Alan Sparhawk

Early descriptions sometimes referred to the band's style as a rock subgenre called "slowcore", and Low were often compared to the band Bedhead, who played this style during the early 1990s.

However, Low's members ultimately disapproved of the term.

Parker and Sparhawk's vocal harmonies represented perhaps the group's most distinctive element; critic Denise Sullivan writes that their shared vocals are "as chilling as anything Gram [Parsons] and Emmylou [Harris] ever conspired on—though that's not to say it's country-tinged, just straight from the heart."

Low's style grew experimental over time, gradually incorporating elements of electronica and glitch on later releases, while retaining their minimalist approach.

Low was an American indie rock band from Duluth, Minnesota, formed in 1993 by Alan Sparhawk (guitar and vocals) and Mimi Parker (drums and vocals).

The band was a trio from 1993 to 2020, having featured four different bassists.

Low disbanded following the death of Parker in 2022.

The music of Low was characterized by slow tempos and minimalist arrangements.

The band formed in early 1993.

Sparhawk had been playing in the Superior, Wisconsin, band Zen Identity, the core of which was formed by drummer Robb Berry and vocalist Bill Walton.

That band needed a new bassist, and recruited future Low bassist John Nichols.

At that time, Nichols was a senior at Superior Senior High School, and bassist in the band Lorenzo's Tractor.

Sparhawk taught Zen Identity songs to Nichols and during practices, the two started improvising with some very modest, quiet themes.

As a joke, they wondered what would happen if they played such quiet music in front of Duluth, Minnesota, crowds, during a time when the most popular style of rock music was the loud, grunge, "post-punk" sound.

Soon, the joke became a serious thought.

Sparhawk left Zen Identity, who continued to perform and record without him, and he and Nichols recruited Sparhawk's wife Mimi Parker to play a very modest drum kit composed of a single snare drum, single cymbal, and a single floor tom.

She was to use brushes almost exclusively, rather than drum sticks.

Sparhawk said they played their first two shows in 1993 at the RecyclaBell in Duluth.

Low's debut album, I Could Live in Hope, was released on Virgin Records' Vernon Yard imprint in 1994.

It featured Nichols on bass, though he was replaced by Zak Sally, who joined for the recording of the band's next album Long Division.

Both I Could Live in Hope and Long Division were produced and recorded by Kramer.

Long Division and its similar follow-up, 1996's The Curtain Hits the Cast, established the band as critical darlings; extensive touring helped them to develop a highly devoted fan base.

"Over the Ocean", a single drawn from The Curtain Hits the Cast, also became something of a hit on college radio.

By the time of their next full-length album, 1999's Secret Name, Low had moved to the independent label Kranky.

In between, they released several singles and EPs.

In 1999, Low joined forces with Dirty Three to record an In The Fishtank session for Konkurrent records.

Allmusic called the six-song disc "some of the best material either unit has produced."

Of particular note is the disc's lengthy cover of Neil Young's "Down by the River".

2001 saw the release of Things We Lost in the Fire.

The following year saw the release of the band's final full-length on Kranky, Trust.

All three of the band's full-length releases on Kranky featured superstar producers: Secret Name and Things We Lost in the Fire feature the work of recording engineer Steve Albini, who proved sympathetic to capturing the band's strengths; while Trust was recorded by Tom Herbers along with Duluth engineer Eric Swanson and mixed by Tchad Blake at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios.

In April 2003, Peter S. Scholtes of the Twin Cities weekly paper City Pages posted in his weblog that Zak Sally had left Low.

The following month, the band posted an update to the news on their website: "We have all had to work through some personal things recently ... After sorting it out, the good news is that Zak is remaining in the band ..."

In July 2003, they toured Europe with Radiohead, Sally in tow.

Following a successful tour in early 2004 that vividly demonstrated the band's commitment to their fans (Parker was visibly pregnant throughout), the band signaled their intent to continue making music by signing with powerhouse indie label Sub Pop.

To tie up the loose ends of the era, Low released a three-disc rarities compilation on its own Chairkickers label in 2004.

Beginning with Secret Name, the band have diversified their sound.

The band use subtle electronic music touches to augment their sound, reflective of their tenure with Kranky and their exposure to the Midwest's post-rock scene.

Adding a more overt rock element to their aesthetic, the band has used fuzz bass from Things We Lost In the Fire onward, and began using distorted lead guitar on Trust.

The band's 2005 album, The Great Destroyer, nods even further in the direction of rock.