Lowkey Lu

The story of Lowkey Lu began in 2011, with a teenager who wished to record their first rap song. They salvaged an old stereo from an abandoned house, which could receive the input of a pink playstation microphone borrowed from their friends' sister, as well as the input of a CD with a backing track, and record it all to a cassette tape. Music was a lifeline during a challenging early life, an avenue through which traumatic experiences could be transformed into positive ones, and leading to the wider road of a greater future.

Lowkey Lu lived the life they describe in their lyrics, experiencing the highs and lows of modern Ireland, before committing fully to their dream. They chose their name (a reference to their reserved nature as well as the combined Norse and Celtic roots of Waterford City), then began performing live at open mic nights while working towards a Fetac Level 5 in Sound Engineering at Waterford College of Further Education. They moved to Limerick City the following year, studying Music Production and Technology at TUS. They were drawn by the growing music scene in Limerick, a result of the many available arts courses and live events during that time. They honed their abilities in this competitive community of artists, performing live shows, releasing music videos, and building up a catalogue of album releases both through Equal Eyes Records in the USA and
independently using digital distribution services. Still in college, they received local press coverage and airplay while finding their sound on their first two album releases.

Lockdowns presented unique challenges, with prices raised, businesses closing and venues shut or at limited capacity for almost three years. Lowkey Lu adapted, exploring virtual concerts through live streaming, creating an online merch store which was fully automated with print on demand services and dropshipping, as well as putting greater focus on social media marketing. Three albums were recorded in this time, and they achieved national airplay on the 2022 single Never Will I Change.

With the return of live music to Ireland in 2022, Lowkey Lu completed their final year of study and performed a series of concerts over the next two years, developing their abilities on stage and building their core audience in the south of Ireland, while recording material for a sixth album.