DRENCHED On the Making Of “Slug”
What was the initial spark or idea that led to the creation of "Slug?"
Musically, “Slug” started with the simple opening riff. I used to noodle with it as a warm-up before practice. I eventually built a chord progression around the riff, which evolved into a full song.
The lyrics for “Slug” are about being introverted at parties. The concept comes from times where I’ve been at social events and people have assumed I’m not okay because I’m not being super engaged and happy-looking. I’ve been fine and perfectly happy people just people watching, seeing what sort of crazy stuff ends up happening. I’m sure any introvert can relate to this!
Can you share any interesting or unique musical elements or production techniques used in "Slug?"
The song is pretty straightforward in terms of structure, but it’s the first song that we have written in standard E-flat tuning. We usually write in C#, for a heavier sound, but Slug, being brighter and more fun, felt right in standard tuning. It also meant we could play some nice, juicy open chords. In the studio, we really worked on building layers of guitar and vocals in the interlude to create a crescendo. It’s the zenith of the song and the record and it’s one of the most dynamic parts we’ve written.
How do you feel "Slug" represents your artistic identity or musical evolution?
Just like most of the songs of four debut album, “Slug” is a much more collaborative song than our previous releases. I brought the initial concept to the band, but we all worked on it and refined it, and I think the end product is way better than when everyone just plays the parts that I’ve written.
It also feels like a very refined song, with clear influences and a distinct sound. Slug almost didn’t make it onto the record, but because our studio time was delayed, we had a few extra weeks of rehearsal time. We managed to bring it up to a standard that we were happy to record with. After that, it has become one of our favourite tracks.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a band, and how did you overcome them?
It’s a typical story for us, being a band in a small town with a small but dedicated local following. We try to get the support slots for touring bands so we can get a bit of credibility, a few feathers in our caps. That’s been our goal for the year; release this album and get on some touring band lineups.
Otherwise, the recording of the album was a big challenge. We struggled with scheduling conflicts, personal tragedies and indecision. Because we were using a third-party space to record, we and our audio engineer basically had to go to a committee whenever we wanted to book the space, which slowed everything down, sometimes by weeks. It took several months longer than we wanted to get the release ready, and we’ve learned a lot from the experience.
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
Being surrounded by my three mates and absolutely nailing a song or a whole set is super satisfying. I love stepping on stage and seeing people smile when we play the opening riffs of our songs. Fans singing along and dancing to our songs is so wholesome, and it makes me feel incredibly validated as a musician. I also love playing with other artists, both our friends from the scene and new acts who we have never played with before. We can fit in with a lot of different genres so play with a wide variety of bands, and it’s always fun seeing new people getting into our songs.