Low Roar at Stara Piwnica: an intimate concert by Ryan Karazija during his Polish tour

10 APRIL 2018

Low Roar was created by charismatic Ryan Karazija, a California-born singer and composer with an explosive mixture of Mexican and Lithuanian ancestry. Ryan has close ties to Poland and many friends here, reflected in song titles on the new album such as “Gosia” and “Poznań”.

A talented musician, restless spirit and passionate globetrotter, Ryan’s extraordinary personality is reflected in his excellent work. In 2010, Karazija moved from his native United States to Reykjavik, recording his debut, “Low Roar”. It brought worldwide attention and invitations to major festivals, including Eurosonic, The Great Escape and ATP. Ryan also began working with legendary Japanese video-game creator Hideo Kojima. The American’s music appeared in the cult game “Death Stranding”, featuring Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen and directed by Guillermo del Toro.

The album “Low Roar” attracted millions of plays on YouTube, while reviewers praised the record, comparing Low Roar's poetic sensibility to the songs of Radiohead, Sigur Ros and Bon Iver. After its release, Ryan took to the road again, travelling from Mexico through Scandinavia to Poland, where he spends a few months each year. Here he also played a sold-out mini-tour and appeared at the “Malta” festival in Poznań and “Halfway” in Białystok.

Low Roar's new album, “Once In A Long, Long While…”, was released on 5 May 2017. It was made in a Welsh studio with Ryan's close friend Mike Lindsay of Tunng, under the guidance of acclaimed producer Andrew Scheps, known for work with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adele and Hozier, among others.

The album also features the beautiful voice of Icelandic singer Jófríður Ákadóttir (JFDR, Pascal Pinon), who sings on the single “Bones”. “Once In A Long…” is a simple, honest and deeply emotional record: “I didn't spend much time thinking about what kind of album I wanted to make. I just had to get these songs out of me. That way I was documenting my life as it happened,” Ryan says.

Support:
Holden, a singer and multi-instrumentalist, made his debut in 2017 with the EP “Wonderkids”. He was previously known as the songwriter, singer and guitarist of BVRS, with whom he played Open’er Festival, Spring Break and Slow Life Music Festival, and supported Everything Everything. Alongside releasing “Wonderkids” in 2017, he opened for Low Roar in Germany and for The Dumplings Orkiestra and Ducktails in Poland. Together with Kuba Karaś of The Dumplings and Marcelina, he is also a co-writer of her forthcoming album, due in 2018. His musical journey began busking on Warsaw’s Chmielna Street, where Czarny Roman gave him an instruction he took to heart: “Sing in Polish and you’ll get a mountain of gold”. Holden’s latest Polish-language material will arrive in the spring, bringing a fresh quality to the domestic music scene.