The Slow Readers Club
were, up until last year, one of Manchester's best kept secrets.
While it can't be said that they're unheard of outside of their city,
the band hold a special place in the hearts of those who have been
there from the word go, seeing Slow Readers Club grow and evolve in
to the band they are today, an intelligent and musically sound
quartet whose sound has drawn numerous and fitting comparisons to the
likes Editors and Interpol.
Not only does their
music seem as if it would go down perfectly in one of Manchester's
sticky-floored indie clubs, it has
gone down perfectly in those clubs, serving to only heighten the
sense of Mancunian pride in which the band are draped. The
Slow Readers Club, their debut
album released last year, was filled with frenetic and angular
guitars and driving percussion occasionally offset by candid moments
of poignancy. More recenet releases, however, such as last month's
single 'Forever In Your Debt' and it's flipside, 'Days Like This Will
Break Your Heart', feel much more realised, as if the grandiose
aesthetics hinted at in their debut have not only returned, but have
been explored, built upon. There was always a maturity exhibited by
the band (something attributed to three-quarters of them having been
in much-lauded Manc outfit Omerta) but latter tracks in their canon
just hold up that little bit more, begging the question, will 2014
see the release of a much anticipated second album?
It's
safe to say the answer is yes. With support from XFM, NME, BBC6 Music
to name but three, the support behind The Slow Readers Club is
incredible and a follow-up to their self-titled is as inevitable as
it is anticipated. With a wave of hype building within in Manchester
at the moment around bands such as MONEY and Kult Country, it seems a
fitting time for TSRC to make a push, joining such influences as
Arcade Fire on festival bills, not just club playlists.
We
caught up with singer Aaron Starkie for a chat about Manchester,
influences, and most importantly, what we can look forward to going
in to 2014.
Hi Aaron, thanks for taking the time out to talk to us. First of all, The Slow Readers Club is a fantastic name, where did it
come from?
AS: Thanks,
glad you like it. One of my clearest memories from childhood is being
taken around the senior school and being shown
the different class rooms. One of the rooms was labeled ‘Special
Needs’, I remember finding it alarming that you could be classified
like that. I guess our name is an expression of discomfort with that
notion.
U&I:
Your most recent single 'Forever In Your Debt' has garnered plenty of
attention from smaller blogs and online publications. How important
do you think this kind of media coverage is to up-and-coming artists
such as yourselves?
AS: Very
important, we are self funded so don't have a marketing budget for
press and radio plugging. At the moment we are promoting our selves
using Twitter and Facebook. They have been great tools for getting
our music out there and getting in touch with bloggers.
As
you say we have had great support from a lot of independent music
blogs and we have also had lots of great support from fans posting
links to our videos and Soundcloud and helping to spread the word.
U&I:
'Forever In Your Debt' seems to somewhat more matured, maybe more
fleshed out than some of the tracks on your debut. How much do you
think you have progressed as band since the release of The Slow
Readers Club? And what can we expect from any forthcoming material?
AS: Yeah
I would say it feels like a step forward from the first album. Its
more intelligent in terms of arrangement, its quite sparse compared
to previous tracks, we had a lot of synths and sequenced stuff on the
first album.
In
terms of more stuff we have been experimenting with different beats
and sounds, we want to do stuff that excites us. We are working on
some really cool tracks at the moment and we have a great working
relationship with our producer Phil Bulleyment. People can expect
good things!
U&I:
You've been playing live for a number of years now, as a result
you've played with your fair share of other bands from Manchester,
who have been some of the best to gig with?
AS: Puressence
are probably the best Manchester band we have played with, we have
done a few gigs with them over the years and always get a warm
welcome from their crowd.
U&I:
Similarly playing such an amount of gigs is bound to have given you
some stories to tell. Care to share any with our readers?
AS: Ha!
What happens on tour stays on tour…
U&I:
You've drawn comparisons to the likes of Interpol and Editors plenty
of times before, something which can obviously be attributed to the
sense of moody anthemics within your music, but what other bands
would you cite as influences that we might not have picked up on?
AS: Currently
listening to The National, Maccabees, London Grammar, Foals, Arcade
Fire, LCD Sound System. In terms of older
bands The Smiths, The Beatles, Bowie, Echo and The Bunneymen, Lou
Reed, The Doors, New Order, Elvis... too many to mention.
U&I:
What do you think it is about Manchester that has made the city such
a massive place for both contemporary music, and older bands that
have become household names?
AS: You
have a good mix of cultures I suppose, it has a massive student
population and it draws people in from all over the world. It also
has its fair share of council estates, rain and misery. I think a lot
of bands start making music to escape the drudgery. You would think
geography would be less relevant in the internet age, perhaps it will
be in the future.
U&I:
Do you think that being a band from Manchester, people already have a
certain idea about you, and do you feel that you might be expected to
live up to certain stereotypes?
AS: Yes
probably, its understandable I suppose. There’s a strong image in
most people’s minds of traditional Indie/Madchester in terms of
both sound and image but It’s a shame really because the music
coming out of Manchester is as diverse as that of any other place.
U&I:
Manchester's a city renowned for it's array of eclectic, if not
occasionally ramshackle, bars and venues, but which has been your
favourite to either play, or watch a gig at?
AS: The
Deaf Institute, The Night and Day and The Ruby Lounge
U&I:
Finally, what can we expect from the band going in to 2014 and
beyond?
AS: We
are going to be releasing another single in March with a small tour,
with our second album to follow soon after.
U&I:
Thanks a lot guys, it's been a pleasure.
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