Review Fix Exclusive: Lowen Talks ‘Only In My Dreams’

Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter Lowen, who discusses her origin in music and the development of her newfound sound.

Review Fix: How did you get involved in music? How does your creative process with Lowen differ from when you were creating as Emily Kopp?

Lowen: I always felt connected to music in a visceral way – as a listener, and then as a young kid who started singing and exploring my own musical abilities. I grew up with my dad singing. He also taught me to play the guitar when I was around 11 or 12. I remember always using my hands to play percussion on the front glove compartment of the car and jamming out while singing. That led to me playing the drums, learning cover songs on guitar, playing in my schools’ rock band, and eventually, in college, playing cover gigs around town. That’s also when I started my journey into songwriting; So, I guess my path into music has always been a natural and organic one. It wasn’t really a choice – it was a part of me from the beginning. 

In hindsight – creating as Emily Kopp was always pretty “organized” and careful – I think I was a bit creatively timid. I’d sit in my bed, figure out a vibe on acoustic guitar, and jot everything in a notebook. I was young, still developing as a songwriter, desperate to find my voice, and my perspective. I also wrote alone most of the time since I was living in Orlando, FL and the idea of co-writing wasn’t something I knew existed at that time. I do remember starting to explore production a bit at that time – as I’d create little tracks in Garage Band in my dorm when my roommate was out. When it came to express those ideas and acoustic songs in a fleshed-out way, I’d bring them to my producer, Justin Beckler. He would help me translate those into recordings. He was really my only collaborator at that time, and I owe most of whatever production prowess I have now, to him.  

Creating as Lowen is all encompassing. It’s not a place I go to, or something compartmentalized from my life as Emily Kopp the human being. I try to say yes to the ideas when they come – even if that means tip toing into the bathroom (to not wake the Mrs.), to hum something into my voice memos app…or writing down lyrics or stream of consciousness in the middle of the day. A lot of the seeds of ideas start while I’m alone, but taking those seeds, and turning them into songs with people I love collaborating with is one of my favorite parts of making music. I’ve grown personally, but also creatively, to where, I’m no longer holding back speaking my truth, even if it might be uncomfortable for someone in my life to hear. It’s a daily practice but working on becoming more and more creatively free is something that is the most important thing to me as an artist. 

Review Fix: What inspires you? What keeps you going? What made you create Only in my Dreams?

Lowen: I’m inspired by the things that are a part of my human experience. I’m sure a lot of these will ebb and flow, but for me, sometimes it’s love, sometimes it’s shame, sometimes it’s sex and intimacy, sometimes it’s something that someone says that makes me go “whoa”, that was beautiful I need to write that down. It all really just depends on what’s going on in that season of life. As an artist, there’s a need to process life and have a place to put all of the feelings and through that, hopefully get to some sort of conclusion or place of peace. It’s also the pursuit of art itself that keeps me going. For example, the possibility of being able to convey an idea… an emotion in such a way that you’re able to heal or even begin to work through something is so incredible to me.  

I was having really vivid dreams about someone who had recently passed away, and I would share that with my wife because I knew she also had frequent dreams, not about… but with loved ones who had passed. She always chose to interpret it as being able to spend time with that person. I loved that. Rather than thinking about it as a longing, or as something sad, what if we choose to believe that we’re all meeting up, just in a different realm. I felt really inspired by that.  

Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?

Lowen: Woodstock pop.

Review Fix: How are your live shows different from your studio work?

Lowen: The stage is home. I’m not a religious person but shows feel holy to me. Obviously, creating completely honest and thoughtful art to be proud of is the first step…people can listen to that, take what they need from it, and it will always exist in that space. However, being able to take that art, and translate it into a physical experience that moves, and flows, and is different every time, connecting to people in real time – it’s like the songs getting to come alive. It’s all about presence. In a live setting, once the song is over, it’s over, so I love the idea of capturing and connecting to people through that moment – that song. When everyone in a venue is “plugged” into the same vibe – it can have the power to be transcendent. My live shows are a place I enter into with whoever is in the room, and it’s what I’m most excited for with this project.

Review Fix: What inspired your latest singles “Morning, Mourning” and “Only in my Dreams”?

Lowen: Morning, Mourning stemmed from the shame and guilt I’d felt saying goodbye to an old love (my first love) and falling into new love soon thereafter. It’s an apology letter to my new love saying, I’m sorry for all those nights I cried in mourning and 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 grief 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. When my ex passed away, mourning took on a whole new meaning. I brought the song idea to two friends who I write with often, and we all realized we’d shared in some version of this duality of pain vs pleasure and happiness. It was cathartic to finally say it all out loud in a safe space and be able to express it through a song. 

Review Fix: What are your goals for the rest of 2019?

Lowen: Write, write, write. Maintain balance. Be a good partner. Write, write, write.