On Tyranny: Low Co-Founder Foresaw Tyranny Taking Hold in the US a Decade Ago, Widower Alan Sparhawk Says
Any fan of indie pop worth their salt is familiar with Low, the legendary band that almost single-handedly created the indie subgenre known as “slowcore.” And any music lover who is familiar with Low, which reached its conclusion in 2022 after the heart-wrenching death of co-founder Mimi Parker, knows that her widower husband, Alan Sparhawk, launched the singular project together in 1993.
More than three decades later, Americans are stuck with Donald Trump ambivalently tanking the United States in every conceivable way, as ambivalently as he did with the litany of business ventures he bankrupted and otherwise destroyed over the course of decades. As a result, the (admittedly justified) shouting and anger dominating the public discourse is increasing in volume exponentially.
So what better time to check in with the soft-spoken Sparhawk, arguably one of the greatest musicians of our time who knows the value of, and is an expert in, taking a calm and measured approach to his art and his life. Don’t confuse his demeanor with being content about the state of the country, which is declining so rapidly that comparisons to the fall of the Roman Empire must be taken seriously. In fact, Sparhawk – as we learned when we interviewed him this very morning – is as heartbroken, disappointed and shocked as the vast majority of Americans.
Even so, the measured conversation we had with one of Minnesota’s greatest musicians of all time allowed our minds enough breathing room to pause and consider what each of us had to say. The interview captured in this video stands out from so many others in our On Tyranny series because we relished the silence that befell us during our thoughtful conversation. Time will tell if the muted moments during our exchange will be a necessary ingredient to eventually replacing the futile shouting matches so many of us absent-mindedly resort to these days.
Beyond the tenor and mood of The Bad Penny‘s fulfilling conversation with Sparhawk, the matters we discussed were of even greater importance. He spoke candidly about the challenge musicians face in trying to block out the grotesque degradation and excrementitiousness corroding our culture as they labor over realizing their artistic ambitions. Sparhawk also spoke briefly – which is to say, humbly – about how his approach to turn the country around is partially centered around helping immigrants in Duluth, where he resides.
Lest we spoil the entire conversation, we’ll stop type and let you start watching the interview Sparhawk granted The Bad Penny earlier today.
Keep up to date with Alan Sparhawk’s live performances, archival Low material, his new compositions and Sparhawk’s other activities on his website, AlanSparhawk.com.
Familiarize yourself with more brave musicians resisting the actions taken by Trump’s criminal enterprise; refusing to capitulate or cower to fascists, Nazis and others intent on destroying democracy; opposing the growing number of war crimes committed by Trump and members of his cabinet; using all their might to prevent the rich from eradicating the lower class; and preventing ICE, Trump’s militia squad, from terrorizing Americans:
• Indie-Rock Legend J. Robbins Says Techo Fascism Isn’t ‘Inevitable,’ Resistance Can Win
• Thalia Zedek Suggests ‘Artists Should Boycott Playing the United States’
• Bobby Conn Doesn’t Mince Words About ‘Con Man’ Donald Trump
• Palm Ghosts Say ‘7 Million People on the Street Doesn’t Even Make a Dent’
Delve deep into The Bad Penny‘s On Tyranny archive on TheBadPennyBlog.com. Loads more video interviews are on YouTube as well, including discussions with J Robbins, Cheap Perfume, Low Cut Connie, the Locust, LAPêCHE, Ratboys, INDECLINE and roughly 150 more musicians.
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