The Lowest Pair

The Lowest Pair has questions. The duo, made up of Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee, know that we tend to see duality as a problem. We want life to be linear, working through the dark to finally get to the light. Grief to joy, despair to hope, confusion to clarity––not a jangly cycle we can’t escape. But through their incandescent folk songs, the Lowest Pair often ask: What if we sit with the mess? What if that’s not just more peaceful, but more magical, too?

“Fare thee well and go to hell, I love you and I’m mad at you. It’s such a theme in my life,” Winter says, then laughs. “Wishing things were different but loving all of it, too.”

On their 8th album, Always As Young As We’ll Ever Be, the Lowest Pair prove that over the last dozen years together, they’ve become some of modern roots music’s most mesmerizing, thoughtful purveyors. Produced by Tucker Martine (The Decemberists), the 10-track album puts the duo’s stark lyricism, string-driven arrangements, and raw compatibility on brilliant display.

“We’re both trying to make space for each other rather than crowd each other out,” Lee says, reflecting on why the Lowest Pair works. “We’re doing a lot of listening and reacting to what the other person is doing.” Lee’s speaking voice is a comforting echo of his singing voice, soft and precise. Winter talks like she sings, too, sweet and raspy. Heard together, the effect is both soothing and scintillating, like a crisp mountain stream smoothing rocks.

The Lowest Pair’s musicianship is another beautiful testament not just to playing that breathes, but playing that listens. Winter, who grew up in Arkansas but has lived in Washington State for the last two decades, and Lee, a Minnesota native, first gained attention as poetic singer-songwriters on banjos. While their family of strings has expanded––Winter plays more guitar on the new record than she ever has before––their fundamental approach hasn’t: Respond to sounds and stories the other is making.

That focus on active listening anchored the recording of Always As Young As We’ll Ever Be, too. After years of self-production and limiting instruments to those played by Winter and Lee themselves, the duo felt ready to collaborate with a bigger circle. In addition to Martine helming boards, musicians including Leif Karlstrom (fiddle), Sydney Nash (bass/piano), and Adam Roszkiewicz (guitar, mandolin, synth) joined the recording session. “It was really thrilling to be in the studio with that group because those are all really sharp listeners,” says Winter. “I love us stripped back. That’s the essence of our songs, but at this point, recording wise, I felt excited about letting somebody else paint with us.”

As a result, Always As Young As We’ll Ever Be pulses with life. Album opener “Give It All Away” glows warm and bright with strings and synths as Winter and Lee consider harsh seasons and humanity’s short memories. “It’s this idea of cycles and knowing there’s dark and light, and it’s going to change,” says Winter. “When it’s good, notice it. When it’s bad, know it’s going to change. I spend a lot of time reminding myself that––and still being surprised by it.”

“If I listen to somebody else’s record, it’s easy for me to have favorite songs, but if it’s something we’ve made, it’s about all the pieces being in relationship to the other pieces,” Lee says of the album. “It’s about being okay with the heaviness and seeing the light that’s associated with the darkness. I hope it helps people not feel alone in the heavy things.”