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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 14 July 2018
Nick Lowe rediscovers roots with Los Straitjackets

By DAVID BAUDER get together when the
Associated Press singer needed a band for
PAWLING, N.Y. (AP) — Four a tour supporting a holiday
men who wear Mexican album. A more enduring
wrestling masks onstage partnership was forged.
have reacquainted singer "Like everybody else, I
Nick Lowe with his rock 'n' couldn't believe it when
roll roots. they put on their masks and
The British composer of "Cru- changed into suits," Lowe
el to Be Kind" and "(What's said. "But now I'm totally
So Funny 'Bout) Peace, used to it. The way we play
Love and Understanding" together now, it actually
was deep into the country feels like I'm in the band."
squire phase of his career With the Straitjackets' push,
a few years back, perform- Lowe has pulled chestnuts
ing mostly acoustically. The like "So It Goes," ''Heart of
death of drummer Bobby the City" and Rockpile's
Irwin took an emotional toll "When I Write the Book"
on Lowe, leading to the dis- from his catalog, reclaim-
solution of his band. ing ownership of songs he'd
He's 69 years old now, the largely left in the past.
shock of hair completely Collaborating was an easy
white. He can still write "yes" for the Straitjackets,
meticulously-crafted pop who are longtime fans and
songs and perform them recently released an album
with sweetness and subtle- with instrumental versions of
ty. Yet as the years went by, Lowe's songs.
it became easier to forget "We had nothing to lose,"
Lowe's nickname was once This image released by Shorefire Media shows Nick Lowe with member of Los Straitjackets, Chris said founding guitarist Ed-
"the basher" for tear-down- Sprague, Eddie Angel, Greg Townson and Pete Curry. die Angel. "He had his
the-house rock shows Associated Press credibility on the line go-
(some alcohol required) ing onstage with four guys
and a get-it-done-quickly tet is a rarity, an instrumen- in matching suits and un- the music takes over. in wrestling masks. He really
recording style. tal rock band who recall matching masks. Your first They also share Lowe's re- did take a chance on us.
Enter Los Straitjackets. the Ventures and Rayb- instinct is to laugh, until the cord company and man- He wasn't sure how his fans
The Nashville-based quar- eats, and perform onstage power and personality of ager, who suggested they would react."q

Blessed be the fruit: 'Handmaid's Tale' reaps 20 Emmy nods

By NICOLE EVATT writer as well as executive
JOCELYN NOVECK producer of the dystopian
Associated Press sci-fi drama, noted that
If you haven't yet watched while many viewers have
this week's roller-coaster drawn parallels with real-
finale of "The Handmaid's world current events, he
Tale" — no spoilers here — tries to keep the focus on
the show's creator has a the show's main character,
suggestion. Moss' June, and her world
"Get a couple bottles of in Gilead.
Scotch first," quips execu- "You want to be in the
tive producer and writer world, so you know when
Bruce Miller. you do a show and talk
Miller and his cast and about people being sepa-
crew were saying "Praise rated from their children,
be" — figuratively, at least what that's going to mean
— on Thursday as the show to people in the world," he
reaped 20 Emmy nods, up said. "We're all news junkies,
seven from last year, when political junkies, but I think
the show took the prize for we really try to think about
best drama series. Not sur- what happens to June and
prisingly, the show's star, what happens in Gilead,
last year's best actress Elisa- and really make that work,
beth Moss, was nominated and then you have the
again, as were seven oth- chance that people apply
er actors in supporting or This image released by Hulu shows Elisabeth Moss in a scene from "The Handmaid's Tale." it to their life today."
Associated Press
guest roles. The best guide, he said, has
One of them — Samira chairman Hayma Washing- tion" from the year before. she said. "And I can speak been the writing of Mar-
Wiley — learned of her ton came out to give her And she had high praise personally about that. I garet Atwood — the Ca-
Emmy nod onstage as she the news. for Moss. "Elisabeth makes don't know how she does nadian author of the 1985
announced other nomi- Wiley called the show's everyone who she's in a what she does." novel on which the series is
nees. Television Academy big haul "a real gradua- scene with a better actor," Miller, nominated as a based.q