Low Tide are putting their own stamp on “Bread and Roses,” the title track from their upcoming album Bread & Roses, transforming a piece of labor and feminist history into something that feels immediate, personal, and deeply relevant to the present.
The song traces back to the early 20th-century labor and women’s suffrage movements, eventually becoming one of the most recognizable expressions of the idea that people deserve more than the bare minimum required to survive. Its central message is that material security, equality, creativity, beauty, and love should not be treated as separate needs. For singer and violinist Eli Oberman, that idea has been meaningful since childhood.
Growing up surrounded by folk music, Oberman remembers “Bread and Roses” as a particular favorite because of the way it connects social justice with the things that make life worth living. That connection also reflects the reason folk music has remained so important to Oberman, particularly its long history of giving voice to struggles against inequality.
Low Tide’s interpretation combines newly written music with adapted elements of the traditional lyrics. The song also represents the completion of an idea Oberman had been carrying for years. During their time in feminist punk band The Shondes, Oberman repeatedly attempted to work the phrase “Bread and Roses” into original songs, only for it to eventually be removed. What began as a recurring joke ultimately became the foundation for something much larger when Oberman and guitarist Courtney Robbins began reconnecting with their folk influences.
The result is a track that feels almost like a musical march. Robbins’ guitar continuously pushes the song ahead, giving its message a sense of movement and determination, while Oberman’s violin brings an uplifting, almost celebratory quality to the arrangement. Together, those elements keep the song from feeling like a simple retelling of an older protest piece. Instead, Low Tide make it sound alive again.
Oberman’s lyrics and delivery add another layer to that feeling, breathing fresh energy into words that could otherwise seem rooted in another era. The familiar ideas of demanding both survival and beauty become strikingly immediate through Low Tide’s arrangement and performance.
That renewed relevance is central to why Oberman felt the timing was right to finally record the song. They point to the growing frustration surrounding economic inequality and the increasing concentration of wealth and power as reasons its message continues to resonate. They also reference New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s use of “roti and roses” during his campaign, describing the phrase as an especially meaningful modern connection to the song’s history and its broader themes.
At its core, “Bread and Roses” reflects the belief that surviving should never be the only goal. Low Tide approach that idea through music that feels communal, passionate, and grounded in the traditions that inspired them in the first place.
That sense of community extends throughout Bread & Roses. Oberman and Robbins, both trans and nonbinary, came together in Low Tide after previously making music as members of The Shondes. Their return to folk music allowed them to explore a more stripped-back side of their musical identities, with Oberman’s vocals and Robbins’ electric guitar serving as the foundation of the project.
Their voices become another defining part of the album. Robbins frequently joins Oberman through layered harmonies and takes the lead on “Bite the Hand.” The contrast between their voices creates much of Low Tide’s character: Oberman’s softer vocal quality sits alongside Robbins’ airy rasp, with the two ultimately blending into something warm and cohesive.
The album was recorded in Brooklyn alongside longtime producer and collaborator Fen Ikner, who also contributed drums, bass, and keys. Much of the material originated during the isolation of the pandemic, when Oberman was writing primarily alone rather than in their preferred collaborative environment.
Stepping into the studio changed the way those songs felt. Hearing Robbins’ guitar parts develop alongside Wurlitzer, organ, drums, and bass allowed the compositions to expand beyond the versions Oberman had created in isolation. What had existed privately on the page and in early demos began to feel like a fully realized body of work.
For Robbins, the recording process became its own creative environment one where the songs could develop naturally between the three musicians. That philosophy also shaped the album’s production. Rather than chasing excessive polish, Low Tide wanted Bread & Roses to retain the imperfections and intimacy of people making music together in the same room.
No AI. No autotune. Just musicians, instruments, and the chemistry that happens when people create together.
With Bread & Roses, Low Tide are taking a song rooted in more than a century of social movements and giving it a new life one that connects the traditions of folk music with their own experiences, politics, relationships, and belief in the importance of creating something beautiful while fighting for something better.
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