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Cassette + Digital Album
Pink Cassette shells with slick white pad printing in a clear case. Features cassette-exclusive artwork on the j-card and some hidden audio gems found on this tape only. Tapes are professionally duplicated and assembled by Duplication.ca in Canada.
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Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
The new Lowmello CD in a limited edition gatefold Digipak. Features CD-exclusive booklet featuring lyrics and photography. For that 90s vibe to rock in the minivan.
Includes unlimited streaming of That Sweet Breath - EP
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Lowmello, the indie psych-rock project from the mind of Abel John, has officially released his new single “Fool” via Mama Mañana Records. The second track shared from his forthcoming EP, That Sweet Breath, is scheduled to arrive on March 31. “Fool” rolls in during a time of much change and personal growth for the Albuquerque-based musician.
A year ago, John was arrested for driving while intoxicated, which was the wake-up call he needed. The events of that night are what inspired the lyrics, as well as the music video for “Fool.” “The song tells the story of a fool who didn't make the best choices one particular night,” says John. “Remember, one day, your luck runs out.” With enough time passing, John wanted to turn his mistakes into a shareable lesson. The footage included in the “Fool” music video is from the Albuquerque Police Department’s bodycam recording John’s arrest and doubles as a paramount public service announcement and a reminder not to drink and drive.
“For a while, I was ashamed of what I did,” recalls John. “With a little help from my friends and their undying support, I began feeling better about the situation with time. I found even through my mistakes there will always be love in every inch of the universe that can pull you out of anything if you can tap into it.” Regarding the importance of “Fool,” particularly the music video, John says, “This song and especially the video are important to me because of everything profound that happened to me afterward. From traveling to New York City where I rediscovered who I want and don't want to be, and coming to terms with my life and all the mistakes I've ever made. I thought if I could do anything powerful, I would use my experience and music to help people decide not to drink and drive because I wouldn't want anyone to go through what I did.”
Tough love and life lessons are the theme of every song on Lowmello’s That Sweet Breath EP. The first single and title track delves into another moment of clarity for John during a particularly claustrophobic hot yoga session. “We held a pose that had me thinking about my life and hardships, and when the teacher told us to drop the pose, I fell flat onto my mat, and let out a huge exhale,” says John. “Under my breath, I remember saying, ‘ah, that was a sweet breath.’ I knew immediately that was what I wanted to call my next release and after class that day I went home to start writing the song as it reminds me to breathe through life and whatever it throws at me.”
It’s no mistake that the opening power chords on “That Sweet Breath” ring out in exhalation before building to the early aughts indie high that is the song’s centerpiece. As Lowmello repeats his mantra to himself, he transforms into a combination of Albert Hammonds Jr. and Nick Valensi’s intricate guitar interplay over a walking bassline from the Nikolai Fraiture playbook.
Fans of Lowmello’s 505 cult-favorite debut, Big Bang Boomerang, will instantly vibe with this new chapter in John’s music career, where his lyrics find him at his most vulnerable. Still, in Lowmello fashion, the guitars are cranked all the way up as he wades through his odyssey of transformation. The synth on the opening song “Red Lipstick” gently lands the listener on Planet Lowmello, a place inhabited by the sounds of psychedelic desert rock in John’s corner of the galaxy. As the swirling guitar lulls them in, John uses the fretboard as a dagger to transform the song into a dancefloor-filling stomper.
Elsewhere, on “26,” John borrows Brandon Flowers’s keyboard to turn a grooving ballad of uncertainty into a triumphant sing-along anthem. “Andrew” is a tender recollection of John’s upbringing in Riverside, California, and ultimately, a complicated love letter to his struggling brother.
A showcase of Lowmello’s diversity, John plays all of the instruments on That Sweet Breath while recording with co-producer Kendall Jones (Homebody, Midnight Sugar), who also mixed and played some organ and guitar, at Messy Grass Studio in Albuquerque. Not one to tread water, Abel John is busy at work on a full-length follow-up, due sometime in the fall. At this moment, though, these songs are a reminder to take that sweet breath.
“Now that That Sweet Breath is wrapped up it holds a different meaning for me than it did during the writing and the recording process,” shares John. “It is a timestamp of my life from childhood to today. There's a song for every chapter of the important times of my life. It feels like one long conversation with myself and my inner child, who was buried underneath the trauma and heartache. When I compare That Sweet Breath and my first release Big Bang Boomerang, I hear a different voice but the same pain. The difference is that I believe brighter days are here. Not just for me but also for you.”
credits
released March 31, 2023
All songs written and produced by Abel John,
All vocals and instruments performed by Abel John,
Except Fool and Red Lipstick: Organ and additional guitar performed by Kendall Jones.
Co-Producer, mixing, and mastering: Kendall Jones at Messy Grass Studios, Albuquerque, NM.
Recorded at Messy Grass Studios and Abel's Apartment 2022-2023
Cover Art by @coverartguy
Endless love to Monsoon Music House, Prudence, Terry, my friends, and anyone else who supports me.
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