This year marks the 30th anniversary of Low Sunday Ghost Machine, the debut album from the genre-defying duo LowSunday. Known for blending post-punk, darkwave, shoegaze, and dreampop, the band has returned to their roots with an extended remaster, adding seven bonus tracks, unreleased material, and fresh electro reinterpretations.
By Sandra Pinto
In this interview, Shane Sahene and Bobby Spell reflect on revisiting their earliest work, the creative process behind the original recording, and the ways in which time, technology, and perspective have transformed both the music and their connection to it. From the thrill of uncovering hidden nuances in the remastering process to the enduring power of physical formats and artwork, the duo shares an intimate look at the past, present, and future of LowSunday.
Low Sunday Ghost Machine is celebrating its 30th anniversary with an extended remaster. How does it feel to revisit your debut album after three decades?
Hello, Thank you It’s an honor to talk with you.
Great question. It has been very surreal but totally fun. There is a challenge in going back that far – in some ways it’s like facing yourself in the mirror from a very different time. Nothing gives perspective like time. The original album was recorded and mixed within about 3 days. There was no time for over thinking and so this far down the road, 30 years later, it’s fun to listen to something that was put together so instinctively. To have the chance to remaster this album was a huge gift- it’s like being given a second chance to get it right – to dial it in sonically to where it sounds like we always wished it had.
What motivated you to include seven bonus tracks, unreleased material, and reinterpretations alongside the original nine tracks?
Bobby and I have always loved bonus tracks from bands we love – it’s where a band lets their guard down and comes clean. This is where you get a glimpse into the darker corners of a bands catalog that , for whatever reason, never made its way on to a record. In our case , these were songs that had been played lived but never properly recorded and we felt deserved to be completed. There are also songs that we had released such as “ glittered something “ that had only appeared on a Cleopatra compilation but we wanted to bring back to our catalog to properly release. The electro remixes on this release on this album gave us the chance to have fun with taking our songs and stripping them down to their most basic form- to capture the raw energy and emotion of the song without getting too cerebral- and for these type remixes, the louder the better.
How did the remastering process change the sound of the album, if at all?
We had never properly mastered the first release. We had spent all of our money on recording and mixing and just left it that way. This is where the saying “ great works of art are never completed, only abandoned “ rings true.
The remastering process allowed us to open up the recording. Where the original may have lacked clarity, volume or depth- this allowed us to unmask the original sounds. Some compare it to removing a blanket. It’s an incredibly satisfying process and the big reveal at the end is totally fulfilling- it actually gives a more honest view of the songs as they were recorded and intended to sound.
Looking back, do you feel the album has taken on a new meaning or perspective over the years?
Another great question. Some people keep a journal or a diary. If they turned the pages back to 30 years ago, they will maybe have their memory triggered about who they were/ what was important/ what were their hurts/ what made them happy.
I’d say there are very few things a person can do that allows them to reconcile their past and their present as well as this experience. It’s a self unifying experience but it also lets us look at our younger selves with some understanding. We can look back and wonder how we could have been so fragile , sensitive, naive, dramatic … but then to realize that it was THE magic ingredient. As time goes on , cynicism can try to get in the way of creativity but this project was good reminder for us to reject that. Put it all out there , play the fool , be honest…be defenseless…Wear your heart on your sleeves.
How do you balance preserving the original essence of the album with the updates and enhancements in this remaster?
It’s actually kind of difficult. We grew up listening to cassettes and mix tapes that would warble and phase in and out- it became part of the songs personality. To hear the same songs without those quirks could be surprising at first. This is a very similar process. It’s like hanging out with someone in a very casual way for a long time and then one day having to dress up for a special occasion. To see them look their best can be surprising. Quickly you realize that it’s the same person haha
The album merges post-punk, darkwave, shoegaze, and dreampop. How did you develop this unique sound at the time of the original recording?
Wow! It was just a matter of finding the songs and doing what they needed to make them sound the way we felt they should. It’s was a process of trying to find the “truth”. In an idea and trying to get lost in that world. Effects pedals were a huge gateway into that escape.
We loved so many different bands but really couldn’t mimic anyone and didn’t want to. Like most people that write original music, it takes a lot of time to find your sound.
At that time period, there were many less categories of music and people struggled to define genres so specifically. We were really just trying to capture in sound the way we felt inside. We came from a punk rock background that was laced with new wave somehow but we felt free to do whatever we wanted without consideration of genre. We think everyone has their own unique mixture of inspiration and you can’t predict what the end result is until you try.
How do you feel your sound has evolved since “Low Sunday Ghost Machine”, and how does this remaster reflect that evolution?
