Exploring the New Single "Lowlight" and New Music with Blue Twisted Steel

Blue Twisted Steel are a southern West Virginia-based post-Americana band fronted by husband-and-wife team Josiah and Abigail Spangler, and features multi-instrumentalist Travis Egnor. They have just released their first single "Lowlight" from their upcoming album 'Turnstile of Romance'. Sarah Rudy of Hello June sat down to interview the band regarding their new music!

"Lowlight" feels restrained but emotionally heavy. What part of yourselves were you learning to sit with when this song came together?

"We were learning to sit with the part of ourselves that ran to happiness instead of what was practical. The feeling of restraint disappears in that last verse — “we made up an ending that ended up all coming true, me and you.” I think we were giving ourselves permission to chase after each exactly what we wanted. Heavy emotions there, for sure."

Is this album more about becoming something new or finally naming something that’s always been there?

"This album is more about naming something that’s always been there, way down deep in my soul. When something new and unfamiliar comes at you, like the feeling in "Lowlight", I could have pushed it away, but decided to name and embrace something that I could never put a name to before. Whether you want to call it love, romance, or friendship, I think the name for them all could stand for one thing - genuine connection."

Why did Lowlight feel like the right first single to introduce this era? 

"Lowlight" felt right because it represents both who we were then, and who we are now. Who we were becoming back then is shown as who we’ve embraced now. Introducing this truth to the world seemed like a good way to highlight what the whole album is going to show people. I also think "Lowlight" is one of the ‘feel good’ tracks, and it involves feelings that a lot of people can resonate with - new flames, deep love, and even running out of gas."

The title suggests dimness rather than darkness — was that distinction intentional?

"When I visualize "Lowlight", I see colors related to dusk in summertime, like blue, purple, and orange. The “dimness” kind of represents a dull but warm color that could signify hope, definitely not darkness. So yes, that distinction was intentional to parallel the meaning of the song."

Who produced your record - tell us about how you decided and when you knew it was a good fit? 

"Kenny Miles of the band Wayne Graham engineered, mixed, and produced Turnstile of Romance at his studio in Lexington, KY. We’ve been fans of Wayne Graham for years, and when we got the opportunity to open for them at ‘9th Street Live’ in Huntington a couple years ago, we couldn’t say yes fast enough. Back in 2022, we had booked a spot on Red Barn Radio, and Wayne Graham had played on the show many times. As we were exploring artists who had been on the show, WG stood out the most to us, and after listening to their records, we knew it would be a good fit if we ever had the chance to work with them. Fast forward to August 2024, when we met Kenny and his brother Hayden, who writes, sings, and plays drums in WG, and we hit it off immediately. We knew as soon as we met that we would work well together, and were honored when they agreed to record us. Interestingly enough, Kenny has worked a lot with Tyler Childers, namely on the Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven record, which is our favorite Childers album. We’re thrilled that both Kenny and Hayden played on "Lowlight"; they really made the song what it is today."

What was the hardest part of finishing Lowlight — emotionally or technically?

"Technically, it was difficult to finish "Lowlight" because we had so many ideas of where it could go sonically. What started out as a song written on only acoustic guitar, became something with drums, drum machine, two types of bass, synth, and two or three types of guitars. Both Kenny and Hayden helped us trim the song down and brought all the sounds together to form a cohesive track, which is what people will hear today. Despite all the emotions behind writing "Lowlight", the technical aspects were definitely harder, but we’re so pleased with how it turned out."

How important was mood over momentum when shaping this track?

"Mood was a lot more important than the momentum of this track. Kenny’s vocals and production, along with Hayden’s drum part, allowed the mood to shift from a bunch of instruments pieced together on voice memos, to a meaningful, well-built track with a mood that conveys closeness, emotion, and being carefree."

What emotional through-line connects "Lowlight" to the rest of the album?

"Something in "Lowlight" that connects to the rest of the album is being (or allowing yourself to be) your authentic self. In the midst of hardship, in the midst of people telling you how to be, the emotions of finding yourself and your people really shine through."

What does letting this song go into the world ask of you as artists?

"Releasing this song out into the world asks us to trust. It’s kind of silly to say, but it feels like letting one of our children out into the world. Whether or not you want to, or whether or not you’re ready, it has to happen someday if life is to go on. It’s just reality. Things that we love deserve to be shared."