By Christine Kilfoil
The band ” Kings of Lowertown” has deep Lowertown roots. Mike Mackey is the band founder, as well as songwriter, rhythm guitarist and vocalist, a true musical jack of all trades. Mackey has lived on St. Patrick Street, right across from the Notre Dame Basicila for well over a decade. He is a regular at many neighbourhood establishments inlcuding one of his favourites , The Lauzon Grocery Store” on Cumberland St. Mackey notes that “I also loved that my grandparents were married at St. Brigid’s Church in 1932:”
The Kings of Lowertown is also made up of Jon Christink of Pembroke Ontario joining the gruop playing slide guitar, electric guitar and banjo. Mackey explains how the name of the band ” Kings of Lowertown” came to be.
” I was interested in local history, still am, and I came to learn about the complexities of the lives of settlers coming to build futures in Ottawa and the Ottawa valley and sadly, the neglect of Indigenous culture within the idea of Canada.”
He continued:
“I liked the fact there are many “Lowertowns” existing in numerous cities in Canada and the United States and I thought the plurality of “kings” was grand because usually there can only be one, and it was perhaps suggestive that it was more sharing of power, all genders, wealth and community. ”
Clearly the name” Kings of Lowertown” captures both history, and complex ideas about equality, diversity and learning to live together and sharing space.
” I don’t really know where the songs come from”, says Mackey, ” I know I’m inspired by many things. I love the Ottawa valley, rural blues songs, elements of New Orleans such as the lower 9th ward, the Mississippi delta,and local history “. Mackey add that ” I’m currently intoxicated by singer, songwriter Sarah Shook and her band, the Disarmers.” The new recording digs deeper into the Bands own distinct rural blues sound and the tribulations of small town outsiders living lives on the periphery of society.
The Kings of Lowertown recently returned to the stage with songs from their EP Missouri Lowsier at the Avant-Garde Bar on 135 1/2 Bessesser Street in Ottawa last December. Mackey is excited about the impending release of their new EP ” Missouri Lowsider” written by Mackey and produced and engineered in Greewood Ontario by Jordon Zadorozny. It is being released in late winter or early spring of 2018 and will be available for purchase at the bands live shows. You can also check out the band’s latest release “Woodpile” on YouTube.