The band released their new music video for “Low,” which is reminiscent of an infomercial with a magical elixir named “Low” that is presented as a remedy for life’s dilemmas.
“I wanted the whole concept of the album to be retro punk-rock from the future. It has a vintage, nostalgic feel to it,” Higgenson said. “It sounds like it could be made 10 years from now. We wanted the videos to have the same feel. We wanted them to be super fresh and super unique.”
On their plans for 2019, Higgenson said, “At the end of May, we are going on tour, and we are going to the U.K. We are playing some festivals there. We haven’t been there in a while. Then, we will be coming back to America and playing some shows here. We want to do a few more videos for this album, Parallel Universe. We are trying to stay as busy and as creative as we can.”
Their signature tune, “Hey There Delilah,” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for two weeks in 2007, and it scored two Grammy nominations (“Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal” and “Song of the Year”) for the band. “That was amazing,” he admitted. “That song was a couple of years old when they started playing it on the radio. It connected with people in a really big way.”
Higgenson shared that he loved the album Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette in the ’90s, which inspired him to write music. “When I heard that album, I was blown away. Jagged Little Pill is just so raw, vulnerable and cool. It made me want to get serious with writing songs,” he said.
Digital transformation of the music industry
On the impact of technology and streaming on the music business, Higgenson said, “It’s weird because now it’s all about the Spotify and the Apple Music numbers. It is such a weird, different time to be an artist. As a fan of music, it has never been easier to listen to music and find new music and make your own playlists.”
Regarding the recent passage of the Music Modernization Act, Higgenson said, “I think it’s awesome. The laws were very old, and they were able to update them. I definitely think it was long overdue. It’s always a good thing when they protect the songwriters. The fact that it went over so well was pretty amazing. Music continues to be an important part of everybody’s life.”
Parallel Universe is available on iTunes and on Spotify.
To learn more about the rock group Plain White T’s, check out their official website and their Facebook page.
