A Dirty Dozen with ANGELO COPPOLA from THE LOWS – June 2020

According to a recent press release: “The Lows’ unique blend of supersonic groove rock fuses modern production with traditional hard rock values and a true dedication for writing memorable hooks over heavy grooves. Singer/songwriter Angelo Coppola brought together his dream team of musicians with legendary Detroit bassist Wolf, the heavy hitting drum rhythms of Duane Hewins, and the dual guitar attack of Nick Behnan and Brandon McNall. With the band complete, The Lows began forging a refreshing new rebirth of rock music from Detroit.” We get Angelo to discuss new music, influences, and much more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Our latest singles are “Love Will Find A Way” and “Love Xtinction”. The listener might not realize at first that these songs are almost opposite points of view on the state of love in society. “Love Xtinction” is about the lack of love and positivity in the world right now, while “Love Will Find A Way” is about how no matter how bad things may seem or get, love and peace will always prosper.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I began playing drums when I was about 2 years old and my Dad would sit me on the drum throne. I started playing drums with bands in middle school and graduated from the Detroit Institute of Music Education with a degree in music business. Discovering my love for songwriting was a huge step for my career, but music has been my absolute passion and the only thing I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

The first band I ever knew and loved was Kiss as a young child and I’ve seen them live about a dozen times. They definitely set the foundation for me wanting to be a performer. In high school, I became obsessed with Nirvana and Kurt Cobain’s songwriting hit me on another level, inspiring me to write songs of my own. However, I have influences all across the board and the inspirations are endless.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

This is a super hard question and there’s so many bands and artists that influence me, but I’ll say: Kiss, Nirvana, The Doors, Pearl Jam, and Oasis.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Dave Grohl, because he’s arguably the biggest force in keeping rock and roll alive today and the person I want to meet the most.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Pure, straight forward, hard hitting, Detroit rock and roll. Trying to keep the passion in music alive. We once were featured in an article for Channel 4 News in Detroit and they labelled us as “keeping grunge alive” which led to many negative comments on the article. While grunge is one of my biggest influences songwriting wise, I thought that label was misleading because The Lows try to create our own unique sound of rock.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

While our band is usually an order a pizza kinda band, our bassist Wolf does know how to grill up the goods! We all enjoy a drink during hang outs or band practices, and our guitarist Nick has turned me into a whiskey aficionado. I’m usually the one who breaks out a guitar and wants to get working on music even if we’re just hanging.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

When The Lows shared the bill with Stone Temple Pilots last summer. I have been a massive fan since I was super young and know just about their entire catalog by heart. When I actually got to see the DeLeo brothers up close I was as starstruck as it gets and could only muster out that “I’m a huge fan”. They then proceeded to watch some of our set from side stage, and needless to say I was reeling.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

I’m a huge sports and pro wrestling fan and could always see myself being a broadcaster or announcer if music wasn’t in my life.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I like being asked what my goals are for The Lows because it’s always the same answer: to become the biggest band since The Beatles and to tour stadiums one day. Conversely, the amount of times I’ve struggled to answer who my biggest influences are is a lot, because I have SO MANY.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Back in 2018, The Lows performed at a big Detroit area festival called Arts, Beats, and Eats, playing before bands such as Everclear and the Gin Blossoms. It was a very family friendly event, but I wanted to stay true to our rock and roll style and I ended up getting a warning about swearing on stage too much. The rebel in me came out, and before we covered “Kick Out the Jams” by Detroit legends the MC5, I screamed into the mic to “KICK OUT THE JAMES MF’ERS!” Needless to say I don’t think we’ll ever get asked to play that festival again LOL.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

The answer to this question would probably change on a weekly basis for me, but right now I’d say What’s The Story (Morning Glory) by Oasis. This album is such a groundbreaker and the songs are some of the most well written and produced of all time. Not to mention getting to party with the Gallagher brothers! Oasis is one of my favorite bands of all time, and this is their most iconic record that took them to superstardom.

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Category: Interviews