Low Hummer: Creating Dreamscapes On New Single ‘Never Enough’

Low Hummer- 'Never Enough' 
Artwork by Joseph Cox

 Hull's Low Hummer break away from the regular guitar-based sound found on their previous string of singles, opting for a warmer and more romanticised approach on new single 'Never Enough'. Bursting at the seams with influence from the likes of The Cure and The Psychedelic Furs, 'Never Enough' explores the softer side of their musical capabilities, subtly blurring the lines between post-punk and dream-pop.

Incorporating a prevalent synth line that carries the song smoothly through to it's end, sat atop a tight and infectious drumming pattern, Low Hummer are able to create a dreamscape of sorts within the first few seconds of their latest effort. While it is obvious that Low Hummer wear their Joy Division/New Order, Cure and all round eighties new-wave influences on their sleeves, it perfectly demonstrates the new territory that Low Hummer find themselves treading; a refreshing dip into the addictive, melodic dreaminess of eighties art-pop. The song takes on an even softer, bordering-on-vulnerable feel as Aimee Fatale's subdued lead vocals come into play on the opening verse, likened to that of Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval and Cocteau Twins, the latter of whom the band reference as a direct influence when recording vox for the track.

The accompaniment of wavering, pitch bending rhythm and simplistic, chorus-adorned guitar lines make for a sunny, youthful essence that reinforces Low Hummer's ability to induce a state of blissful nostalgia. When paired with the song's dance-inducing drum beat, wistful female vocals and enchanting synth hook that runs throughout, these individual components come together to make the perfect formula for not just a radio-friendly ear-worm, but a smart composition that leaves the listener awaiting more.

I spoke with Dan Mawer (rhythm guitar, vocals) to get an insight into the creative and recording process of 'Never Enough', as well as the creations they've been cooking up during lockdown.  

- (DEEP HIT): What was the creative process with 'Never Enough'?

- (DAN): 'I wrote 'Never Enough' along with ten other songs in the first lockdown. Sometimes the finished songs sound similar to the demos but looking back now my first demo for 'Never Enough' sounds pretty different! We went into the studio in-between lockdown one and two, and our producer Matt knew it needed a lot of work, we'd barely had time to really play it together as a band. 

He referenced Joy Division drums (listening to 'Disorder' a lot) and Cocteau Twins vocals, and we began working from it almost from scratch. the chorus was deemed not strong enough and it was a lot of stress, I wrote keys parts for the chorus in-between studio sessions, and put some weird vocals over Aimee's chorus lines. It wasn't until we came out and processed what we'd made we realised it came out pretty well!'

- Did you make a conscious decision to go down a more electronic/poppier route with this track?

- 'It was something I really  wanted to take part in, we knew Aimee can sing amazingly and has so much character but live we're so loud it gets lost and she ends up shouting. We thought this time to write something that would suit her and concentrate more on the song itself. Something I hope we can do a lot more of in the future!'

- How and where did the single come to be recorded?

- 'We recorded it at The Nave with Matt Peel, he's done everything with us so far, and he's made us so much better. Without him we would have been really lost. That's what makes a good producer, he pulls us into shape.'

- Any upcoming releases or live dates to look out for in the near future?

- 'We have plans for an album, we've got enough material so now we're just working through to a concrete plan with our label Dance To The Radio who have been incredibly supportive. Hopefully we'll be back playing live shows later this year, fingers crossed!'

Listen to Never Enough, now available on Spotify and all other major music streaming platforms.