lowercase letters

Emotions can remove the idleness from a heart that feels still to love. A heart that appears motionless when lost in a wondrous sea of passion can be washed ashore by love & encouraged to enjoy moving along the path of a journey. lowercase letters roams the pavement of the terrain carried by the emotion of receiving “something pretty to look at” in the video for “Give Me.” Symbols dancing to the rhythm as if tracing a soft palm of a lover, lowercase letters lyrics appear naked to ears that understand the wisdom of a muse. As if inhaling a beautiful fragrance & attempting to hold the smell forever, Alphie of lowercase letters exhales words that symbolize the scent that was being held. Remarkably improving the stimulating inspiration that is understood when mesmerized by a liberating feeling that allows emotional senses to climax & soar to different levels is what lowercase letters presents with the video for “Give Me.” - DMV Culture

Metromix's Hottest 5 concert series kept rolling last night with experimental folk/soul group lowercaseletters at Public Bar! The Dupont Circle landmark was packed with fans eager to experience a unique soulful and rhythmic experience. The musical group is made up of singer Alphie Starr and musician John Beckham. Alphie is both a delicate and commanding wordsmith, while JB uses vintage samples, rhythmic sequences, and a number of live instruments to sew it all together. Together, they create a unique take on folk and soul. WUSA 9's own Angie Goff, the D.C. Lottery and the Metromix Street Team were also on hand to complete the concert/party atmosphere at Public! Flip through the photos to catch a glimpse of lowercaseletters in action! - MetroMix

Metromix's Hottest 5 concert series kept rolling last night with experimental folk/soul group lowercaseletters at Public Bar! The Dupont Circle landmark was packed with fans eager to experience a unique soulful and rhythmic experience. The musical group is made up of singer Alphie Starr and musician John Beckham. Alphie is both a delicate and commanding wordsmith, while JB uses vintage samples, rhythmic sequences, and a number of live instruments to sew it all together. Together, they create a unique take on folk and soul. WUSA 9's own Angie Goff, the D.C. Lottery and the Metromix Street Team were also on hand to complete the concert/party atmosphere at Public! Flip through the photos to catch a glimpse of lowercaseletters in action! - MetroMix

AC/DC as a smooth, sultry, Erykah Badu-inspired soul song? Believe it. Bon Scott already sings the lyrics at double-time, really rapping more than singing, so a transformation to R&B isn’t that outrageous. And Phil Rudd’s monstrous drumming could easily translate into the kick drum-clap of a soul stomp.

That’s all the fuel the DC-based lowercase letters need to make this classic rock standard their own. Singer Alphie Starr’s smoky voice is wonderful to listen to, especially when double-tracked for emphasis. The rest of the band provides perfect backing, heavy on the percussion, with just enough guitar to keep everything moving in the same direction. The only disappointment here is that the whole affair lasts just under two minutes; get ready to make use of the repeat button on your player - Cover Me Songs

AC/DC as a smooth, sultry, Erykah Badu-inspired soul song? Believe it. Bon Scott already sings the lyrics at double-time, really rapping more than singing, so a transformation to R&B isn’t that outrageous. And Phil Rudd’s monstrous drumming could easily translate into the kick drum-clap of a soul stomp.

That’s all the fuel the DC-based lowercase letters need to make this classic rock standard their own. Singer Alphie Starr’s smoky voice is wonderful to listen to, especially when double-tracked for emphasis. The rest of the band provides perfect backing, heavy on the percussion, with just enough guitar to keep everything moving in the same direction. The only disappointment here is that the whole affair lasts just under two minutes; get ready to make use of the repeat button on your player - Cover Me Songs

Earlier this month, ELIXHER caught up with Alphie Starr, the beautiful and super talented singer of the D.C.-based music duo lowercase letters. The group recently released their music video for the song “give me.” Here’s what Alphie had to say about the hit single during her “InspiHERed By” interview:

ELIXHER: You said you write about love and sex. I have to ask, are you writing specifically about women?
ALPHIE: I keep away from pronouns because I don’t like to hear gender pronouns in any music really, so it’ll be suggestive. There’s this one track called “give me.” “Give me something pretty to look at/Give me something wild to smile for/Give me something beautiful to/Give me some of you why don’t you.” It’s suggestive. I like stuff like that.

