The members of Low vs. Diamond know they’re almost there. They can sense it.
Less than a year after the release of its self-titled debut album, the indie rock act is quickly growing in popularity, but there is work left to be done.
The exposure has been solid already. The band has already played all three major late-night shows—Leno, Letterman and Kimmel. It also was named one of iTunes’ favorite up-and-coming bands of 2008, earning a spot in the “Next Big Thing” program.
Several of the group’s songs have made it onto the hit CW show “One Tree Hill.”
If that’s not enough, Rolling Stone singled the group out on its Hot List.
But while the fan base is growing, there’s plenty of room on the bandwagon for more people. That’s what this tour is all about.
Singer-songwriter Lucas Field is excited to bring Low vs. Diamond to Columbus on May 15, when the band opens fof Ben Lee.
The singer called from L.A. to talk with Metromix about the band, the state of Ohio’s economy and the Buckeyes.
You guys have been getting a lot of good publicity this past year. Have you been able to notice the fan base slowly getting bigger and bigger?
Yeah, I’ve noticed it a little. Like in Los Angeles, we can sell out a place. In Seattle we can, and in Boston we can. But it takes time to get to some of the other parts of the country. But we’re getting there. You know, if two or three people come to a show just because they saw us on Letterman, that’s something we can build on.
After playing a sold-out show on one coast, is it frustrating to go to a different city and play for a smaller crowd?
No, I mean, we’ve been playing for smaller crowds in L.A. for so long, it just seems natural. It actually would seem kind of bizarre if we pulled into Columbus and there was a huge line around the corner waiting to get in. We always try to put on a good show no matter who’s in the audience. We know we have to work each night, and we want people coming away talking about how great of a show they just saw.
You guys have some history with Columbus, right?
Yeah, the radio station in Columbus has been awesome to us—CD101. They’ve been really cool and have had us on to play some songs for them. ... Columbus is nice. It seems like one of the nicer cities in Ohio. We were in Toledo recently, and it was the most depressing thing ever. We played a show, and you could just see it on people’s faces—you could tell they didn’t have money for CDs. I almost felt bad.
Columbus might be getting a bad rap nationally these days because of Ohio State football, but it sounds like you don’t hold any ill will toward the city. You’re not a Buckeye hater?
Hey man, you can’t really hate on OSU. It’s a powerhouse, and you have to respect that. It’s like it’s just part of the evil empire. It’s a good program, so everyone is jealous. I don’t hate on it. I’ve been living in L.A., and USC has been just like that. You have to respect any team that can win that many games.
Do you guys get to enjoy the cities much when you’re touring—either the food or the nightlife or anything?
Really depends on the schedule. If we have a day off the next day or the day before, we try to get out and see the city a little. I forget exactly where we went last time I was in Columbus, but I remember it being a pretty cool area. And this time I’m looking forward to heading over to the stadium, to check out where Ohio State plays.
