Lowertown Returns with Independent Concept Album “Ugly Duckling Union”

Lowertown’s third LP, *Ugly Duckling Union*, drops May 22, 2024 on Summer Shade. The 12-track record opens with “Mice Protection,” released as a preview single. The concept follows an outsider duckling, Dale, who battles a domineering media corporation, LBH.

Lowertown Share New Song "Mice Protection": Listen

Olivia Osby and Avsha Weinberg formed Lowertown in 2018 after meeting in a high-school math class. Their debut *Friends* (2019) and 2022’s *I Love to Lie* arrived on Dirty Hit, which signed them while they were teens. After extensive touring, they left Dirty Hit in 2023 to preserve creative control and avoid label pressure to fit a genre.

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In early 2023 the duo reconvened in Atlanta basements, recording “Mice Protection” in a rat-infested house that inspired the title. The session set the album’s direction, blending folk, country, rock and punk while probing “the ambiguity of right and wrong, differing perspectives, and inner darkness and light.” The release includes a playable Minecraft world, handbook, plush dolls and comics by Doctor Nowhere (Silas Orion).

Lowertown have announced a London Oslo headline show with new single ‘Mice Protection’

• Third studio album, first in four years.

Lowertown Share New Song "Mice Protection": Listen

• 12 songs total.

Lowertown Share New Song "Mice Protection": Listen

• Both members are 24 years old.

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• Recorded primarily in two Atlanta basements.

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• Self-produced by Weinberg; mixing credited to an external engineer.

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• Released through Summer Shade; previous releases were on Dirty Hit.

Lowertown Share New Song "Mice Protection": Listen

Osby and Weinberg say the album reestablishes their friendship and offers listeners a sense of belonging. They note that leaving a larger label let them keep the project small and free from external financial influence. They also describe the community-focused elements as a “home” for misfits to connect online and at shows.

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• “The album was kind of the reestablishing of our friendship,” — Avsha Weinberg, Lowertown member

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• “That was the first one where we were like, ‘This is it,’” — Olivia Osby, Lowertown member

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• “[When] you involve money and a bunch of other people, it’s easy to slip out of the pureeness of it,” — Olivia Osby, Lowertown member

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• “The spirit of this [album] is a home for anyone who doesn’t feel like they have one,” — Olivia Osby, Lowertown member

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Lowertown will conclude its U.S. tour in late June with a final New York show before heading to Europe. Confirmed dates include Manchester Psych Fest and a headline slot at Oslo in London. The band plans to sustain its community focus “one live show at a time,” now supported by a dedicated tour manager.

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The album illustrates how indie artists can maintain artistic autonomy by self-producing and leveraging niche distribution channels. By integrating interactive media and emphasizing a “home” for misfits, Lowertown expands the conventional album release model, offering a template for community-centric, genre-fluid music projects.

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