Check out the sultry video below! Read Alphie’s full interview with ELIXHER here - Elixher

Earlier this month, ELIXHER caught up with Alphie Starr, the beautiful and super talented singer of the D.C.-based music duo lowercase letters. The group recently released their music video for the song “give me.” Here’s what Alphie had to say about the hit single during her “InspiHERed By” interview:

ELIXHER: You said you write about love and sex. I have to ask, are you writing specifically about women?
ALPHIE: I keep away from pronouns because I don’t like to hear gender pronouns in any music really, so it’ll be suggestive. There’s this one track called “give me.” “Give me something pretty to look at/Give me something wild to smile for/Give me something beautiful to/Give me some of you why don’t you.” It’s suggestive. I like stuff like that.

Check out the sultry video below! Read Alphie’s full interview with ELIXHER here - Elixher

Lowercase Letters' upcoming show at Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington D.C. on April 15 reflects their rise from rooftop parties to packed concert halls since late 2009. They will play with other local groups Poor But Sexy and The Cascade.

Growing up in Berwyn Heights and going to school at University of Maryland, John Beckham knows how to please a crowd. Capturing an audience weaving a unique blend of funk and soul with turntables and a microphone, Beckham’s duo with singer Alphie Starr could rest on being a solid, poetic studio-style act. But since late 2009 Lowercase Letters has stamped its imprint across the Northeast with shows and record projects in New York and increasingly big venues for audiences to sway to introspective rhythms or move their feet to driving beats.

Matching Beckham’s roots in College Park and Starr’s home in Southeast D.C., lyrics they shift gears through a range of influences from D.C.’s history with go-go, punk and hip-hop as Beckham mixes music and Starr wordsmiths lyrics.

Nowadays Beckham is more of a producer than a DJ. He got there playing guitar in coffee shops in College Park, like the now defunct Planet X, and the college area atmosphere really encouraged musical evolution during his teen years.

“I played in a rock band ‘Gift to the Greedy’ with my brother. We played around the area and we did a tour to New York,” Beckham said. “Then I jumped off and messed with hip- hop more and more, meeting local MC’s during and after school.”

At the UMd. campus he started musing about blending rock and rap, and started a DJ group, PG County, doing off-the-fringe shows around D.C. while majoring in philosophy.

“College Park had lots of open minds and lots of good inspiration,” Beckham said. “I took film, philosophy and some art. I draw a lot of inspiration for music from paintings. As MCs got more clever and intelligent and poetic and beats like Jedi Mind Tricks and Wu Tang Clan.”

He went all into music after graduation, first with PG County, making the rounds from Baltimore south through Maryland and D.C., while still making time to work in New York studios.

“It’s easier to stand out as an act down here in the D.C. music scene, but to get exposure to people who sign checks and have good business sense you have to go up there and make contacts too if you want to go major with music,” Beckham said. “I’m collaborating on an album right now in New York called ‘Glorification of Gangster,’ with 25 different artists and lots of different submission. It’s with an artist that did the Jay-Z box set, and we’re connected with arts show set for Madison Square Garden.”

Starr and Beckham will open at Rock & Roll Hotel with a drummer and keyboards to back to Starr’s vocals behind the tracks Beckham had mixed.

“It makes a show come alive for the audience, and it’s great fun for us to work with more people,” Beckham said. - College Park Patch

Lowercase Letters' upcoming show at Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington D.C. on April 15 reflects their rise from rooftop parties to packed concert halls since late 2009. They will play with other local groups Poor But Sexy and The Cascade.

Growing up in Berwyn Heights and going to school at University of Maryland, John Beckham knows how to please a crowd. Capturing an audience weaving a unique blend of funk and soul with turntables and a microphone, Beckham’s duo with singer Alphie Starr could rest on being a solid, poetic studio-style act. But since late 2009 Lowercase Letters has stamped its imprint across the Northeast with shows and record projects in New York and increasingly big venues for audiences to sway to introspective rhythms or move their feet to driving beats.

