The Lower Dens have called it quits. The Baltimore-based synth pop band posted a lengthy piece on the reasons behind it, citing different interests and changing times. J Hunter wrote, “My plans for the immediate future involve writing about change, and working to facilitate change. [nerd alert] Lower Den’s “thematic arc”, a conceptual framework that I used to help write our albums, was about radical, equitable transformation of society. It’s what I really care about, which is why I was trying to write music about it in this rock band. There are other ways of life possible for humans. Since I was a kid, I’ve felt like our dominant culture, here in the US and maybe broadly in the West, is exactly backwards to the way many human beings naturally function, and that it’s killing us. I think criticism of that culture is vital to transformation. I’m naturally critical in a way that hasn’t served me well socially, but that I cling to nonetheless because it is constructive. It’s world-building. It’s meant to be collaborative. I’m like to criticize our society, and think about how to improve it, and I hope to connect with others who are similarly interested.”
Hunter also mentioned his recent diagnosis of Autism, and navigating the revelation in the future. “What I want is to write, connect with other Autistics, and help create/improve/sustain real systems to facilitate change. With this, I’m deciding that I can and will.”
The last project the band put out was in 2019, and no other updates were provided until today.
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