BURN FM’s Cathy Baylis had a chat with one half of Slow Club, Rebecca Taylor, before the last date of their tour on 28th July 2014 at the Institute, Birmingham.
Hi Rebecca, thank you for talking to me today, your third studio album ‘Complete Surrender’ was released on 14th July and you’ve been very busy touring and playing festivals, do you think the album has been well received so far?
Yeah, it has, it feels good. The songs are embedded in now, it took a while to get them exactly right but last night [at Tramlines] people were singing the words, it felt great.
Has it been tough doing gigs and festivals at the same time?
You don’t usually tour at this time of the year and it is a different gig to do. It’s gonna be really hard to get into gig mode for tonight [in Birmingham]. At festivals, you kind of just bash out your faster songs. Whereas here, people have come to see just you. Gigs are easier but festivals potentially are more fun. It’s been lovely, we’re all really tired.
I hear you’re heading down to London tonight as well?
Yeah, we’re doing quite a lot of TV things and on Thursday I’m gonna eat some carbs and sleep.
Some actors are featuring in your music videos, Daniel Radcliff and Mckenzie Crook, how did they get involved?
With the McKenzie Crook one, we had the idea for the video but it was actually more that he looked exactly like what we had in mind. With Dan, again we had the idea, we wanted an actor and it was quite a nice thing for him to do because he loves the band so much and I think he’s amazing in it. Maybe we’ll do another one, it is fun, but I wanna be in them, I wanna be an actor so I’m like “let me do it! “
How would you describe a typical day in the life of Slow Club?
Well, I don’t know what Charles gets up to! But when I’m home, I go to the gym and walk a lot. I mean I write when I’m walking. We have a little practice room as well. But it changes completely when the band’s on tour.
Are you inspired by current music?
I’ve got the new Sharon Van Etten album and I love it so much and it’s really inspired me to write.
What would your ideal festival line-up be?
I don’t know! Maybe Spice Girls, Katy Perry and then loads of bands that are cool, I’m sure. Because it’s our job in a way, I do really love pop shit because it’s completely different from what we do. So I don’t have to feel jealous or annoyed that I’m not doing it or anything. I’ve got a few friends that are actors who are actors don’t watch really really great films with really amazing actors because they’re jealous or annoyed that they didn’t get that role. It’s a similar thing with bands that aren’t that good but who’ve got loads press.
Do you feel that you can’t enjoy music as much?
A bit yeah, but like I said when I get a couple of records that I really love. I do love music, it’s just hard sometimes. It’s just weird coming out at the other end of it, you spend all of your teenage years competing who can be coolest and I was very over the top about what I liked. The way you dress, you have to look like that music and now I’m at the end of my twenties, I don’t really care anymore.
Talking about teenage years, I’m intrigued about how you actually came together as a band.
We were at school and he was going out with a girl I knew and I was drumming in a band in Sheffield that needed a front man and I asked Charles if he could do it then we started to write songs, now the other band is finished and Slow Club started.
I think that’s all we’ve got time for, thanks for talking to BURN FM and enjoy the last gig of your tour!
