Interview with The Slates: ‘It’ll be bouncing, like a homecoming!’

Mirfield, West Yorkshire-based indie rock band The Slates are working on their unnamed debut EP, which will likely be released before the end of the year.

The band comprises Louis (vocals), Zak (drums), Joe (lead guitar) and Jude (bass). Louis, Zak and Joe are all friends from school and they met Jude when he got in touch via Instagram to ask if they needed a bassist. Initially, they were called Distortion. I ask them what prompted the name change and they all laugh. ‘Do you want to know the actual reason?,’ Louis grinned. ‘Or what we often tell people?,’ Zak asked. I say I’d like to hear both: ‘I was on the toilet, doing a number two, looking at the air freshener and I started looking at the slates on the floor,’ Zak deadpanned. ‘And I thought “Oh aye, that’s a good band name” so I messaged the lads – still doing my number two, like – and said how about that for a name?!’ I ask them what they normally tell people? ‘If they don’t want to hear that, we say that it comes from the photos we took for ‘Try That’. where you can see the slates from the roofs,’ he laughed.

Their debut EP will feature their two previously released singles ‘Try That’ and ‘Fumes and Tunes’ as well as three new tracks. ‘We’ve got two singles ready as well,’ said Joe. ‘The next two singles will be ‘Situations’ and ‘Shield Your Drink’, which I wrote. ‘Situations’ is about a relationship and how much of a “situation” you have,’ he said cryptically. Zak jumps in: ‘They’re banging tunes, big riffs and big drums,’ he said.

It’ll be bouncing, like a homecoming!’

And other songs are also in the works, according to Zak: ‘We’ve got a lot of songs to come,’ he said. ‘This weekend, we played a supporting gig for The Estevans (an alt indie band from Guildford). Next weekend, we’re back at our local pub for the first time since our first gig. It’ll be bouncing, like a homecoming! At the start of ‘Try That’ at the end of our gigs, that slow “try”, we play the chords slow as Louis is thanking everyone for coming and then we go into it.’ Joe nods: ‘People come to see us and they’re singing it back to us,’ he said, looking really thrilled.

‘Try That’, their debut single which they released earlier this year, kicks off with an incredibly hooky guitar line: ‘It’s bouncing!,’ Zak said. Louis nods: ‘It makes you tap your feet, I wrote the guitar line. When I was writing the song, I took inspiration from Gnarls Barkley (an American soul duo).’ They were also inspired by Glasgow’s Gerry Cinnamon: ‘We all love him, we think he’s class,’ Zak said. ‘We all collaborate on songs.’ Jude agrees: ‘With a song, it’s a yay or nay,’ he said. And although Louis wrote ‘Try That’, his three bandmates have a different take to what the song’s about: ‘Whenever he writes a tune, I know him better than he knows himself,’ Zak said. ‘It’s about an ex-bird of his,’ Jude added helpfully: ‘I had no idea what it was about,’ Louis said. ‘If I’ve written my own song, I never know what it’s about, I can say it better for other people’s songs. Zak jumps in: ‘I was speaking to Joe and Jude about it and the three of looked at each other and we just knew what it was about.’

In July, they released their second track, ‘Fumes and Tunes’, which has a completely different feel to it, with a melodic, acoustic guitar line. ‘I wrote this one years ago, it was the first song I ever wrote, it’s about my grandad who passed away,’ Louis said. ‘There are three simple chords in it – G, Em and C.’ Jude is looking at him: ‘Is it Em?,’ he asks. ‘I always thought it was E! I like this one, the way it slides up,’ he said. However, the first version of the song got an overhaul, according to Zak: ‘The song then was so boring,’ he joked. ‘Drumming it, I said “Let’s give it a kick up the arse”. Louis wanted a specific drum part, a duh ta ta, it were half nine the night before we recorded it when we got it right!’

If they could hear one of their songs on a TV show, Louis picks Da Ali G show, which came out in 2000. ‘I’d love to hear one of our songs on there, he’s cool,’ he said. Joe goes with The Inbetweeners. Zak has other ideas: ‘I think Green Street, when they’re all walking down the street and it goes right into our song,’ he said. Jude picks This Is England, which I say I haven’t heard of and they all look at me in disbelief. ‘You haven’t heard of it?,’ says Zak incredulously. Jude is laughing: ‘It’s like 80’s and 90’s skinheads.’ Louis jumps in: ‘Yeah, it’s very inappropriate and rude,’ he grins. ‘There’s a series and a film as well. Steven Graham’s in it.’ Zak looks at him: ‘And that one from Line of Duty.’ (I google it afterwards and realise he means Vicky McClure.)

If they could tour with anyone, Joe picks Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Foo Fighters: ‘John Frusciante in Red Hot Chilis, I’m really inspired by his guitar playing,’ he said. Louis chooses Catfish and the Bottlemen: I absolutely love them, I was heartbroken when their drummer (Bob Hall) left.’ Jude goes with Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and Oasis. ‘I’ll say Stone Roses and Happy Mondays because they’re class, baggy music,’ Zak said. ‘I want them supporting us!’