Low and ”Just Like Christmas”- an Encore Presentation

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. 


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. 


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. 


I'm re-posting this interview because on the weekend, Mimi Parker
died of ovarian cancer. People have been sharing photos and
memories of Mimi 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.