[slab] Interview: “A lot of the songs come out of nowhere”

Even judging by the current climate of the independent artist’s constant struggle, Manchester’s [slab] have had quite the year.

Consisting of Tom Wilcox (guitar/vocals), Paul Corlett (bass/ vocals) and Lianne Steinberg (drums), [slab] are responsible for the finest guitar-based DIY releases from the U.K’s North West this year with their debut, Taut – a record that sees them harnessing an intensity few others have captured between the studio walls (full low down here).

From the dynamic rush of Deliverance and the free-flowing alt-rock of Multikim to the beautiful closing cut, Possession, on Taut [slab] take the best elements of post-hardcore and post-rock and produce the kind of noise that sizzles all the senses.  

And it continues on their new single, Holding Pattern. Completely outdoing themselves in what is their best song to date, Holding Pattern flashes, rips and tears with vigour and vitality. The three-piece, twisting early Unwound ferocity with the later-era road-trip swagger of Sonic Youth. (Coincidently, [slab] are set to support the former at the beginning of November at their Manchester show.)

Last week, Wilcox, Corlett and Steinberg answered a series of questions about their year, how [slab] began, and the band’s new single, Holding Pattern. Officially released tomorrow, however you can watch / listen below.

S13: What are your first memories of music?

Tom Wilcox: “My mum playing Scott Joplin on piano. And Grease. I used to sing You’re the One That I Want when I was a toddler.”

Lianne Steinberg: “Obsessively watching Top of the Pops but having to hide behind the couch when Gary Numan came on!”

Paul Corlett: “Probably playing tapes at home when I was younger. A Beatles compilation probably and something weird of my dad’s, like Boney M. My mum and dad had this weird tape deck that looked like a video recorder, and it had a fault, so every 60 seconds or so the music would stop. Pretty annoying.”

S13: Do you think these memories have influenced [slab]?

TW: “I really don’t think so. When I started exploring pop music myself in junior school was when I think the foundations of my approach to music and guitar was born.”

LS: “Years of absorbing music and playing in numerous bands is what comes out now in [slab].”

S13: Had you all known one another before starting [slab]?

TW: “Me and Paul have played in a few bands before. Always at the same time as Lianne playing in bands, but our paths never crossed before [slab].”

S13: It’s been a stellar year with your debut LP, Taut released earlier in the year. How’s the reception being on the back of that, and have you seen your listenership grow as a result?

TW: “The album got some great reviews, and we’ve shifted a fair few copies of the vinyl at gigs. It’s great hearing people we don’t know telling us they’ve listened to our album and love it.”

PC: “We’ve had some really positive feedback on the album, but it is hard growing an audience these days. But everyone’s in the same boat. Thankfully you can still meet some great people on the DIY scene with a passion for new music. There’s still a love for vinyl as well which is great.”

S13: Your new song, Holding Pattern, continues your great run of form. Can you tell us about it?

TW: “My mum has a physical condition where she freezes in place and can’t move. The song is about that. Holding Pattern is an expression used in aviation when an aeroplane can’t land yet, and the idea of running out of fuel and being stuck in place drew parallels with my mum.”

S13: Once again, you recorded with Simon ‘Ding’ Archer. How did you initially come to working with him?

TW: “We knew about Ding from his PJ Harvey days, and we really wanted to work with him. He’s fantastic.”

S13: Your songs really echo a strong songwriting alliance. Does each member bring their own ideas to the table and work there, or it is more of collective approach when you’re all together?

TW: “Sometimes one of us comes in with an idea that morphs and evolves as everyone puts their own personality on it, sometimes we start playing and before we know it we have an eight minute jam to work with.”

LS: “A lot of the songs come out of nowhere and develop without lyrics, so we have the space to really focus on listening to what one another is doing. I really love the process but it’s hard sometimes to let some ideas go if we’re not all on board with it.”

PC: “Our best moments probably come out of jams in the rehearsal room. If an idea can survive a few weeks of practices and scrutiny from the three of us, it normally becomes a decent song.”

S13: Music scenes in big cities like Manchester can see so many bands get lost in the sheer weight of numbers. What’s your experience and have you found any allies?

TW: “There are some really interesting bands on the scene. Bands who try something different usually get our attention. We got friendly with The Sewer Cats quite early on, and it was ace to collaborate with their drummer / singer Cass on Defibrillator.

PC: “We have made some good friends, yes. It’s all about meeting like-minded people. It is a big scene, though. Sometimes we’ll be driving to rehearsals and hear a new Manchester band on the radio, who we’ve never heard of, and we find out they’ve got a really substantial following already. That’s a good thing… the city’s music scene is constantly evolving.”

S13: From the outside at least, Andy Burnham seems like one of the very few politicians in the country getting things done for his constituents. It got me thinking of [slab]’s music and whether politics play a role at all?

TW: “We don’t try to be overly political, but we enjoy a lively chat at practices.”

LS: “I don’t think you can operate in this current climate without being political because the political is driving so much social injustice. It’s there in our music, it’s just not explicit.”

PC: “It’s in there for sure, but it’s hidden away and subliminal. Politics is so polarising at the moment, so hopefully you can escape from that stuff with our music.”

S13: You’re supporting Unwound in November. It seems like a perfect way to cap off the year.

TW: “Yeah! We all had tickets to see Unwound already, so getting the support is a real honour.”

PC: “Lianne saw them in Porto Primavera last year as a fan, so to support them in our home town is pretty special. Unwound are one of the few bands we all like.”

S13: Are there plans for a second record next year?

TW: “We’re always working on new ideas and when they’re at a point we’re happy with them we book in with Ding. So yeah, hopefully.”

Taut is out now. Purchase from Bandcamp.