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Slow Club

For the Australian music group of the late 1980s, see The Slow Club.
For the Austrian music project, see The Slow Club (Austrian group).

Slow Club
Slow Club performing at Dockville festival, Hamburg, Germany, in 2012
Slow Club performing at Dockville festival, Hamburg, Germany, in 2012
Background information
OriginSheffield, England
GenresIndie pop, folk rock
Years active2006–2017
LabelsMoshi Moshi Records, Caroline International, Wichita Recordings
Past membersCharles Watson
Rebecca Lucy Taylor

Slow Club were an English duo formed in Sheffield in 2006. The band consisted of multi-instrumentalists Charles Watson and Rebecca Lucy Taylor, with Watson contributing piano, Taylor contributing drums, and both performing guitar and vocals.[1][2] The band split in 2017 following an extensive tour to support their last album, with both members moving on to solo projects.[3]

History

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Slow Club formed in 2006 following the dissolution of the indie-rock band The Lonely Hearts[4]

The band released two 7" singles in 2007, "Because We're Dead"[5] and "Me and You", on Moshi Moshi Records. On 1 September 2008, their first extended play, Let's Fall Back in Love, was released. A Christmas single, titled "Christmas TV", was released in December 2008.[6]

Their debut album, Yeah So, was recorded by Mike Timm at Axis Studio in Sheffield and released in July 2009,[7] followed by the release of their second EP Christmas, Thanks For Nothing in December 2009.[8]

The band's second album, Paradise, produced by Luke Smith (Clor), was released on 12 September 2011.[9][5] In 2012 "Beginners", the final single from the album, was released. The video features actor (and Slow Club fan) Daniel Radcliffe.[10][11]

Slow Club have toured extensively around UK, Europe, US, Australia and Japan and played major UK festivals, including Glastonbury festival, Latitude festival and Green Man Festival. They have supported acts such as KT Tunstall,[12] Florence and the Machine and Mumford and Sons.[13] They often collaborated with other musicians, such as Sweet Baboo, during live shows.[14]

In spring 2013 the band went back into the studio with Colin Elliot (who has worked with Richard Hawley) and started recording their third album. The album Complete Surrender was released on 14 July 2014.[15] The band's touring line-up included long-time drummer Avvon Chambers and bassist Rob Jones.[16] They were also occasionally joined by Fyfe Dangerfield.[17]

The band released their fourth album One Day All of This Won't Matter Anymore,[18] recorded in Richmond, Virginia, in 2016.[19]

Following a tour between late 2016 and early 2017, the duo split up, with both working on solo projects. Taylor later discussed feeling unfulfilled by the joint project before the split.[20] The tour was documented in the film Our Most Brilliant Friends directed by Piers Dennis.[3]

As of July 2023, Charles Watson has released three solo albums: Now That I'm A River (2018),[21] Yes (2022)[22] and Yup (2023).[23] Rebecca Lucy Taylor has released two studio albums under the stage name Self Esteem: Compliments Please and Prioritise Pleasure.[24]

Critical reception

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Slow Club were generally well received by critics. Metro described the band and its music, "Charming two-part harmonies, scruffy pop melodies and bitingly aware lyrics mark out this endearing two-piece."[25] Robin Murray for Clash wrote "Charles Watson and Rebecca Lucy Taylor built up a truly unique catalogue, four albums of joyous, heart-rending, and frequently under-rated songwriting".[26]

Discography

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Albums

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Year Title
2009 Yeah So
2011 Paradise
  • Released: 12 September 2011
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
  • UK Albums Chart peak: No. 70 (18 September 2011)
2014 Complete Surrender
  • Released: 14 July 2014
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
  • UK Albums Chart peak: No. 51
2015 I Swam Out to Greet You
  • Released: 19 May 2015
  • Formats: LP, digital download
2016 One Day All of This Won't Matter Anymore
  • Released: 19 August 2016
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
  • UK Albums Chart peak: No.65

EPs

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Year Title
2008 Let's Fall Back in Love
2009 Christmas, Thanks for Nothing

Singles

[edit]
Year Title Album
2007 "Because We're Dead"
"Me and You"
2008 "Christmas TV" Christmas, Thanks for Nothing
2009
"It Doesn't Have to Be Beautiful" Yeah So
"Trophy Room"
2010 "Giving Up on Love"
2011
"Two Cousins" Paradise
"Where I'm Waking"
"If We're Still Alive"
2012 "The Dog"
"Beginners"
2014 "Complete Surrender" Complete Surrender
"Suffering You, Suffering Me"
"Everything Is New"[27]
2016 "In Waves"[28] One Day All of This Won't Matter Anymore
"Ancient Rolling Sea"[29]

References

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  1. ^ "Slow Club: 'We feel like a different band'". The Independent. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Music Interview: Slow Club - The Verse". The Verse. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  3. ^ a b Jones, Daisy (14 January 2019). "Self Esteem and I Cheered Each Other Up at Winter Wonderland". Noisey.
  4. ^ "Spotify - Slow Club". Spotify. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Album Review: Slow Club - Complete Surrender". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 28 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  6. ^ "Slow Club-Christmas TV". immersed in cool music. 27 December 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Album review: Slow Club - 'Yeah, So' - NME". NME. 4 December 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  8. ^ "Ep Review: Slow Club - Christmas, Thanks For Nothing". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 28 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Slow Club confirm second album details". NME. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  10. ^ "A match made in Time Out towers: Daniel Radcliffe and Slow Club collaborate". The Ultimate London Blog – Now. Here. This. – Time Out London. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  11. ^ Cragg, Michael (19 June 2012). "New music: Slow Club – Beginners". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Slow Club Join KT Tunstall Tour". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Slow Club - Sheffield Bands - Exposed Magazine". www.exposedmagazine.co.uk. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  14. ^ "Sweet Baboo - Ships | Albums | musicOMH". musicOMH. 17 April 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  15. ^ Gibsone, Harriet (10 July 2014). "Slow Club: Complete Surrender review – powered by heartache and ambition". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  16. ^ Lauren Laverne BBC 6 Music session, May 2014.
  17. ^ Marc Riley BBC 6 Music session, July 2014.
  18. ^ Gibsone, Harriet (18 August 2016). "Slow Club: One Day All of This Won't Matter Any More review – a musical and artistic stop-gap". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  19. ^ Cragg, Michael (30 August 2016). "Slow Club's Rebecca Taylor: 'I wish I could write fantasy songs'". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  20. ^ Dean, Jonathan (12 December 2021). "Self-Esteem: 'I used to say I was younger but I can't pretend I'm 31 any more'". The Times. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  21. ^ Now That I'm a River by Charles Watson, retrieved 28 July 2023
  22. ^ "Yes, by Charles Watson". Charles Watson. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  23. ^ ClashMusic (26 May 2023). "Hearing Aid Beige Share Charles Watson Cover 'All My Mountains' | News". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  24. ^ "Self Esteem: The journey of self-belief is never over". The Independent. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  25. ^ "Your London To-Do List". Metro. 14 July 2014. p. 51.
  26. ^ "This Slow Club Documentary Gets Under The Duo's Skin". Clash Magazine. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  27. ^ "Slow Club Stuff Their Faces But Still Look Ice Cool in Their Video "Everything Is New", Noisey". 5 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  28. ^ "Slow Club (3) - In Waves". Discogs. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  29. ^ "Slow Club (3) - Ancient Rolling Sea". Discogs. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
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