Biography
Low vs Diamond, based in Los Angeles, first took shape at the start of 2002 while its founding members were still undergraduates at the University of Colorado. Lead singer and guitarist Lucas Field teamed with drummer Howie Diamond and keyboardist Tad Moore—born James Thaddeus Moore IV—to play in a jam band alongside their coursework. After finishing school the three relocated to Los Angeles. During that period they absorbed influences far removed from Dave Matthews and Phish, including David Bowie, Roxy Music, Brian Eno, Serge Gainsbourg, and Air, prompting a move from their earlier pseudo-hippie sound into darker, more atmospheric indie rock once settled in their new city. Numerous lineup adjustments and name changes followed, among them 1984 and Colored Shadows, the latter under which the band issued two EPs, before the members landed on Low vs Diamond—a name chosen in jest after Diamond’s repeated arguments with an ex-member’s difficult girlfriend, nicknamed Low. Guitarist and vocalist Anthony Polcino and bassist Jon Pancoast later joined, allowing the quintet to play shows across Los Angeles while preparing material for the studio. A mid-2006 demo quickly reached Dominic Hardisty, the executive who had signed the then-unknown Las Vegas band the Killers several years earlier. After seeing the group perform live just once, Hardisty signed them to his U.K.-based Marrakesh label. Their debut EP, Life After Love, appeared in February 2007 and drew favorable notices, while the band’s well-received concerts continued to stir local interest and online discussion. Sony later signed the act and issued a digital edition of its self-titled debut album in April 2008.
Albums
