In 2024, Alan Sparhawk —after 30 years and 13 albums with the band Low— released his debut solo LP, White Roses, My God.

Low had come to an end following the death of drummer/vocalist Mimi Parker, Sparhawk's wife and lifetime musical partner, and it was inevitable that her death would linger over the music.

"This record is definitely made in the wake of loss and grief and confusion," says Sparhawk. "There's frustration on the record, there's transcendence. There's hope and there's despair. "

Following on from Low's increasingly experimental arc with their final two, BJ Burton-produced albums —2018s Double Negative and 2021's Hey What— White Roses, My God is an entirely improvised set which found Sparhawk working with electronics and a warping vocal effect.

In advance of his first-ever solo tour of Australia, Sparhawk talks to Anthony Carew on The International Pop Underground, about his youth playing football, his solo debut, performing the songs live, and using art to make sense of loss, identity, and the universe.

"This is pretty real and pretty raw depiction of where my soul is," the 56-year-old offers.

"I was trying to find my feet, trying to find my identity, trying to figure out what music felt right to me."

"It was really, really interesting, and a little sad for a while of course, trying to figure out what was left of me. You definitely get torn apart, and it takes a while to figure out who you are and what it is that gets you through each day."

Feature image: Sophia Photo Co.