Matching Beckham’s roots in College Park and Starr’s home in Southeast D.C., lyrics they shift gears through a range of influences from D.C.’s history with go-go, punk and hip-hop as Beckham mixes music and Starr wordsmiths lyrics.

Nowadays Beckham is more of a producer than a DJ. He got there playing guitar in coffee shops in College Park, like the now defunct Planet X, and the college area atmosphere really encouraged musical evolution during his teen years.

“I played in a rock band ‘Gift to the Greedy’ with my brother. We played around the area and we did a tour to New York,” Beckham said. “Then I jumped off and messed with hip- hop more and more, meeting local MC’s during and after school.”

At the UMd. campus he started musing about blending rock and rap, and started a DJ group, PG County, doing off-the-fringe shows around D.C. while majoring in philosophy.

“College Park had lots of open minds and lots of good inspiration,” Beckham said. “I took film, philosophy and some art. I draw a lot of inspiration for music from paintings. As MCs got more clever and intelligent and poetic and beats like Jedi Mind Tricks and Wu Tang Clan.”

He went all into music after graduation, first with PG County, making the rounds from Baltimore south through Maryland and D.C., while still making time to work in New York studios.

“It’s easier to stand out as an act down here in the D.C. music scene, but to get exposure to people who sign checks and have good business sense you have to go up there and make contacts too if you want to go major with music,” Beckham said. “I’m collaborating on an album right now in New York called ‘Glorification of Gangster,’ with 25 different artists and lots of different submission. It’s with an artist that did the Jay-Z box set, and we’re connected with arts show set for Madison Square Garden.”

Starr and Beckham will open at Rock & Roll Hotel with a drummer and keyboards to back to Starr’s vocals behind the tracks Beckham had mixed.

“It makes a show come alive for the audience, and it’s great fun for us to work with more people,” Beckham said. - College Park Patch

From the mid-1990s to the early-2000s, neo-soul music ruled the bohemian hip-hop circuit: Lots of underground singers and MCs shied away from the raucous backdrop of yesteryear and embraced a quiet aesthetic of Fender Rhodes and drum taps.

Released last Friday, lowercase letters' a-g EP is reminiscent of that sound, as lead vocalist Alphie Starr sings of smoking Black & Mild cigars ("dutchie"), the changing weather ("the season song"), and childish romanticism ("can't won't rush"). "I think I'm in love with you, but don't know what lovers do," Alphie whispers innocently over an acoustic guitar and simulated rainfall.

Clocking in at just over 20 minutes, a-g barely scratches the surface for lowercase letters, a duo whose light rhythms and sweet nothings will resonate with local incense burners. But while others rely on ear-shattering compositions, the Hyattsville duo is much more discreet in its approach, which works well. Overall, a-g isn't quite a knockout, but still a solid release with a few standout tracks. Simplicity is good. - Washington City Paper

From the mid-1990s to the early-2000s, neo-soul music ruled the bohemian hip-hop circuit: Lots of underground singers and MCs shied away from the raucous backdrop of yesteryear and embraced a quiet aesthetic of Fender Rhodes and drum taps.

Released last Friday, lowercase letters' a-g EP is reminiscent of that sound, as lead vocalist Alphie Starr sings of smoking Black & Mild cigars ("dutchie"), the changing weather ("the season song"), and childish romanticism ("can't won't rush"). "I think I'm in love with you, but don't know what lovers do," Alphie whispers innocently over an acoustic guitar and simulated rainfall.

Clocking in at just over 20 minutes, a-g barely scratches the surface for lowercase letters, a duo whose light rhythms and sweet nothings will resonate with local incense burners. But while others rely on ear-shattering compositions, the Hyattsville duo is much more discreet in its approach, which works well. Overall, a-g isn't quite a knockout, but still a solid release with a few standout tracks. Simplicity is good. - Washington City Paper

D.C.-based lowercase letters showcases an avant-garde approach to hip-hop that puts them in a different field compared to other groups playing in the same space. Their music is captivating-but in a less-brassier way that doesn’t need to rely on any gimmicks to get the listener’s full attention-and it’s refreshing. With the group tacking on a percussionist earlier this year, they now hold an even richer and fuller sound to their music that will make their new releases all the more delectable.

Lowercase letters’s Alphie Starr, John Beckham and Benjamin Tufts had a lengthy interview with DMD about their start in music, some of the challenges of being a musician and more.



Catch lowercase letters next: Saturday, July 7th @ Rock and Roll Hotel. Doors 8p/Show 9p.

Listen to lowercase letters’s music on their Bandcamp page.





D.C. Music Download: With a unique blend of rock/hip-hop/soul fused into your music, what kind of musical backgrounds do each of you have (prior to forming the band)?

Alphie Starr: Before lowercase letters, you could have caught me performing underground-type shows in my shower. It was pretty hip and exclusive stuff. Jokes aside though, music has always been an integral part of my family and my life. I grew up on acts like the Temptations and Bill Withers, thanks to my parents, and I’ve performed in choirs and things of that nature. However, this lowercase letters experience is the first time I’ve consider myself to be a singer. And, it’s the first time I’ve ever written beyond writing songs in my room meant specifically for Enrique Iglesias… yeah. I did that. I was young and obsessed with that song “Hero”.

Benjamin Tufts: I grew up listening to the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Motown among other musicians. I played really loud, aggressive music in high school, then played/listened to nothing but classic jazz /old soul in college. I then threw in a bit of time in a salsa/Afro-Cuban/Latin jazz project, and that’s the recipe for me.

John Beckham: My Dad plays the guitar, my older brother the drums, and my mom loves to sing and dance around. Combine that with a world renowned older cousin Tom on the vibes, and music was pretty inevitable for me. I grew up listening to just about everything, and in turn, have dabbled in most types of music. I’ve been in one band before, Gift to the Greedy, but we never had the potential that lowercase letters does.



DMD: What was the process like of recording your debut EP a-g? What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned throughout the process?

JB: Listen to the song. Fix it. Repeat. We’ve actually taken the EP down from iTunes because recording those songs in my condo didn’t really do them justice. Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of the songs and think they sound good – but getting some live drums, a vocal booth and a proper environment to professionally record them will make the newer versions a better representation of who we are. Those songs are still available on our Bandcamp site to listen to, but as far as a real national debut, that’s still in the works.



DMD: On a personal level- what’s the hardest thing about the songwriting process?

AS: For me, the hardest thing about the songwriting process is allowing myself to write badly at first. I’ve found that if an idea isn’t coming along as smoothly as I’d prefer, it’s important to lean into the discomfort of feeling wack and push through it to get to the good stuff. The good stuff is there, so stay inspired. And don’t over think it. Let the ideas come to you – you don’t have to chase them. Oh, but don’t be a bum. Being a bum can be very tempting.



DMD: Being around the D.C. music scene for awhile, what’s the biggest mistake you’ve seen more inexperienced bands make early in their careers?

JB: Don’t pay to play. If the only gigs you can get are ones that you have to pay people for stage time, you probably aren’t ready to be playing out yet.



DMD: What’s one characteristic of the R&B/hip-hop scene in D.C. that people may not know about?

BT: I think the biggest difference with any music coming out of D.C. is that it HAS somehow been at least indirectly, if not directly, influenced by go-go. This is especially poignant with the recent passing of Chuck Brown. Sure enough, I usually drop a go-go beat in the middle of “Zampoughi”, one of our tunes.


DMD: What most inspires you to continue doing music and why?

AS: Life inspires me to keep making music. I’ve become kind of addicted to doing this. It’s totally my thing now. It feels good to look back on something and be like “Hey, we did that.” Performing has become something I’m not sure I could live without. Creating is something I can’t live without. The folks I make music with are people I can’t live without. It’s just great. Oh, and dope female emcees inspire me. Shout out to Lauryn Hill. Wish I had a get-out-of-jail free card to lend her.

