If you need a little more U.K. folk-pop in your life, join the club.
Sheffield, England duo Slow Club are currently touring to support the stunning Yeah So, an album that would’ve been a shoo-in for our Best of 2009 list if I hadn’t discovered it too late. Over the course of the record’s twelve tracks, bandmates Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor masterfully walk the line between sincerity and playfulness. As far as adorable rock duos go, they just might be Britain’s answer to the White Stripes.
If you’d like to see the them in person, you can check them out for free — that’s exactly zero dollars — at Bar Pink this Saturday, where they’ll be playing alongside San Francisco psych-folksters Sleepy Sun. The San Diego gig will be one of several warm-ups for Slow Club as they prepare for a whopping eight shows in three days at this year’s South By Southwest festival.
We sat down with Rebecca over a hot cup of email to discuss a wide array of topics that included phlebotomy, using a chair as a musical instrument, and near-death experiences.
Owl and Bear: How did you two end up writing and playing music together?
Rebecca Taylor: We were at schools near each other and hung out and played in (shitty) bands, then started doing our own thing as a two. Charles was dating a girl I knew and was a sweet ass guitar player who just wanted to sing songs, so we started doing acoustic nights. Then, we ended up writing properly together and here we are three years later!
Owl and Bear: You guys are known for using, of all things, a chair for some of your live percussion. How does a chair enter into the mix of instruments to play?
Rebecca Taylor: We don’t play the chair anymore! It fit in a song ages ago, it sounded kinda cool, but the chair is dead and buried in our manager’s house.
Owl and Bear: Could you please cite some of your musical influences for our readers?
Rebecca Taylor: My influences are simple: Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Feeling Terrible, and The Carpenters. Not in that order.
Owl and Bear: What kind of work did you do before Slow Club?
Rebecca Taylor: I worked lots of weird jobs including being a phlebotomist, a drama teacher, and pretending to be a criminal for the police to interview in training.
Owl and Bear: I know you just released Yeah So in July 2009. Is there a new album in the works yet?
Rebecca Taylor: Yes! Very much so. Trying to get our heads around it and figuring out what it will be like, but it’s coming, slowly.
Owl and Bear: Are there any amusing, crazy, or frightening stories from being on tour that you’d like to share with our readers?
Rebecca Taylor: We’ve nearly had two bad crashes in which my life flashed before my eyes and it was just full of alcopops and crying. There are a million hilarious stories, but they only seem to be funny to us, so I won’t try and explain. Being in our band is amusing, crazy, and frightening all in one. Reckon one day we’ll kill each other.
Slow Club tour dates
Mar 10 2010 – Rickshawstop – San Francisco, California
Mar 11 2010 – Spaceland – Los Angeles, California
Mar 12 2010 – Apple Store – Los Angeles, California
Mar 13 2010 – Bar Pink – San Diego, California
Mar 14 2010 – Solar Culture – Tucson, Arizona
Mar 15 2010 – The Trunkspace – Phoenix, Arizona
Mar 17 2010 – Orange Show Centre – Houston, Texas
Mar 18 2010 – SXSW – Yorkshire Music showcase @ Latitude 30 – Austin, Texas
Mar 18 2010 – SXSW – Eastbbound and Down/Mess With Texas/Chrome Waves party @ Parking Lot at 1001 E 6th – Austin, Texas
Mar 18 2010 – SXSW – Moshi Moshi / Music For Listeners party @ Red House Pizzeria – Austin, Texas
Mar 19 2010 – SXSW – Friendly Fire Recordings official showcase @ Lamberts – Austin, Texas
Mar 19 2010 – SXSW – Friday Home Slice Pizza – Austin, Texas
Mar 20 2010 – SXSW – Moshi Moshi official Showcase @ Latitude 30 – Austin, Texas
Mar 20 2010 – SXSW – Sup Mag party @ Doc’s Motorworks – Austin, Texas
Mar 20 2010 – SXSW – Wichita/Mixtape Music/Moshi Moshi/Glitoris party @ Barbarella – Austin, Texas
Jun 1 2010 – Koko – London