Music > Interviews

Slaves

29/10/14

So I was sitting at Latitude in the afternoon sun on the grass, eating some sort of ‘food’ and what should happen about 10 feet away from me but a vibrant, energetic, passionate and sweaty punk gig. Slaves had arrived. Isaac wore suit trousers, no top and sang and played drums standing at the front of the stage with a sweaty fury. Laurie skulked about with his guitar, covered in tattoos, looking like he’d never had such a good time before. The fans were into it. I was into it. I almost got involved in a pit situation. They are a duo so alive and young and full of enthusiasm that they’re playing in Norwich twice in November. For heaven’s sake, get yourself a ticket. I spoke to Laurie about Big Foot and how much they love The Owl Sanctuary.

How did you guys get together?

We were living in towns close to each other in Kent and we were aware of each other from being in different bands. Isaac was in a band I really liked, so I went up to him one night and said “Look, I’d really like to make music with you” and I ended up being in that band for a while. After having realised it wasn’t as good from the inside as it was from the outside, we broke off and made Slaves.

I know there’s another band called Slaves from the States who only came into existence this year. Has there been a fight over the name?

Kind of. We’ve got proof we’ve been a band for a lot longer than they have, so I think we have to stick with being Slaves UK when we’re in America and they call themselves Slaves U.S when they’re over here. It’s not ideal!

Growing up in Kent, what was the music scene like for you?

There was a lot of indie music, like Underground Heroes came from Kent and it was quite a big place for the sort of 2000 Kooks-style music like The View. The Tunbridge Wells Forum showcased a lot of bands like that. There was also a big hardcore scene in Medway where I lived. I don’t think the music scene’s ever been that strong in Kent because there aren’t that many venues.

Do you prefer playing festivals or inside gigs?

I think we’re more used to playing at night, so playing in the day is a fun challenge. We like to get out of our comfort zone; it’s a good way to keep improving the band. Festivals can be fun because although people might not be as drunk or it might not have the same atmosphere, so it forces your hand a bit more.

What’s the best band you’ve seen live this year?

At Beacons Festival, The Fat White Family and Sleaford Mods were wicked. My favourite UK bans is Baby Strange and also The Wytches. I saw Bombay Bicycle Shop at Reading/Leeds and they were great, and also Die Antwoord at Reading/Leeds They are crazy!

So much energy must go into your live shows…how do you build yourselves up to that, and then recover?

We’re quite normal when we’re offstage so when we go onstage it’s a big release. Everything that leads up to that is quite tame; we’re not aggressive or angry people, we’re actually quite happy! So when we walk onstage we go into ‘live mode’ and then we walk offstage to become normal again. You can’t pretend to be those characters all the time; we’re like different people onstage.

What’s the most excellent song to play live for you?

Beauty Quest is always fun as at the end it all goes crazy usually, but I’m also enjoying playing some of our new songs live as well. Also, Hey was a recently single, so it’s fun to see the reaction to songs people already know. Girl Fight is also always a crowd pleaser.

I know there was a bit of a stagedive and circle pit situation going on when I saw you at Latitude, but does it ever feel like it’s getting out of control?

We have to get public liability insurance in case anyone gets hurt at our shows, but so far nothing bad has happened. One man got knocked out once, but it was sort of his own fault, and an accident.

Is there an album on its way?

Yep, out in 2015! It’s all written and we start recording in December. I can’t wait. We’re writing all new songs as we’ve already released a lot of songs, and we don’t want to re-release those songs; that just seems pointless.

You’ve been touring an awful lot this year. What have been your highlights?

Reading/Leeds, In the Wood Festival and Latitude were my three favourite gigs this year. There has been a lot of funny stuff happen. Being on stage always makes me laugh, just seeing the crowd’s reaction. I think Latitude was my highlight of my summer.

My favourite song of yours is Where’s Your Car, Debbie. Can you tell me the story behind that song?

We were at a show with a new manager, and he asked us to walk his friend Debbie back to his car. It was late and dark and the road next to the Tunbridge Wells Forum is quite woody. At the time, there had been sightings of a Big Foot in those woods. Isaac said “Where’s your car, Debbie?” and I said, “That would make a great lyric”. Then we were just messing about, joking about the Big Foot, so that was documented in the song. We didn’t actually see a Big Foot.

You’re supporting Jamie T at UEA on his sold out date in Norwich. Are you looking forward to playing to his audience?

Jamie T is probably my favourite modern artist; I’ve got so many memories of listening to his albums, and even the new one I know word for word. He’s one of the biggest influences for my music and me. I remember when I was younger covering Sticks and Stones. So I hope that people appreciate us like I appreciate him; that would make the experience even better for us. What I’ve done has been very influenced by him. It’s quite hard for me to call him Jamie. I keep calling him Jamie T. It’s surreal really!

How come you’ve decided to play The Owl Sanctuary the very next day?

We’ve got some days off during the tour, and we tend to get a bit bored. So we’ve booked some gigs so we can go to smaller venues that don’t have the relationship with national promoters. Being in Norwich, it was the perfect opportunity to go and do The Owl Sanctuary. We feel that the guy who runs it is really helping to shape the Norwich music scene at the moment. He’s such a character; he was the tour manager for Lemmy and Motorhead for five or six years. He treats bands really well as he’s been on tour himself and understand it from the inside. It’s such a great vibe in there.

How was your last gig in Norwich, at Epic?

It was fun. It was the day before we played at Latitude, so a lot of Norwich’s music fans were actually already on site; I was really overwhelmed at how many people actually turned up. The night at The Owl Sanctuary is nearly sold out, and that will be the first time we have ever sold out a show in advance!

Slaves support Jamie T at UEA on1st November, and then play their own headlining show at The Owl Sanctuary on 2nd November. Tickets from www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk