{"id":44378,"date":"2026-02-27T12:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T17:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44378"},"modified":"2026-02-15T11:45:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T16:45:55","slug":"lowertown-announce-new-album-ugly-duckling-union-share-i-like-you-a-lot-single","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44378","title":{"rendered":"Lowertown announce new album\u00a0\u2018Ugly Duckling Union\u2019\u00a0+ share \u2018I Like You A Lot\u2019 single"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>There\u2019s something quietly magnetic about&nbsp;<strong>Lowertown<\/strong>. Maybe it\u2019s the way their songs feel half-confessional, half-daydream. Maybe it\u2019s how their lo-fi textures carry real emotional weight. Or maybe it\u2019s just that they make music that feels like it understands you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The New York duo have officially announced their new album\u00a0\u2018Ugly Duckling Union,\u2019 landing\u00a0<strong>May 22 via Summer Shade<\/strong>, and share its lead single,\u00a0<strong><em>I Like You A Lot<\/em>.<\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s a rare love song from the pair \u2014 tender, twitchy, and totally intoxicating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over a spry drumbeat and twangy, slightly scrappy guitars, <em>I Like You A Lot<\/em> captures that dizzy early stage of a crush \u2014 the kind where your body reacts before your brain catches up. The band describe it as a song about admiring someone from afar, letting fantasy spiral into obsession, and sitting with the vulnerability of not knowing whether those feelings will ever come back your way. Romantic? Yes. Slightly unhinged? Also yes \u2014 in the most relatable way possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/To4DnQOPkWg?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-CA&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br>Early buzz around Lowertown continues to snowball, with praise rolling in from DIY, Stereogum, FLOOD, Notion, The Line of Best Fit, and more \u2014 all circling around the same idea: this is a band operating on their own emotional frequency, untethered from genre and expectation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Behind the scenes,\u00a0\u2018Ugly Duckling Union\u2019 arrives at a pivotal moment. Songwriters\u00a0<strong>Olivia Osby<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Avsha Weinberg<\/strong> spent the past few years navigating nonstop touring, label separation, creative burnout, and the intense, sometimes messy closeness of growing up together in music. Their partnership \u2014 artistic and personal \u2014 reached a breaking point, forcing them to slow down and reconnect with the reasons they started in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those roots stretch back to Atlanta: basements, forests, DIY spaces on the verge of disappearing. But just as importantly, they trace back to the internet \u2014 Tumblr pages, Reddit forums, and early online fandoms that once felt communal rather than commercial. During the pandemic, watching those spaces dissolve helped spark the idea behind\u00a0\u2018Ugly Duckling Union\u2019: a response to isolation, a push toward rebuilding community in strange, imaginative ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Conceptually inspired by the world-building of&nbsp;<strong>Gorillaz<\/strong>&nbsp;and the community-first ethos of&nbsp;<strong>Fugazi<\/strong>, the album introduces a surreal narrative centered on Dale, a duckling protagonist, and a collective resisting LBH \u2014 a fictional media corporation bent on separation and control. It\u2019s playful, weird, and pointed in all the right ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lowertown aren\u2019t just telling this story through music, either. The\u00a0\u2018Ugly Duckling Union\u2019\u00a0universe expands into a playable Minecraft world, comics illustrated by Doctor Nowhere (Silas Orion), plush dolls, a handbook, and constant fan interaction through Discord, YouTube, and Instagram. Their shows have become real-world meetups for people who first connected online \u2014 proof that fandom can still turn into genuine community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To celebrate the album announcement, Lowertown have also revealed an extensive North American headline tour, running from late April through June and wrapping up with a hometown show at\u00a0<strong>Bowery Ballroom<\/strong>. Tickets are on sale\u00a0<strong>now<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At its core,\u00a0\u2018Ugly Duckling Union\u2019\u00a0is fully DIY \u2014 written, recorded, produced, and mixed entirely by Osby and Weinberg. But despite that insular process, the album\u2019s spirit is outward-looking. It\u2019s about misfits finding each other, about the freedom that comes with being an outsider, and about making something beautiful with the people who truly get you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7108.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7108.jpeg?resize=900%2C900&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44381\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7108.jpeg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7108.jpeg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7108.jpeg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7108.jpeg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As Osby puts it: this is music for the \u201cmisfit toys.\u201d And honestly? We wouldn\u2019t want it any other way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018Ugly Duckling Union\u2019\u00a0is out May 22.<br><em>I Like You A Lot<\/em> is streaming now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>There\u2019s something quietly magnetic about&nbsp;Lowertown. Maybe it\u2019s the way their songs feel half-confessional, half-daydream. Maybe it\u2019s how their lo-fi textures carry real emotional weight. Or <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44378\" title=\"Lowertown announce new album\u00a0\u2018Ugly Duckling Union\u2019\u00a0+ share \u2018I Like You A Lot\u2019 single\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44380,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[22,23,28,29,30,1907],"tags":[13134,13135,13133],"class_list":["post-44378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guitar-rock","category-indie","category-music","category-music-video","category-new-release","category-news","tag-i-like-you-a-lot","tag-lowertown","tag-ugly-duckling-union"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7107.jpeg?fit=900%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2B2TV-bxM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":41649,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=41649","url_meta":{"origin":44378,"position":0},"title":"Ain\u2019t share new single \u2018Pirouette\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"March 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"South London\u2019s Ain\u2019t is back with a burst of energy\u2014dropping their brand-new single, Pirouette, via Fear Of Missing Out Records. Alongside the release, they\u2019ve just announced their very first headline show, set for June 12 at London\u2019s Waiting Room. After an electrifying year marked by high-profile showcases at spots like\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ain\u2019t press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_4095.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_4095.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_4095.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_4095.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17150,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=17150","url_meta":{"origin":44378,"position":1},"title":"Kitten Forever reveal &#8216;Temple&#8217; from upcoming album","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"October 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The feminist punk trio Kitten Forever will\u00a0be joining\u00a0Babes in Toyland\u00a0on their North American Fall Tour (tour dates below). Leading up to the tour, they have\u00a0announced the new album '7 Hearts'\u00a0will\u00a0be released via\u00a0Atlas Chair\u00a0on March 25, 2016 on vinyl\/digital (pre-sale\u00a0here). You can watch the video\u00a0for the album\u2019s first track\u00a0Temple\u00a0via YouTube\u00a0below. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jDBIPrhgEvc\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;indie&quot;","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kitten Forever Temple still","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Kitten-Forever-Temple-still.png?fit=767%2C390&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Kitten-Forever-Temple-still.png?fit=767%2C390&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Kitten-Forever-Temple-still.png?fit=767%2C390&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Kitten-Forever-Temple-still.png?fit=767%2C390&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38902,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=38902","url_meta":{"origin":44378,"position":2},"title":"Viji releases new single \u2018Down\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the most exciting alternative artists to watch in the UK right now,\u00a0Viji, kicks off a new era with the release of her new single,\u00a0Down. Starting soft and building to a scream-along crescendo, Down showcases Viji\u2019s songwriting craft, with an instant earworm hook that insists \u201cmisery makes me holy\u201d.\u00a0\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Viji press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/A516DFA7-A35D-44F0-8BC1-3A0A364B44C8.png?fit=589%2C585&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/A516DFA7-A35D-44F0-8BC1-3A0A364B44C8.png?fit=589%2C585&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/A516DFA7-A35D-44F0-8BC1-3A0A364B44C8.png?fit=589%2C585&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":23756,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=23756","url_meta":{"origin":44378,"position":3},"title":"LOWLANDS release new track &#8216;Ugly Sister&#8217; + announce tour with True Widow","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"October 10, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"LOWLANDS\u00a0have announced that their debut album, 'Lovers Blessings,' will be available on\u00a0October 14th via\u00a0Thrill Me Records.\u00a0The bi-coastal post-punk band consists of best friends\u00a0Gabriel Spatuzzi\u00a0(NYC, NY) and\u00a0Thomas C. Garcia\u00a0(San Diego, CA), the latter you might recognize as he's also a founding member fellow Thrill Me Records alumni,\u00a0Mrs Magician. Check out LOWLANDS\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;indie&quot;","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"LOWLANDS","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/dy9mp2.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/dy9mp2.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/dy9mp2.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40876,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=40876","url_meta":{"origin":44378,"position":4},"title":"NJ noisegazers High. sign to Kanine Records + announce sophomore EP","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"September 29, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"New Jersey noisegazers\u00a0High.\u00a0have announced their sophomore EP,\u00a0\u2018Come Back Down,\u2019 available on vinyl and digitally\u00a0on\u00a0January 24, 2025\u00a0via longtime New York indie label\u00a0Kanine Records. The announcement is accompanied by lead single In A Hole, which begins with a wall of guitars as powerful as the emotions behind it. Inspired by finding friendship\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"High. Press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_3250.png?fit=936%2C702&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_3250.png?fit=936%2C702&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_3250.png?fit=936%2C702&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_3250.png?fit=936%2C702&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":30474,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=30474","url_meta":{"origin":44378,"position":5},"title":"My Pleasure shares single &#8216;Ugly Jug (Sprouts a Hyacinth)&#8217;","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"February 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"My Pleasure has shared his single Ugly Jug (Sprouts A Hyacinth), which is the second single lifted from upcoming EP 'Three Singles and a Bonus Track'. Take a listen to the track via Soundcloud below. You know what it's like. You start writing a song about gardening and it turns\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;indie&quot;","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"My Pleasure","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/3049b3a5-fe27-4075-a865-a7922ce70091.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/3049b3a5-fe27-4075-a865-a7922ce70091.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/3049b3a5-fe27-4075-a865-a7922ce70091.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/3049b3a5-fe27-4075-a865-a7922ce70091.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44378"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44383,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44378\/revisions\/44383"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/44380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}