Nick Lowe

Nick Lowe (born 1949) is a songwriter, producer, and bassist whose influence on British rock is vastly disproportionate to his commercial success. As house producer at Stiff Records, he produced the Damned's first single (New Rose, the first UK punk single), Elvis Costello's first five albums, the Pretenders, and Graham Parker. His own songwriting produced Cruel to Be Kind, (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding (later a hit for Costello), and I Knew the Bride. He was a member of Brinsley Schwarz and later Rockpile with Dave Edmunds. His later albums — The Impossible Bird (1994), The Convincer (2001), At My Age (2007) — revealed a gift for understated, emotionally devastating country-inflected pop that has earned him a devoted cult following and critical reverence.