Lowgold was formed in St Albans in 1997 by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Darren Lee Ford, lead guitarist Dan Symons and bassist Miles Willey, all born in the United Kingdom in 1997. The trio began writing songs in Ford’s home studio, releasing the "The 108" single in July 2000, which received critical acclaim and was voted Single of the Week by NME and Melody Maker. The band signed with Nude Records in late 1998, and their single "Beauty Dies Young" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 67 on 18 September 2000. Their first studio album, Just Backward of Square, was issued in 2001, followed by Welcome to Winners in October 2003, which peaked at number 33 on the UK Albums Chart. Subsequent releases included "The Same Way" in 2004 and the album Promise Lands on 31 March 2008 through Goldhawk Records/Cooking Vinyl. Lowgold supported acts such as Grandaddy, Doves, Coldplay and Keane on extensive UK tours, but faced financial difficulties and label disputes that led to a period of inactivity after 2009. The band has not issued new material or performed live since then, and in 2021 the debut EP and first two albums were re‑issued for streaming.
