Low and ”Just Like Christmas”- an Encore Presentation

<p>In 2020, I interviewed Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker of the indie rock band Low, whose 1999 album Christmas is one of the great indie Christmas albums, and a bold one because rock bands didn't record Christmas music at the time--at least not like that. Maybe they'd contribute a track to a label promo compilation, but they wouldn't tie their financial and artistic futures to such an unlikely project. </p> <p>Low's music at the time was dubbed "slowcore," and while it wasn't necessarily slow, they did stake out a very individual musical space that was driven by introspection and meditation more than energy. </p> <p>When I interviewed Alan and Mimi, they were sitting at a table at home in Duluth, Minnesota, and even though we were on opposite ends of a Zoom call, the coziness of their space and the conversation gave the conversation a vibe I'll remember. </p> <p>I'm re-posting this interview because on the weekend, <a href='https://www.npr.org/2022/11/06/1134627763/mimi-parker-low-dead-band-slowcore'>Mimi Parker died of ovarian cancer</a>. People have been sharing photos and <a href='https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/nov/08/she-was-so-casual-about-her-genius-musicians-on-lows-mimi-parker'>memories of Mimi </a>on social media, so I wanted to add our conversation to the demonstrations of love for her, the band and the way they moved through the world. </p>