About Me
The Empire State of the South has struck a resounding chord in the great American idiom Rock n’ Roll. Producing artists as diverse as Blind Willie McTell, “Guitar Man†Jerry Reed and the Allman Brothers Band, Georgia has proven itself a showcase for the southern music scene. Now the Peach State is sending another son into the world of American music, Mike Lowry. He’s breathed in the smoke-filled air of hole-in-the-wall rib joints and felt the clickety-clak of the freights driving straight thru to Atlanta and that influence shines through in the true-to-life stories he tells through his songwriting and his virtuosic guitarmanship.
But native talent alone cannot make an artist great, it requires the journey of finding one’s self and the recognition of their own unique perspective. That journey has taken Lowry down many roads, but on his third album, Lowry’s train is pulling into the station.
Concentrating on songwriting, and taking the time in the studio to experiment with new sounds, Lowry is showcasing the maturity he has gained in his years as a working musician. Songs are built up layer by layer with careful attention paid to texture and the aural experience as a whole. The guitar that was formerly the driving force in Lowry’s repertoire has taken a back seat to song craft, but it continues to take the wheel to aide in the slow burn.
Lowry’s voice comes through road worn but hungry, with lyrics reflecting the experiences of an artist growing and developing through the process of change. Songs like ‘Already Fallen’ and ‘Don’t Bend’ speak to the struggle of staying true to one’s self when life begins pulling in so many different directions. The result of these recordings is a collection of songs showcasing a great new talent on his way to the top.
But Lowry is no stranger to the music scene, his youth belies more than 12 years of dues paid in the clubs and bars of Atlanta and the surrounding region. Lowry’s saturated, six-string pyromania made him a fixture in famed Atlanta haunts like Fuzzy’s and the Northside Tavern. And that in turn has led to an impressive résumé of opening slots and shared stages with artists including James Brown, John Mayer, Dr. John, Charlie Mussle White, Levon Helms and Jimmy Vaughn. Currently, Lowry is watching the world through the windshield of a Ford Econoline as a hired gun with Blues troubadour Tinsley Ellis.
But the long road of a life lived in the entertainment industry is nothing new for Lowry, it is the next chapter in a family tradition. Both Lowry’s parents conducted their livelihood in the confines of show business: his mother as a Broadway singer/dancer and his father as a lighting and effects engineer for 70s concert spectacles including Parliament’s Mothership Connection Tour. With his parents’ influence, Lowry began an early career as a child actor and commercial model appearing in movies, television and radio. But at age 11, Lowry dedicated himself to music after receiving an electric guitar from his father. From there on, he has put all his passion into teaching himself to be the best, on guitar and as a true, from-the-heart, musician’s musician.
Now, Lowry is on the verge of another breakthrough with the recording of his new album. Like all great musicians, he is stepping away from the over-the-top guitar worship of his youth and concentrating on the honesty of the music that will be his calling card in the years to come.-Daniel McDonald
