What are your names?
Charles Bryan, Kevin Field, Spencer Hassman, Kevin Laughlin, Miles Wilson,
What is your genre of music?
Contemplative Alternative; Altermplative? Honestly, we need to get better at answering this question because saying “eclectic” feels like a cop out! But we certainly pull inspiration from post-rock, post-hardcore, emo, psychedelic & indie rock…I heard someone call us “Art Rock” recently and that feels right for us even though it’s still kind of non-descriptive…we’re open to receiving input on how to answer this one!”
How did you come up with bands name?
I think if you asked each band member this question, you might get 5 different answers, but I think on a base level, The Slow evokes thoughts about the journey of life. The “eureka!” moments are few & far between, but the slow, deliberate, mindful journey in between those moments are just as meaningful and in many ways much more valuable.
Give us a little bio about you and the band.
One thing I love about our band is that there’s actually a ten year age gap between the oldest &youngest members of the group. Each of us started creating music at different times in life and had vastly different inspirations we were each pulling from before joining forces. But almost exactly four years ago, we started jamming on some songs Kevin had written on an acoustic guitar. We all knew each other but not all of us had played together and it frankly seemed like an odd match-up for me when I got invited to jam with these guys, but it was one of those moments when you start to play and the chemistry is instant & we knew it was meant to be! Kevin already had an arsenal of songs on acoustic for us to start working on as a full band and that became the starting point for working toward our first album. Members continue to grow & enter new phases & chapters in life including marriage, grad school, learning, growing–and our drummer and his wife are currently expecting their first baby! That’s a first for our band! But we continue to create & grow together as friends and musicians as well as.
What made you go into music?
Music has always moved me. My mom tells stories of me having different choreographies for different songs on pop radio when I was a kid. I once heard “drums get you tapping your toes, but bass makes you move your hips…” I think it was then that I knew I was always meant to be a bass player.
Are you a signed?
Nope
You have your album out ‘Nothing Above/Nothing Below, tell us more about it.
As I mentioned earlier, Kevin F had written most of the songs before we had ever played together—he always has more music written than we can ever keep up with—but it was an incredibly natural process. The chemistry the group had right off the bat seemed to breed a level of trust between us incredibly early as a band so we were able to take Kevin’s songs and turn them into The Slow. Once Kevin brings us an idea, it usually comes together incredibly quickly. There are a couple of exceptions and other times when we’ve decided we wanted a song to remain an acoustic track, but for the most part, what you hear on the album is pretty close to how we first jammed on the songs.
You are set to release a new single tell us all about it.
Slow Kids feels like an apt first single because of how long it’s been since our last release. We took our time with the recording process and I think it paid off. We’re incredibly proud of how it turned out. It’s self-referential in more ways than the title. The song contains words spoken about us, words spoken about our society, and words that call us to something better; “us” meaning this band, you, me, our neighbourhood’s, our world.
Describe the track in two words.
Punchy cosmology
What was the writing process like?
This one came together even more organically than our other tunes, except for maybe Eucharistia (which we wrote in the studio). Started with some lyrics and a basic progression and as each element got added, there were those little moments of “hey, what if we tried…” and our first ideas stuck most of the time. I think the drum groove was the first thing to add and it is essentially unchanged from the first time we played it.
What was the recording process like?
Recording both of these albums have been a dream. We have such a sweet setup having our own space, so we don’t feel the pressure to rush through tracking. There are pros and cons to that, but for the most part it made for a blissful experience. Just tracking with our buds, beers in hand, taking breaks to go on walks around the corn field, hop in the hot tub at the end of a long day, etc.
Who did you work with on the Single?
Our recording engineer/editor is our buddy/Captain Ryan Cork, and our mix/mastering guy is Tyler Hunt, who we have been thrilled with
Do you have any shows coming up?
We’re looking forward to some short regional tours through the northwest & a series of locals how’s corresponding with the upcoming single releases. Some of our best memories have been in backyards, parks, and other DIY spaces…we hope to continue being true to those roots as well as experimenting with other creative spaces in the future.
What else can we expect in Early 2020?
We’ve got some more singles coming down the pike, as well as some video content so stay tuned!
Do you have any collaborations coming up with any up coming artists? We’ve actually done a lot more collaborations with visual artists than musical…We’re partnering with a local Boise videographer named Casey Levins to develop some visual content for us. The guy is phenomenal, and we’re pumped to be a part of his growing portfolio. We have been long-time collaborators with local visual artists Jacob Wombacher and Tyler Crabb as well; expect some sweet stuff coming from them in the coming months. Our upcoming record doe shave a couple of surprise guest appearances that we’re looking forward to unveiling soon!
Would you be up for collaborations if other musicians wanted one with you? and who would they have to contact? Absolutely down to collaborate! Probably the best way to reach all of us at the same time is a DM on instagram
Do you play any instruments?
All of us are multi-instrumentalists to differing degrees.
Who are your influences?
Again, this list would be different depending on which band member you asked, but for me, me without You, Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Ròs, Listener, & Sufjan Stevens are probably my long-time inspiration, but recently sounds from PUP, Origami Angel, & The Front Bottoms have been very inspirational…the list goes on…
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
We wax and wane sometimes in our motivations for playing shows and writing. We try to just follow that rhythm. It’s hard to know what exactly will trigger it, but any time something is happening or changing in our lives or the world, or you see/hear something beautiful, that’s a moment you’ve got to seize.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
Writing, playing shows, putting out records. We are being really intentional about creating something sustainable. We are all in lots of different stages of life… We want to honour where each other is going while maintaining an artistic connection.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
Most of us are in grad school, all of us love coffee and beer, all of us love being outside, and all of us love being with friends.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more in to the music scene?
In 1998, I saw the band Cool Hans Luke and they played an instrumental song called “On Being the Silent Spectator.” I had never been so moved by a performance—and lyrics weren’t even necessary. This started my fascination with instrumental music and the power of guitar & bass driven melodies.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
Stay hydrated.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
Take pictures at band practice. Take a picture at every show. Take pictures while recording albums. Down the road, these memories will run together, but you’ll be thankful for the snapshots! And go to lots of concerts! See bands you’ve never heard of or genres that you don’t usually stick to. Go to art galleries. Try your hand at another creative medium…all of these things will push you beyond what you’re used to and you’ll be better for it.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
Stay close. Stay curious.
Where in your hometown is a must go to visit?
Flying M. 1918.
Your coming off tour;
1/ Where do you go first? Straight home. My bed. I always wash my sheets the day I leave for tour so the first time I laydown, it’s crisp & smells good…it hits the spot every. single. time.
2/ Who do you see first? My nephew & nieces.
3/What do you eat first? Flying M coffee
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
How to play the songs, trim my fingernails beforehand, stay hydrated, stay in each moment, &hug each other when we finish the set.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Instagram: @theslow.music @kevin.field @kevlaugh @_spencertron @chrlz
