Alex Lowry is bored.
Used to being on the road for the majority of the year with his indie rock band, Lowry, for the past few weeks, the musician has been at home in Bushwick, itching to get back on it.
The spring promises somereprieve, with time in the studio scheduled as the band works on a follow-up to 2008’s electronica-folk-twinged“Love is Dead,” as well as seeing them pack the van for some dates down South. But until that point, Alex is antsy.
“For four years, we’ve been off and on the road. This is the longest we have ever been home,” says Alex, who by we means Heidi Sidelinker (vocals, guitar and percussion), Greg Tuohey(guitar), Jasper Leak (bass), and Crash (drums). “We’re all climbing up the walls at this point, sitting on our haunches trying to figure out what to do with ourselves.”
At least for the next few weeks, the band has Thursday night figured out. For the months of February and March, Lowry will find a temporary home at Spike Hill, with a residency of free shows.
“With the recession and everything that’s happening all around us, it was hard to justify putting together say a Williamsburg Music Hall show and charging 200 people — those who have seen us many times — $15 or $18, beer on top it of,” says Alex. “We decided to do a run of free shows in the city leading up to our next record.”
But don’t just come for Lowry. Alex looks to make the whole night a hang at the Williamsburg venue.
“It’s a very laid-back affair. It’s about the cohesiveness of the bands,” says Alex, who helped put together bands for eachThursday time slot, pulling from his healthy singer-songwriter community, which includes Local Correspondents and remnants of the East Village anti-folk scene. “It doesn’t feel contrived, that you’ve been corralled into a room where you’re going to get five different bands. This is totally not that at all. It’s more about the vibe.”
Local bands joining Lowry on the Thursday night bills include Luke Wesley and Low Water (February 18), No Lindsay (February 25), and Porter Block and The Blood Sugars(March 4).
Luckily, Lowry shouldn’t be bored for too long after that; March sees the band in the studio, recording their third studio album, to be released on Engine Room Recordings in September (at which point, you might just find the band at a venue like the Music Hall).
Slowly introducing the new songs into their sets over the past few months, the Spike Hill residency will not only mix up the week, it’ll get the band primed for the studio.
“We want to get into the body of (the songs) and make sure they’re absolutely right there before we record them,” says Lowry. “It takes a really long time to get these things ironed out in a way that we’re happy with. That’s been the story of us.”
Lowry play Spike Hill (184 and 186 Bedford Ave.) now through March 25 at 10 pm., with the possibility of the residency extending into April. Come at 8 pm and make a night of it.
For more information, go to www.spikehill.com or call 718-218-9737.
For more on the band, go to www.myspace.com/lowry.
