Slow Fiction | Photo credit: Jimmy Quinn
NYC quintet Slow Fiction are today sharing new single ‘When’, out now on Speedy Wunderground as part of the Speedy Singles series.
‘When’ finds the band sprinting toward a finish line, willing themselves forward across an urgent and confrontational three minutes. “You are a clock without a face, You are a mouth without the taste”, come the opening words from vocalist Julia Vassallo, as the band wrestles with the idea that something is missing from the world. When’s precise, controlled intensity is the sound of Slow Fiction attempting to forge some calm from the chaos of finding yourself in a downward spiral, looking out on a world that can often let you down.
Vassallo comments: “I think everyone has had a moment where their expectation of the world, a relationship, the audience they are performing for falls short, and it sends you into a wild spiral downwards. Losing faith feels so desperate, like falling into a pit of snakes. And the snakes all have faces that seem familiar, and they’re talking, but the words are all garbled. I guess this was trying to get to the bottom of that pit of disillusionment, or maybe get out of it altogether.”
Slow Fiction is a landmine of sound, inspired by the raw, sweeping fuzz of the likes of Sonic Youth and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Familiar elements of noughties era guitar shine through, confronted with cutting contemporary angst to create a nostalgic yet intoxicating sound.
‘When’ will be available on 7 inch on 25th April here, including a dub remix B side by Dan Carey, ‘Who Is the Dub’.
Slow Fiction are Julia Vassallo (vocals), Paul Knepple (guitar), Joe Skimmons (guitar), Ryan Duffin (bass), and Akiva Henig (drums).
Hear ‘When’ on streaming services here and share the visualizer via YouTube below.
Slow Fiction – ‘When’ single artwork