THIS WAS PURE LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT: I GOT THE BROUGHT LOW SELF-TITLED DEBUT CD FOR REVIEW PURPOUSES, THROWN IT INTO MY CD PLAYER, AND GODDAMN!!! I WAS TOTALLY AMAZED BY THIS SOUND.... IMAGINE ALL THE GOODS OF OL' SOUTHERN ROCK MIXED TO THE FURY OF '70S BEST HARD ROCK, PLAYED WITH A PUNK ROCK FURY. THIS IS NOT A VINTAGE, RETRO' PUSSY BAND, THESE GUYS KNOW THEIR LIKES AND PULL OUT THE BEST, FRESHEST TODAY'S MUSIC STARTING FROM THE BEST OF THE PAST. BUY THEIR ALBUM ON TEE PEE RECORDS AND BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THEIR UPCOMING PROJECTS. BUT LET BEN SMITH ANSWER TO MY QUESTIONS.....

GD- Please tell me a brief band history….
The Brought Low have been together since late 1999. Nick(drums) and me(Ben-guitar/vocals) used to play in a band called Sweet Diesel and Dean(bass) produced 2 of our records so the connections go back. After that band I wanted to do something more soulful that reflected my musical tastes more. All I listen to is old rock, blues, country and soul. Figured I'd play some of that shit. Started writing songs, playing guitar solos, trying to actually sing and not scream. Took awhile to gel but I got these two guys backing me up and everyone can play their ass off but also know how to lay back. We started playing shows in NYC and there was no one else out like us. Hooked up with Tee Pee Records and recorded our debut record in June, 2001, went on tour in November and now it's February and we're planning a tour down to Texas and back with our label mates The JJ Paradise Players Club.

GD- I liked a lot your sound, that's a mix of hellbent southern rock and some hard rock, or call it "stoner rock"... is maybe this particular combination born because you live in a fuckin' big city like NY??
Where I grew up in Queens old school hard rock was king. AC/DC, Zeppelin, Skynyrd, The Who, you name it. That and hip-hop. Also growing up in NYC the whole New York Harcore and CBGB's punk thing was inescapable so even when we're playing this more old school rock influenced shit it's with the same intense delivery. Oh yeah, and we also all like The Rolling Stones a heck of a lot.

GD- Why are you called "Brought Low"? What's this low point?
I got the name from the book "Go Tell It On The Mountain." It's also in the Book of Revelation. "Man will be brought low on the day of judgement." something like that. I came up with it during a period of duress in my life, when I was broken, disappointed, brought low, ya know? I like all the associations that go along with it. It's down, cryptic, vaguely religious, starts with a B, has a "the"..

GD- What about your lyrics? It seems like you've got a strange city VS country imagery....
Yeah, you got it. It's like we're playing this music that has a heavy southern influence, be it from the blues or country or ZZ Top, but we're a bunch of New York City kids. I'm not gonna sing about moonshine or cotton fields or peach cobbler or any of that shit. I'm gonna sing about writing graffiti and riding the subway and smoking angel dust in Forest Park in Queens.

GD- I loved the way you recreated a vintage sound using also today's methods of production.... what kind of equipment do you used? Vintage amps and guitars?
We're all fans of the old sounds that they got on all those old records. Me and Dean, who also produced the record, knew what we wanted it to sound like too so we used a lot of older gear. All the guitars are old 70's Gibsons, I think I used an old Telecaster on one part of one song. For amps we used my Marshall half stack and my girlfriend's old Fender combo, which you just crank up to 10 and let rip. I think we got some good sounds.

GD- How's the actual NY atmosphere? I mean, after the facts of last september.....
Things have cooled out a lot but it was pretty horrible to live through. Though NYC was in a real boom period prior to 9/22 and that plus the depressed US economy made it feel like the party was over. In certain ways that's not such a bad thing. Being a native New Yorker I always like the fact that NYC was a pretty crazy/tough/scary place. A lot of that character evaporated during the 90's so know it feels like things are tgetting back to normal.

GD- What are you fave records of all times? In what measure they influenced the sound of the Brought Low?
Jeez. That's a long list. Anything by The Rolling Stones from about 1968-1974. Anything old on Chess or Stax Records. Led Zeppelin IV. The Stooges "Funhouse" and Iggy's "Lust For Life". The 1st three Saints records. Neil Young "After The Gold Rush." The Band's 2nd record. Laughing Hyenas "Life Of Crime". Gun Club "Fire Of Love". Otis Redding "Live At The Whiskey A Go-Go". The Who "Live At Leeds" & "Quadrophenia". Main Source "Breaking Atoms". Any of the music I listen to is an influence. There's something I take away from all of it. whether it's The Stones song craft or Zeppelin's approach to sound or the soul of Otis Redding or the bluesy fury of The Saints, Hyenas or Gun Club.

GD- What about playing music with a so damn hard southern rock appeal and livin' in the Northeast? Have you ever thought of leaving south to maybe reach more people?
Oh I don't know. I'm a New Yorker born and bred. I don't think I'm moving anywhere soon. The south is a wonderful place though southern rock is pretty popular throughout the United States. It's all just American music to me.

GD- What about the song "Kings & Queens"? It seems to me it has an interesting concept behind.... can you explain me better?
That's about being a kid in Queens, writing graffiti, running from the cops and looking back on your teenage years. When I wrote that song I was thinking about how if you grow up in New York you really can't escape the inlfluence of hip-hop, even if you're only listening to classic rock! I wanted to write a song that was lyrically influenced by hip-hop but not musically.

GD- Why do you think today the music world needs some old-fashioned sounds like yours?
I think it's just a good, pure, honest sound and I do think those are good musical values to have. If you want artifice and superficiality, take a bite, it's all around you. But I think if you're looking for something a little more real, that was made with a lot of love, check out The Brought Low. You can't live on candy all the time. Sometimes you need a steak and vegetables. I think we're more timeless than old-fashioned. When you hear a band like Creedence Clearwater Revival or an old blues or country song it's still sounds as fresh and new as when it came out because it's speaking on some everlastiing shit. Life is pain with joy in between. What was true then is true now. I have no idea what I'm talking about now.

GD- How did you hook up with Tee Pee Records? Do you know and like the other artists they released?
I've known Tony Tee Pee for years. I remember when they were a grindcore label. Over the years his tastes have changed and I knew he and I had pretty similar musical tastes so when I got this thing together I got him a demo and he said he wanted to do the record. I like a lot of the stuff he puts out particularly Trickey Woo, High On Fire, Bad Wizard and The JJ Paradise Players Club.

GD- Is this your first and only album or you had something else out before, like singles and stuff??
This is our 1st album. We're probably doing a single in the fall for Alive Total Energy Records from California.

GD- Do you like movies? If yes, what are your faves?
Sure. Am having a hard time thinking of my faves. Barfly, The Godfather, Dirty Harry, Henry V, The Searchers, Tender Mercies, The Apostle, I'm a big Robert Duvall fan, Mean Streets, The Warriors, I like weird 70's movies like uh I dunno....

GD- What are you future plans?
Going on tour in March 02 with The PLayers Club, doing that single I mentioned before, just keep rocking and trying to be the best rock n'roll band on the planet, write fanfares for the common man, get paid, etc..

GD- Please add whatever you like.....
Be kind to spiders and respect your fellow

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