Artist

Nick Lowe

Walton-on-Thames, United Kingdom • b. 1949

Nick Lowe is a musician from Walton-on-Thames, United Kingdom, active since 1949. Their discography on Gatefold includes 24 records.

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Albums tracked

102

In collections

1949

Since

Biography

Nick Lowe (born Nicholas Drain Lowe, 24 March 1949, Walton-on-Thames, England) is a well-respected British singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. A pivotal figure in U.K. pub rock, punk rock, power pop, and new wave throughout the 70s and later, Lowe was a key member of bands such as Brinsley Schwarz and Rockpile (with Dave Edmunds). Perhaps best known for his songs "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" and "Cruel to Be Kind", he has also famously done production work for Elvis Costello.

The Arc of Nick Lowe

The pivots — what forced Nick Lowe to reinvent.

The Stiff Records Basher Years
Between 1976 and 1979, Lowe was the frantic heartbeat of the newly formed Stiff Records, working out of Pathway Studios on an eight-track machine that practically hissed under the strain of his dirty mixes. He was cranking out singles for Wreckless Eric and Elvis Costello while cutting his own solo records like 'Jesus of Cool' in brief, chaotic bursts of studio downtime. The sound was characterized by dry, deadened snare drums, massive bass guitar pushed right to the front of the mix, and a deliberate lack of vocal slickness. It was a glorious, trashy collision of classic pop structures and punk rock attitude that defined the entire UK new wave sound.
The Rockpile Partnership and Eighties Drift
After years of contract wrangling finally allowed him to officially team up with Dave Edmunds in Rockpile, they cut the high-energy 'Seconds of Pleasure' in 1980 only to break up almost immediately after. This sent Lowe into a decade-long tailspin of commercial desperation where he tried to fit into the increasingly slick, synthesizer-heavy production landscape of the eighties. Albums like 'The Abominable Showman' and 'Nick the Knife' suffered from thin drum machines and clean digital reverbs that completely smothered his natural pub-rock warmth. He was still writing brilliant hooks, but they were trapped inside plastic production that felt entirely foreign to his 'bash-it-out' ethos.
The Brentwood Country Renaissance
The big shift happened in 1994 when Lowe walked into Pathway Studios with a bunch of acoustic instruments, drummer Bobby Irwin, and a determination to stop trying to be a pop star. The resulting record, 'The Impossible Bird,' was a masterclass in quiet, country-soul minimalism that stripped away all the eighties clutter. He lowered his vocal register to a deep, weary baritone and let the rhythm section carry the weight of his heartbreakingly simple songs. This late-career reinvention transformed him from a fading new wave relic into a venerable, silver-haired crooner who could break your heart with a single quiet chord change.

Influences

Johnny Cash — Lowe wrote 'The Beast in Me' specifically for Cash, who was his former father-in-law, and Cash recorded it for his landmark 1994 American Recordings album. You can hear Cash's heavy, deadpan vocal delivery all over Lowe's late-career solo work, particularly on tracks like 'The Impossible Bird.' It is the blueprint for how Lowe transitioned from a pop kid to a wise elder statesman.
Arthur Alexander — Lowe has repeatedly cited Alexander as his favorite songwriter and covered his classic track 'In the Middle of It All' on the 1990 album Party of One. The influence is obvious in Lowe's ability to blend country heartbreak with deep southern soul grooves. He took Alexander's vulnerable, unpretentious lyrical style and used it to temper his own British cynicism.
Buddy Holly — Before the punk explosion, Lowe was obsessed with Holly's tight, two-minute pop structures and clean guitar jangle. You can hear Holly's signature hiccup vocal style and melodic economy on early Stiff singles like 'Marie Provost.' It is the foundation of Lowe's entire 'pure pop for now people' aesthetic.
The Everly Brothers — Lowe toured with Dave Edmunds as Rockpile playing direct support for the Everlys during their reunion era and studied their vocal harmony arrangements nightly. The tight, double-tracked vocal harmonies on 'Cruel to Be Kind' are a direct lift from the Everly Brothers' playbook. It is the secret weapon behind his biggest American radio hit.
Webb Pierce — Lowe grew up listening to his mother's country records and specifically latched onto Pierce's classic Decca honky-tonk sound. You hear this influence in the swing and shuffle of Lowe's rhythm sections, especially in his work with Brinsley Schwarz. He took the beer-joint bounce of fifty-era Nashville and transported it directly to the London pub scene.