Mo Lowda & the Humble – “Sleeves”

This morning, Philadelphia rockers Mo Lowda & the Humble released the first single, “Sleeves”, off their upcoming album Ready Coat. The new album is the band’s third full-length release, and will enter the world on March 6th. With the growth spurt that Mo Lowda experienced from the release of Creatures in 2018, there is a lot of anticipation riding on this album.

“Sleeves” is our first listen to what Mo Lowda & the Humble said they’d been working on back when we interviewed them at The Royal American in November 2018. After another year of constant touring and a summer’s worth of festivals, they finally made it back home to record that third album.

The single is more subdued than what fans might expect from a band that has become known for its energy. With “Sleeves”, Mo Lowda chooses a more thoughtful approach, taking advantage of the element of space and giving the lyrics some room to breathe. The instrumentation is mellow, but still groovy. I’d say this approach works for them, so long as we still get to hear them throw it at the wall elsewhere on Ready Coat.

“In the studio, the goal was to keep the instrumentation light and organic and minimal,” says vocalist and guitarist Jordan Caiola. “The tune never really gets to that really rockin’ level that a lot of our previous stuff does… and that’s what we like about it. We wanted it to be a listening experience and draw attention to the lyrics.”

The lyrics that Mo Lowda draws attention to with “Sleeves” tell a story about growing up and handling life on your own terms, at your own pace, drawn through the emotional lens of a failed relationship. This shows a softer, more personal side that we’ve only seen glimpses of in the band’s past releases.

“It was inspired by the immediacy of our peers’ life updates that is so readily available these days (i.e. engagements, marriages, having kids) and not giving in to the pressure of feeling like you need to be on that same trajectory, no matter what age,” explains Caiola.

Mo Lowda & the Humble will return to Charleston on Saturday, January 18th for a show at the Pour House with Charleston locals Rare Creatures and 87 Nights. Tickets to that show are $15 and available here.

Listen to “Sleeves” below, and stay tuned for Ready Coat coming March 6th.