“Freak Slug has a great ear for a catchy tune in the very best off-kilter pop tradition” – Hi-Fi Choice: 4*

“Freak Slug is a moniker that perfectly embodies the curious, offbeat charm of Xenya Genovese’s sound, capturing both whimsy and bite.” – CMU

“I like the depth of the music, there’s a cinematic emotion and it doesn’t just relate but it explores the feelings with the sounds and the drama in the lyricism… if you’re a fan of Lana Del Ray, Beabadoobee and a complex web of both those brilliant artists… feels so weightless, carefree… I like it a lot…” – Jack Saunders – BBC Radio 1

“Another favourite of ours on the show, grungy, flirtatious and so incredibly magnetic… hopefully she’ll find her sexy lemon soon… follow up to ‘Spells’ which we also love… exciting things in the pipeline so watch this space” – Jess Iszatt – BBC Radio 1 Introducing

Freak Slug, the project of the Manchester multi-disciplinary artist Xenya Genovese, today releases her debut album, I Blow Out Big Candles via Future Classic. (Listen here). The album’s release is completed with the new single/video “Piece Of Cake”.

About “Piece Of Cake”, Xenya said “this is my personal favourite track from the album. I feel it encapsulates the way I swan through life being super cheeky, and just love how the song has a “fuck it all” kinda vibe to it. It’s got that charm I’m looking for in music, with a bit of serious half time, swirled into a cake that I’d happily eat myself actually. Straight forward, you can’t go wrong comparing a gorgeous man to a gorgeous cake. But somewhere it all goes wrong, cos it’s not all about how the cake looks, it has to taste good too.”

Having already released “Spells”, the Gorillaz inspired punchy first single that epitomises her fearless attitude, I Blow Out Big Candles is as fearless a record as Xenya herself. The previous single, “Sexy Lemon”, was met with great radio support from Jack Saunders on Radio 1’s New Music Show and as a BBC Introducing tip across Network, as well as premiering on daytime BBC Radio 6 Music by Nemone (sitting in for Mary-Anne Hobbs) and picking up a play on the 6 Music Early Breakfast Show as well as BBC Radio 1’s Introducing show with Jess Iszatt.

Watch the video for “Piece Of Cake” below.

Recorded in Manchester and London with Alex Headford (Jadu Heart / Gretel), I Blow Out Big Candles is playful, fun, but not shying away from the darker sides of both sound and psyche. A debut that builds a whole world for it to live in, I Blow Out Big Candles dreams as big and unshackled as Freak Slug herself.

The name Freak Slug encapsulates Genovese’s artistic world perversely and perfectly. Her releases under the name so far – debut 2020 EP Videos and its viral hit “Radio” (13.5 million Spotify streams and counting), and follow-up EPs I’m In Love (2022) and Viva La Vulva (2023) – might have introduced listeners to a “more summery, happy, LA sound”, but with the advent of debut album I Blow Out Big Candles, this Slug is burrowing down into evermore unlikely places. As she accurately points out: “The name is giving more grunge than joy”.

Hugely influenced by ‘90s cult heroes including Ride, Mazzy Star and Stephen Malkmus, Freak Slug is all about hitting a mood. Everything that fuels her creative output is raw, authentic, sometimes weird, but always totally true self-expression. She wants to make music that “has bite”, that “doesn’t fuck about”, that “cuts the shit”. I Blow Out Big Candles is a strong statement of all of this and more.

Down there, picking through the curious mix of sounds and feelings, from nostalgic, ‘90s-influenced and dreamy as well as eccentric and experimental, lives Freak Slug.

Along with her four-piece band, Freak Slug has performed to packed audiences at End of The Road Festival, The Great Escape, Blue Dot, Green Man and has played as special guests of Dope Lemon, Brad Stank, Local Natives and Yumi Zouma.

Freak Slug will appear at various UK festivals this Autumn including Cardiff’s Swn Festival, Liverpool’s Favourite Days Festival, Brighton’s Mutations Festival and Leeds In The City. An album launch party will take place at Signature Brew (sold out) in London on release date, 8 November 2024. Freak Slug will then head to the US in December for her first ever US tour with two live shows in New York (with one already sold out), two in Los Angeles (with one also sold out) as well as a show in Chicago. See below for a full list of upcoming tour dates, with more dates to be announced.

NOV 08 – Signature Brew | London, UK – album launch party – SOLD OUT
NOV 09 – Mutations Festival | Brighton, UK
NOV 16 – Live at Leeds In The City | Leeds, UK
DEC 03 – Genghis Cohen | LA, CA, USA
DEC 05 – Gold Diggers | LA, CA, USA – SOLD OUT
DEC 07 – Baby’s All Right | Brooklyn, NY, USA
DEC 08 – Union Pool | Brooklyn, NY, USA – SOLD OUT
DEC 10 – Schubas | Chicago, IL, USA

I Blow Out Big Candles
8 November 2024

Tracklisting:

1. Ya Ready
2. Sexy Lemon
3. Spells
4. Be Your Girl
5. Get Away
6. Shiver
7. Hello
8. Witch
9. Piece Of Cake
10. Ugly Smile