ALAN SPARHAWK
THE UNCUT GUIDE TO THIS MONTH’S KEY RELEASES
Deep emotions and trap beats mark the Low cofounder’s intimate solo debut.
By Tom Pinnock
"Heaven, it's a lonely place if you're alone"
White Roses, My God
SUB POP
LIKE many who are dealing with loss, Alan Sparhawk has been trying to keep himself busy. He’s had a lot to grieve: the death of his wife Mimi Parker in November 2022, aged just 55, wasn’t only the end of a marriage, but also the end of Low, the group they formed in Duluth, Minnesota, back in 1993.
What to do? For starters, he’s been keeping his vegetable garden blooming and then quietly enthusing about it on his regular Instagram livestreams. He’s also dipped into a host of diverse musical projects: there’s been Damien, fronted by his friend Marc Gartman; Derecho Rhythm Section, a funk group also featuring his son Cyrus on bass guitar, who have released a number of singles on Bandcamp and performed regularly in their corner of the United States; Tired Eyes, a Neil Young tribute group he’s been strapping on the hollow-body guitar for; and a collaboration with Minneapolis songwriter Nat Harvie.