Nick Lowe's Indoor Safari is a mix of originals, deep-cut covers, and revamped classics which seamlessly blends his celebrated brand of razorsharp songwriting with the electrifying sounds of Los Straitjackets.
Following an eleven-year break, Nick Lowe returns with his new album, Indoor Safari. This eclectic collection of twelve tracks continues Lowe’s decade-long collaboration with the enigmatic masked men of Los Straitjackets - Eddie Angel (guitar), Pete Curry (bass), Chris Sprague (drums), and Greg Townson (guitar).
Recorded across various locations and meticulously mixed by Alex Hall (known for his work with JD McPherson and Cactus Blossoms) and Lowe at Reliable Recorders in Chicago, Indoor Safari captures the essence of this dynamic partnership. Emmy-winning writer Eli Attie (The West Wing, Billions, The Diplomat) praises the album in the liner notes, describing it as “nothing less than a free-roaming journey through the wilds of recorded sound.”
From the lively bounce of “Jet Pac Boomerang” to the melancholic elegance of “Blue on Blue,” Lowe credits his collaborators for the album’s diverse sound. “Los Straitjackets like all kinds of music, and are very good, open-minded musicians, apart from being very agreeable people,” he says. “And they also have a sort of punk rock ethos, which, unfortunately, I do too. I've tried to shrug it off so many times, but I just can't get rid of it.”
The release of Indoor Safari coincides with a busy summer for Lowe, featuring a series of Canadian shows with longtime friend Ron Sexsmith, a headlining spot at Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival, a set at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY, and more surprises down the road.
Since his last album, the critically acclaimed Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family (2013), Lowe has toured three continents with Los Straitjackets and released a steady stream of singles and EPs. Over the years, the “master songwriter who never takes himself too seriously” (Rolling Stone) has fine-tuned these songs, creating a cohesive collection with the help of Alex Hall.