to perform in more locations (possibly touring) and to continue playing for new people. We’re also working on a music video and have plans for future releases that stretch past our current genre. We’re super excited for the future!!
Lowertown’s latest single, “Sandy” is out now — take a listen on any of your favorite streaming platforms and make sure to keep up with the band via Instagram