Our sound still has a strong connection to the past. Over time, we adjust and learn from the things we have already done. We keep trying to dial in our writing to get it to the place where it gives us the most satisfaction. A great example is that for this album and our early writing, we relied on synths and more electronic aspects merging with the organic sounds. We did an album after this “ Elesgiem “ where we stripped down our writing in an attempt to simplify and layer without synths. In our newest songs , we’ve gone back to our roots where we won’t deprive ourselves of anything whie we write. Anything to make it better. And we’ve fallen in love with synths again.
With the 2025 electro mixes of “Innocence” and “For A Moment,” how do you explore the interplay between past and future in your music?
It’s very fun! This really allows us to unify old ideas with new perspectives and the luxury of time. For us it creates more points of reference and allows us to expand how we define ourselves musically. The end goal perhaps is to have a catalog that is tied together and captures the expanse of what inspires us and what we feel. From the beginning , we have always approached each song with the feeling that it may be our last.
Can you describe the creative process behind the original album, and how it compares to producing the remaster?
The original process leading up to the recording was much different- we had time to write and develop these songs live. What ended up on the album were the songs that we kept. We had many songs that we eventually dropped down our setlists. Marc, our bass player at this time would always slip into playing the bassline for “ another one bites the dust” as we would decide to drop
A song. It’s was always good for a laugh.
Producing for the remaster allows us the perspective that we just couldn’t have when we were deep in the middle of the recording process- which is so immersive. This process allowed us the birds eye view to make much more objective decisions without the emotions that are involved in recording.
Were there any particular tracks that stood out during the remastering process as especially challenging or rewarding?
The song Static was probably the most difficult to remaster because it was already so glued together as one big sound. In the end, we are very happy with how it turned out and for me, it was emotional. To hear the greater depths of the song as the remastering revealed and to remember why the song was written in the first place.
How do you approach merging the instrumental, mechanical, and human elements in your music?
We have a perspective that these things are more simply just ways to make sounds.
We find something that inspires us- a beat , A guitar line, a bass line and it lights a fuse that we can run with. After that, It becomes almost like a mystery that we are trying to solve. What is this thing we are finding? Reveal yourself! It’s fun but can be incredibly frustrating until we find the magic piece.
You’ve released a limited edition 7″ grey marble vinyl with silver foil emboss. How important are physical formats and artwork to Lowsunday’s artistic vision?
Bobby and I both love physical formats. Like everyone, we are crazy about vinyl right now. Digital is wonderful for the immediacy- we could write a song today and have it available everywhere tonight. But physical formats take planning and sort of feel like you’re holding a prize after the whole release has been submitted and weeks or months later it end up in your hands. It also feels more permanent. In 100 years , it’s more likely someone will be holding the record than discovering the digital. With The artwork intend to capture the feeling of the release. We love it. We are currently working on future releases on vinyl.
How does the visual presentation of your releases complement the sonic themes of your music?
This process is fun because you start off blindly .. working your way through the process and as it starts to crystallize, the whole picture starts to cement itself until we finally get the feeling that this can be no other way. We also love artwork that could make for a classic tshirt design or could be hung on a wall.
How have fans reacted to the 30th anniversary remaster so far, and what does their response mean to you?
It’s been one of the most touching experiences we have ever had. For fans to reach out after all of these years is surprising every time.
First we are happy to know that life has treated them well and that they’ve made it to this point and second , for them to suggest that they’re still in sync with the music and that they remember as well as we do.
It’s easy to become cynical and one can start to view their work similarly to the auto destructive art movement. That it’s something created only to be destroyed. For this purpose – destroyed and forgotten are interchangeable words. We are grateful that it’s still alive.
Looking forward, what do you hope new listeners take away from Low Sunday Ghost Machine, and how do you see it influencing future Lowsunday projects?
This album will always be a personal foundation for me. It’s from a time where there was lots of introspection and soul searching. On the bigger picture – this albums represents a mystery that we tried to solve and we take with us the lessons we learned. It revealed an aspect of who we are.
Bobby and I continue to write and record and try new things. Time has allowed us to know where we can find places of comfort along the way. For us , sometimes it’s behind a huge wall of spaced out guitars or within a swirling bass groove and hypnotic drums. Often it’s in a melancholy guitar sound with notes that Bobby or I have carefully stumbled into.
For me , it’s often behind whispered words of feelings that I’m guarding and deciding which ones I can be comfortable with adding volume to. We try to reveal more and more but it takes time and we hang on to the parts of the past we can’t let go of. The more important part of it is that we always asking ourselves how we can make it better. If we want new listeners to know anything, it’s that we did our best… and that we are happy that they discovered us.
Thank you again for giving us this interview. It’s been a pleasure.
‘Low Sunday Ghost Machine’ is out now digitally everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, where the limited edition 7″ release of ‘Static / Besides’ is also available.
