Philly’s Matt Scheuermann has long been part of the fabric of Northeast DIY, from his time playing bass in Columbus power pop faves The Sidekicks to his current stint with psychedelic Philly indie rock outfit Golden Apples. For most of that time, he has also released his own contemplative songwriting under the handle lowercase roses. Though it’s primarily been a Matt-solo or Matt-with-laptop venture, the project performs live as a full band for the very first time in this week’s Key Studio Session.
Joining Scheuermann in this performance are three-fifths of XPN Artist To Watch Slaughter Beach, Dog — Ian Farmer on bass, Zack Robbins on drums, Logan Roth on keys — with Kiley Lotz of Petal on synth and harmony vocals. Collectively, they deliver elegant and mellifluous versions of two songs from lowercase roses’ 2020 album Titanic Planet, “Slush” and “Hallways Of You” (both recently revived on a new remix single), along with the debut of a brand new tune called “Doubt.” They’re songs about personal connections and disconnections, the beauty of solitude, and those moments of self-reflection that give you chills.
Scheuermann’s songwriting has encompassed many moods over time, from the more solitary Elliott Smith-esque electric folk of his early releases to the emotive, Kevin Morby-esque rock of Titanic Planet and its successor Ordinary Terror. On this performance, the arrangements move in step with the ornate atmospheres and instrumentation of Andy Shauf and Jon Brion, or going further back, Harry Nilsson and Brian Wilson; cinematic, timeless, catchy, and incredibly moving.
On Wednesday, November 1st, lowercase roses embarks on a two-week east coast tour; Scheuermann is playing this outing solo, but with this full-band debut putting wind in his sails, who knows what transformations his music might undergo along the way? Check lowercase roses’ full run of tour dates here, and watch their entire Key Studio Session at WXPN Studios below.