A chat with Slow Club. Well, half of Slow Club. Whatever, just don't call them twee!

It Doesn't Have to be Beautiful

When I Go

We first met Slow Club 1.5 years ago, when, visiting London at Christmas, we chanced upon a rather special gig at The Social. The bill consisted of Pete and the Pirates, Emmy the Great, Slow Club and a few others (there was definitely one electronic experimental dude whose name we've forgotten). Also in attendance was Lightspeed Champion, singing along with Emmy the Great on a cover of Weezer's Butterfly. Our first SC experience can be summed up thus: We went there mostly to see Emmy and P&tP. We saw the name Slow Club on the list. We thought they would be the new band that would probably suck and during which we would go buy more drinks and use the bathroom. So they came onstage, Rebecca wearing a coat much too big and looking very cold, and started the set by explaining that they had rushed here from another gig and didn't have a chance to bring all their instruments. They would be doing an acoustic set instead. For another band, this could have not turned out too great, but for Slow Club it only made their beautiful harmonies and unpredictable melodies more noticeable. The set wasn't long, they played for something like 30 minutes, but it was enough to put the band on our radar. Now, after about 18 months of amazing yet - let's face it - randomly released songs and a few scattered EPs, Slow Club have finally got round to releasing their debut album. Awarded an 8.0 by NME, "Yeah So"  is no mere compilation of their previously released material. Yes, there are plenty of the great ol' songs their fans have sung along to so many times - songs that provide a great introduction for anyone that hasn't heard of them: Me & You, Because We're Dead, When I Go. But there's also plenty of new material to please us - the devoted followers that have been looking forward to some new tunes - as well. (It Doesn't Have to be Beautiful, and Our Most Brilliant Friends currently ranking as favourites here at LHNA) All in all, the band has managed to put out a fun, catchy, sexy, danceable, sing-along album for pretty much anyone. (except that kid in the back of the gig with the Explotions in the Sky T-shirt, the one that not even Lykke Li can make dance). So unless you're that kid, do yourself the favour of buying it - your feet and hips  and vocal chords will love you for it!

1. "Look at us, we formed a band!" How?

Rebecca: We were at school, i was angsty and Charles was great at playing Jeff Buckley songs. I was drumming in a different band, Charles came and sang with that, and then we started writing songs together and made this band...

 

2.Describe your sound in five words:

Sexy, Smooth, Bootie, Shaking, Beats.

 

3. The band you've been compared to most times is...

The White Flipping Stripes. Just read a comment on our single on itunes begging people who listen to the White Stripes to stop making music, we never even listened to them much! All itunes comments are pretty mean!

 

4. Your favourite song from what you’ve written so far is…

Erm, good one, I think at the moment the new one, because its the new one and that's always exciting for us.

 

5. The craziest thing a fan’s ever done for you is…

bought our album, that was pretty bonkers.

 

6. You like …EASTENDERS

7. You don’t like... missing it

 

8. Your favourite bands at the moment are...The Heebie Jeebies, Dirty Projectors and Casio Kids.

 

9. Your favourite book/writer is... My Take - Gary Barlow.

 

10. (You might be a talented musician and we might hate you for it but it will make us feel better to know that) you suck at... A HELL OF A LOT OF THINGS - doing anything important that needs doing, keeping my emotions in control, texting back, not holding a grudge, jogging.

 

11. What helps you write songs? (Booze? Crappy teen movies? Heartbreaks? Popcorn? Anything goes.) Everything that goes in my eyes and ears, whether that's a conversation I overhear, or a picture I see, or a friend or a goodbye. Oh, and BOOZE. 

 

12. Do you read music blogs? Which ones? Erm, my friend does nothingbutgreenlights which I would always recommend, but since music blogs were given a whole album to be mean about I don't read anything, my mum sends the nice ones over...

 

13. Are you worried about the future of the music industry? Do you think it’s true that unless you’re Coldplay you can’t make money just by playing in a band anymore? Do you guys have day jobs?

I am worried I am going to have to get a real job yes. A delightful person posted something about me saying that I'll be burger kings newest employee in a years time, and wow, that hurt because it is very possible, but I'm not proud, I'll get a job if I need one. But we will carry on writing, recording and touring and hoping to keep our heads above water for now and see what the future brings. But i would try to get a job at Mcdonalds first because I like their chips more. 

 

14. You're in a band because…  I want to make music, I want to be free, and I wanna screw a load of hot chicks.

 

15. You wish everyone would... stop calling us twee.

A big thank you to Rebecca for doing this and another huge thank you to Debbie, who forwarded this to R. and made this wonderful post possible! Now stop staring at the screen and click here.