Sawyer Lowe pours emotion into his music, and will continue doing so even after his band is no more.
Lowe, a Central Oregon Community College student, played his last show with The Selfless Riot on Jan. 12 at Cross Creek Cafe in Redmond.
Anna Quesenberry
The Broadside
Band members Trevor Blake and Jordan Meeks will be relocating and focusing on their solo acts, whereas Lowe plans to continue jamming with friends and studying cultural anthropology at COCC.
The Selfless Riot started out practicing in the park two years ago and got their name from “the idea of doing something bigger than yourself and being selfless but in an uncontrolled way,” Lowe said.
When the trio was jamming in the park one day they were discovered by singer/songwriter and recording engineer Denny Bales, who went on to record their one and only album in his apartment.
“It’s just a small studio,” Lowe said. “He is a crazy old guy but he knows his stuff and he really brought out the best in us.”
The album “These Times of Our Lives” features eight tracks and can be purchased from Ranch Records in Bend.
“There is a lot of diversity on the album,” Lowe said.
When listing their music on iTunes the band was forced to categorize their music.
“Indie Folk,” Lowe said. “We’re influenced by a lot of bands like The Decemberists. It’s really acoustic based but it’s storytelling as well.”
Lowe enjoys folk music for the simplicity of it. He grew up playing music in the church and plays guitar, mandolin, harmonica and piano.
“It’s sort of a release for me,” Lowe said. “It kind of calms me and it’s an outlet.”
For Lowe there’s more to music than talent and skill set.
“Something our band captured is the idea of just putting emotion before talent and skill. Putting emotion out there. That’s why people relate to stuff,” Lowe said. “Emotion is the most powerful thing in music.”
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