History
Matthew Lowell grew up on Long Island, New York, and became interested in music at an early age. He began playing drums at around seven years old, influenced by his father's record collection and his experiences in school music programs. His early musical interests included rock bands such as Nirvana and Rage Against the Machine, as well as singer-songwriters including Paul Simon, Neil Young and Bob Dylan. Lowell later attended boarding school in Connecticut, where he played hockey, and studied composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston. After working as a singer-songwriter and at a recording studio in Brooklyn, he began developing songs that would eventually become the foundation of Lo Moon.<
While studying at Berklee, Lowell began writing and developing music with fellow student Andrew Bayer, an electronic musician who later became known for his work with Above & Beyond. Their collaboration included the song "Loveless", which Lowell continued to develop after moving to Los Angeles. Bayer was involved in the song's early writing and production, although he did not become a member of the eventual Lo Moon lineup.<
After moving to Los Angeles, Lowell sought musicians who could help him perform his songs as a band. He met Crisanta Baker, a classically trained pianist from Denver, Colorado, through a mutual friend. Baker had previously played in bands and written songs of her own. After hearing the "Loveless" demo, she was enthusiastic about its sound and began working with Lowell. They formed an early group called Stranger with drummer DeMar, rehearsing and performing Lowell's material around Los Angeles. Lowell later recalled that the songs he had written with Bayer remained part of the group's repertoire during this period, while Baker stayed in Los Angeles after the early project came to an end.
Stranger eventually ran its course, and Lowell spent about a year writing additional material before continuing the project with Baker. During this period, they were introduced through a mutual friend to British guitarist Sam Stewart -- the son of David A. Stewart of Eurythmics and Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama. Stewart had been playing guitar in bands since he was ten and had previously played in groups including Blondelle and Nightmare and the Cat, as well as doing session work. He had moved to Los Angeles in his twenties and was drawn to Lowell's demos when he first heard them. Lowell, Baker and Stewart began rehearsing the songs together in Lowell's garage, informally known as the Shed. Their collaboration developed into Lo Moon, with Baker contributing bass, keyboards, synthesizers, samples and vocals alongside Lowell's songwriting and Stewart's guitar playing.
The band's eventual live lineup was completed by drummer Sterling Laws, a session musician from Anacortes, Washington. Laws grew up around drums—his mother kept a drum kit at home and taught him the basics—and he started a band with a neighbor when he was nine. His musical background included the Seattle music scene, punk and hard rock. A friend of Stewart's, Laws joined the group as its drummer, helping Lo Moon develop its arrangements through live performance. He later became a full member of the band in November 2018 and remained with the group until his departure in July 2024.
The demo of "Loveless" attracted the attention of Columbia Records, which signed Lo Moon. The band released the song as its debut single in September 2016, followed by "This Is It" in May 2017 and "Thorns" later that year. The group performed at festivals including Governors Ball and Lollapalooza and was selected for NPR's Slingshot emerging-artists series in 2017.
Lo Moon (2018)
In January 2018, the band announced details of its self-titled debut studio album. Lo Moon released its self-titled debut album on February 23, 2018, through Columbia Records. Produced by Chris Walla and François Tétaz, the album expanded on the atmospheric sound of "Loveless" through layered guitars, synthesizers and extended arrangements. Its singles included "This Is It", which reached number six on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart, "Thorns" and "Real Love".
The band toured extensively in support of the album, opening for acts including Glass Animals, Ride and Phoenix. Sterling Laws, who had been touring with Lo Moon as its drummer, became a full member in November 2018.
A Modern Life (2022)
Lo Moon released its second studio album, A Modern Life, on February 25, 2022, through Strngr Recordings and Thirty Tigers, after leaving Columbia Records. The album's singles included "Dream Never Dies", "Raincoats" and "Stop". Its development extended through the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the band revisited its arrangements and sought to make the record better reflect the interplay of its four members.
Lowell described the album as addressing survival, identity and the effort to remain hopeful while facing uncertainty. The band toured in support of the record, including dates with the War on Drugs.
I Wish You Way More Than Luck (2024)
The band's third studio album, I Wish You Way More Than Luck, was released on April 5, 2024, through Strngr Recordings and Thirty Tigers. Produced by the band and Mike Vernon Davis and mixed by Alan Moulder, it drew on Lowell's return during the pandemic to the chapel at Pomfret School in Connecticut, where he had attended high school. Revisiting the location prompted reflections on his youth and the beginnings of his songwriting. The album's title comes from the closing line of a 2005 commencement address by author David Foster Wallace.
The album's singles included "Evidence", "Water / Connecticut" and "Borrowed Hills". Lowell identified "Borrowed Hills" as the first song written for the record. The album continued the band's use of layered arrangements and reflective lyrics, with its material drawing on memory, growing older and the experiences that shaped Lowell's early interest in music.
"Satellite" and new label (2026)
In October 2026, Lo Moon released "Satellite", its first new digital single in more than two years, and announced a signing to Easy Does It Records and [PIAS]. Produced with Alex Farrar, the song explores fatherhood, loss and uncertainty. It had previously been distributed as a limited-edition 7-inch featuring an earlier mix by Alan Moulder to attendees of intimate shows in London and Manchester in February 2026. The band also announced plans for worldwide touring in 2027.
