Band Of The Week #284 - SLØTFACE
This week's Band of the Week is the ever so lively SLØTFACE - who have just released their new album 'Film Buff' via Propeller Recordings.
Across the record, Sløtface tackle stereotypes, expectations and gender roles. Toxic masculinity is a big through line as well, “but it's all done in a much more light-hearted way then what I would have done seven years ago,” says Haley. “We’ve always been a feminist band, and the goal for Film Buff was to write a fun record, but it’s a feminist fun record because that’s just part of who we are”.
The album was written in Oslo, in producer and main collaborator Preben Sælid Andersen’s studio, as well as in various studios, rehearsal spaces, and apartments belonging to the core band members, who also play throughout the album. Simen Følstad Nilsen (guitar), Tobias Osland (guitar), Marie Moe (bass), and Nils Jørgen Nilsen (drums) form the core of the Sløtface live band and helped write and finalize the songs. Songwriters Daniel Hedberg, Michael Champion, and Paul Whally have also contributed to the album.
The band took a moment to talk to us about how the album came together.
Hey there SLØTFACE, how are you? So your album is out now – how does it feel to have it out there?.
Hey! All good here. Really happy to have the album out in the world. We’re currently out touring in the UK with a show tonight in Newcastle, so it’s a combo of a lot of excitement balanced by tour business as usual which is honestly the best place to be when releasing music, out with people playing it live.
It is called ‘Film Buff’ – what is the meaning behind that?
The album is very inspired by films, fun and escaping into fictional worlds. I’ve also thought a lot about masculinity while working on the record, so adding the word Buff in there immediately felt right when I was playing around with titles. It’s also kind of a joke with myself because even though I love movies, I don’t have very highbrow taste, I love rom coms and horror movies and crime shows, not necessarily arthaus, so I imagined a bunch of film bros getting pissed about that title, which makes me giggle.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories you are willing to share with us?
We recorded it mostly in Oslo in rooms all over. We worked a lot in our producer Prebens gorgeous studio Globus, both writing and finishing things up, then we recorded the drums in Nils’s rehearsal space, we did some work in mine and Simen’s apartment home studio, Tobias recorded guitars in his rehearsal room. Basically anywhere we could do stuff ourselves, and then come together and work on it with Preben. In September of 23 we all went to one of my favorite rooms in my home town of Stavanger at Elektrolüd studio in at Tou to wrap things up and finish any missing bits. Some of my favorite memories from the process are of us all riding bikes at the end of every studio day in Stavanger back to where we were staying at my parents house, letting off steam after long days and being outside.
What are the key influences behind the album?
100 Gecs influenced it a lot. I wanted to make something as fun and efficient and energetic as their album 10.000 Gecs. Mitskis early stuff was a big influence and we were also just listening for influences that had the kind of distorted guitars we were looking for likeSleigh Bells, A Place To Bury Strangers. Zach Hill drum sounds were discussed a lot. Sonically we were looking for a lot of inspiration, but songwriting wise we were just trying to make straight forward pop songs. Lyrically film is obviously a big influence – Thelma and Louise, Promising Young Woman, Fight Club, Death Proof, It Follows – all these were in my head a lot when writing lyrics.
If the album could be a soundtrack to any film – which one and why?
Hmmm. A movie about misunderstood musicians somewhere in America who end up involved in something shady and need to make a run for it. Thelma and Louise meets Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Preferably directed by Edgar Wright or Emerald Fennel.
Do you have a favourite lyric on the album? If so, which one and why?
I really like the lyrics in Tired Old Dog. I love the character it conjures in my head and the blasé reaction to wild situations.
Now the album is out there – what next for you?
First we finish up this tour in the UK for the next 10 days, then we’re headed back home to play some shows in Norway and keep promoting the album. The rest of the year I’ll probably hole up and try to make music for myself and others and then hopefully next year will be a big tour year, exciting things lining up at the moment!
