Lucas Field of Low vs Diamond talks strictly music
Annette Garcilazo / Staff Writer / The USD Vista
Low vs Diamond can take pride in being called an American band. They may be living in L.A. now, but the members come from all over the country: Seattle (Lucas Field- vocals), Chicago (Howie Diamond- drums), San Francisco (Tad Moore- keyboard), and Atlantic City (Anthony Polcino- guitar and Jon Pancoast- bass). In 2007 Low vs Diamond came out with an early promotional, “Life After Love,” and their self-titled full-length debut was released this summer in July. So far, they have received plenty of critical praise by the media such as iTunes, Filter, Spin, the Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone, which described their music as defining rock and pop.
Lucas Field, vocalist and a founding member of the band, found time to speak to me after having to replace the tires on the band’s van and heading back on the road. I guaranteed Field that I would steer away from obnoxious and personal questions, so you’ll have to find out those details somewhere else. This interview is strictly about the music:
The Vista: How would you describe the vibe of your music for those who have never heard of your band?
Low vs Diamond: It’s pop music and it’s rock music. There are classical-style songs centered on rock. We’re like Carole King meets Pearl Jam.
V: Who or what has inspired you to make music?
LVD: I would say all the past music we’ve sat and listened to in the car. Movie soundtracks also inspire us with a nostalgic feeling; we want our songs to be like those moments in movies where you just get into the moment.
V: Are you aiming to follow in the footsteps of a particular music legend or are you on the journey to make your own mark in music history?
LVD: Were just trying to do what we do best. You think you may know where things are going, but all we can really do is our best. Whether anyone else is going to see it, we don’t know.
V: How does it make you feel when you’ve gotten huge music press, like iTunes naming you “The Next Big Thing” and making it on Rolling Stone’s Hot List?
LVD: Excited. You can relate it to what you’re doing- you’re working hard to do your job and you get a “Hey, that was awesome!” or “That was really great!” We put our complete effort into what we do and for people to say nice things like that, we appreciate it.
V: Are you concerned with how your current fans will react when, and if, you do become a big thing and they lose you as their secret band?
LVD: We definitely want to maintain a relationship with the fans, but as we start to play shows at bigger places, it will be something out of our hands.
V: So what do you have to say to those who use the term sell-outs?
LVD: Sell-out can only be used when you aren’t making music you love. As long as you’re 100 percent behind what you’re making and each individual of the band is behind the contributions of each other, that’s all that matters.
V: What would you like people to know about Low vs Diamond?
LVD: It is important for us that people spend some time with the album and that they listen to it a few times and then come watch us perform at a live show.
The songs on Low vs Diamond’s album bring great advice on things from family to relationships to life in general. The vibe that Low vs Diamond brings to the crowd is as diverse as its members and when the entire album is listened to, emotions will change from cheerful and optimistic one moment, to contemplative the next.
Low vs Diamond cranks out tunes that are easy for anyone to relate to- the feeling is genuine and their enthusiasm for music is evident.
Since the release of Low vs Diamond, the band has had the opportunity to perform at the Pemberton Music Festival alongside Coldplay and Jay-Z. The band expressed excitement in their arrival to sunny San Diego. If you are interested in the American-bred sounds of Low vs Diamond, they will be appearing at the House of Blues with Santogold on Oct. 10 to supplement their Epic Records debut. And in their own words, be there or be square!
If you would like to check out this up-and-coming band on the web, their official fan site is lowvsdiamond.com and their myspace is myspace.com/lowvsdiamond.