BT: I’m inspired to keep doing mus - DC Music Download

D.C.-based lowercase letters showcases an avant-garde approach to hip-hop that puts them in a different field compared to other groups playing in the same space. Their music is captivating-but in a less-brassier way that doesn’t need to rely on any gimmicks to get the listener’s full attention-and it’s refreshing. With the group tacking on a percussionist earlier this year, they now hold an even richer and fuller sound to their music that will make their new releases all the more delectable.

Lowercase letters’s Alphie Starr, John Beckham and Benjamin Tufts had a lengthy interview with DMD about their start in music, some of the challenges of being a musician and more.



Catch lowercase letters next: Saturday, July 7th @ Rock and Roll Hotel. Doors 8p/Show 9p.

Listen to lowercase letters’s music on their Bandcamp page.





D.C. Music Download: With a unique blend of rock/hip-hop/soul fused into your music, what kind of musical backgrounds do each of you have (prior to forming the band)?

Alphie Starr: Before lowercase letters, you could have caught me performing underground-type shows in my shower. It was pretty hip and exclusive stuff. Jokes aside though, music has always been an integral part of my family and my life. I grew up on acts like the Temptations and Bill Withers, thanks to my parents, and I’ve performed in choirs and things of that nature. However, this lowercase letters experience is the first time I’ve consider myself to be a singer. And, it’s the first time I’ve ever written beyond writing songs in my room meant specifically for Enrique Iglesias… yeah. I did that. I was young and obsessed with that song “Hero”.

Benjamin Tufts: I grew up listening to the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Motown among other musicians. I played really loud, aggressive music in high school, then played/listened to nothing but classic jazz /old soul in college. I then threw in a bit of time in a salsa/Afro-Cuban/Latin jazz project, and that’s the recipe for me.

John Beckham: My Dad plays the guitar, my older brother the drums, and my mom loves to sing and dance around. Combine that with a world renowned older cousin Tom on the vibes, and music was pretty inevitable for me. I grew up listening to just about everything, and in turn, have dabbled in most types of music. I’ve been in one band before, Gift to the Greedy, but we never had the potential that lowercase letters does.



DMD: What was the process like of recording your debut EP a-g? What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned throughout the process?

JB: Listen to the song. Fix it. Repeat. We’ve actually taken the EP down from iTunes because recording those songs in my condo didn’t really do them justice. Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of the songs and think they sound good – but getting some live drums, a vocal booth and a proper environment to professionally record them will make the newer versions a better representation of who we are. Those songs are still available on our Bandcamp site to listen to, but as far as a real national debut, that’s still in the works.



DMD: On a personal level- what’s the hardest thing about the songwriting process?

AS: For me, the hardest thing about the songwriting process is allowing myself to write badly at first. I’ve found that if an idea isn’t coming along as smoothly as I’d prefer, it’s important to lean into the discomfort of feeling wack and push through it to get to the good stuff. The good stuff is there, so stay inspired. And don’t over think it. Let the ideas come to you – you don’t have to chase them. Oh, but don’t be a bum. Being a bum can be very tempting.



DMD: Being around the D.C. music scene for awhile, what’s the biggest mistake you’ve seen more inexperienced bands make early in their careers?

JB: Don’t pay to play. If the only gigs you can get are ones that you have to pay people for stage time, you probably aren’t ready to be playing out yet.



DMD: What’s one characteristic of the R&B/hip-hop scene in D.C. that people may not know about?

BT: I think the biggest difference with any music coming out of D.C. is that it HAS somehow been at least indirectly, if not directly, influenced by go-go. This is especially poignant with the recent passing of Chuck Brown. Sure enough, I usually drop a go-go beat in the middle of “Zampoughi”, one of our tunes.


DMD: What most inspires you to continue doing music and why?

AS: Life inspires me to keep making music. I’ve become kind of addicted to doing this. It’s totally my thing now. It feels good to look back on something and be like “Hey, we did that.” Performing has become something I’m not sure I could live without. Creating is something I can’t live without. The folks I make music with are people I can’t live without. It’s just great. Oh, and dope female emcees inspire me. Shout out to Lauryn Hill. Wish I had a get-out-of-jail free card to lend her.

BT: I’m inspired to keep doing mus - DC Music Download