By Scout Nicholson / The Jambar
California-based artist Collin Desha, professionally known as Low Hum, has a promising future in the music industry with over 160,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Starting in October, Desha will be performing alongside the band Mating Ritual for its final tour.
Desha is a native Hawaiian and lived there for the first 18 years of his life. Born in O’ahu, Hawaii, he said most of his life was spent out in the countryside.
“As I travel more and more, I start to realize how much different it was to grow up on the islands,” Desha said.
His passion for music originated from his homeland, where he spent most of his time listening to Hawaiian music and attending music festivals. Desha said this led to his punk rock phase in high school.
“I started playing in punk rock bands in high school and kind of got caught up in the punk rock scene, which was very small … performing in churches, or I would sneak into bars underage and play,” Desha said.
When he was 18-years-old, he packed his bags and moved to Los Angeles. From there, Desha grew his music and eventually landed an internship with Universal Music Group. At the company, he was an assistant to Vincent Herbet, one of Lady Gaga’s producers.
Desha continued to play in bands and went on tours. Eventually, he realized he wanted to focus on music and pursue Low Hum with full force.
“Essentially, I started to feel like I wasn’t expressing my artistry enough … I wanted to get back into being more focused on art. So, I left all that and started doing Low Hum fulltime,” Desha said.
This led to the creation of his first three records, “Room to Breathe” in 2019, “Nonfiction” in 2021 and “Terra Incognita” in 2024. His top song “Comatose,” with a total 18.5 million streams on Spotify, comes from his debut album.
The albums were all produced under the label Last Gang Records, Desha said he departed from the label to refocus on his artistry once more.
“I recently just left [Last Gang Records] on good terms,” Desha said. “I felt like I wanted to sort of put the artistry all back into the project and not rely on anyone.”
His most recent production was released April 25 alongside Phil Simmonds, known professionally as Navah Sea, in an EP titled “Dreams.”
“I just feel really fortunate that I can do [the EP] … There’s nobody telling you what to do. It’s just about being creative and having fun in the process,” Desha said.
Low Hum’s upcoming tour explores a more electronic sound than his previous tours. Desha said he plans on using machines, while also straying away from the typical five-piece band.
“I’m doing an electric kind of version of Low Hum. So, I’m really excited to explore that. The production value is a little bit higher. I got a fully timed show with lights … it’s a really cool experience,” Desha said.
After the tour, Desha will travel to Germany in November where he’ll be playing a festival. From there he’s finishing up a new EP with the release predicted for early 2026.
Low Hum’s music is available on all streaming platforms. More information on upcoming shows can be found at low-hum.com.
