Norway's Sløtface Release New Single 'Magazine'
- Written by Marky Edison
Led by vocalist Haley Shea with guitarist Tor-Arne Vikingstad, bassist Lasse Lokøy and Halvard Skeie Wiencke on drums, with every move they make, Sløtface look to spin conventions on their head - with debut album Try Not To Freak Out (out September 15th on Propeller Recordings) set to follow suit.
Haley’s forceful, firework-spitting punk slices through you with an immediacy and confidence of someone several records in. Whether it’s a love song from an unexpected perspective or a critique on power and ego, the foursome’s message and undeniably catchy riffs have inspired critics and fans across the globe.
On new single ‘Magazine', Sløtface challenge absurd body image standards: “Thoughts that aren’t mine keep running through my head… Thunder thighs keeps reaching for the measuring tape,” Haley sings, and perfectly distills the dissonance between knowing intellectually that these images are bullshit, but still feeling drawn to live up to them.
Haley explained: “I really wanted to write a killer breakup song, but I’ve never really had any experience with heartbreaking, devastating, aggressive breakups, so I thought I would write a breakup song about breaking up with bad body image and unrealistic representations of human bodies in media. It's fuelled by the back and forth of knowing that society creates unrealistic expectations regarding what people "should" look like, and still feeling uncomfortable in your own skin because you don't live up to those images.”
Speaking of the blustering, spirited punk anthem in the making, the band said: "We were essentially trying to make what would be the perfect soundtrack to an early 2000s high school rom-com — like American Pie or something...and thought we would try to write the perfect opening credits song." It’s a record made for the height of summer, for punching a pillow, or for drowning out the rest of the world. And it’s all the better for Sløtface’s unique lyrical perspective; Haley’s lyrics aren’t explicitly gendered, but she transcends indie rock bravado and self-pity, and instead dismantles the patriarchal structures that hurt everyone.
The band will be heading out on tour in the UK as main support to Los Campesinos! at the end of April, followed by another UK tour in May with The Cribs. Alongside that, the band will play a whole host of European festivals over the summer.
Sløtface's new single 'Magazine is out now via Propeller Recordings. Listen here
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
all tickets available at SLOTFACE.NO
April
27 Liverpool, Arts Club w/ Los Campesinos!
28 Glasgow, Stereo w/ Los Campesinos!
29 Sheffield, O2 Academy w/ Los Campesinos!
30 Newcastle, The Cluny w/ Los Campesinos!
May
01 London, KOKO w/ Los Campesinos!
05 Denmark, SPOT Festival
11 Glasgow, O2 Academy w/ The Cribs
12 Manchester, Academy w/ The Cribs
13 Birmingham, O2 Academy w/ The Cribs
15 Newcastle, O2 Academy w/ The Cribs
16 Bristol, O2 Academy w/ The Cribs
18 Brighton, The Great Escape Festival (Vevo stage)
19 Brighton, The Great Escape Festival (DIY stage)
20 Huskvarna, Sweden, Park Sounds
26 Bryne, Jaernata
June
02 France, Art Rock Festival
16 Netherlands, Best Kept Secret Festival
July
08 Cheltenham, 2000 Trees Festival
23 Oxfordshire, Truck Festival
August
05 Andalsnes, Raumarock
12 Germany, Haldern Pop
16 Sommerfeber, Hammerfest
25 Leeds Festival
27 Reading Festival
September
06 Sydney, Oxford Art Factory
07Melbourne, Howler
17 Berlin, Musik & Frieden
19 Cologne, MTC
21-23 Hamburg, Reeperbahn Festival
24 Wiesbaden, Schlachthof
26 Munich, Strom
28 Bournemouth, 60 Million Postcards (Headline tour)
29 Birmingham, Actress & Bishop (Headline tour)
30 Leeds, Brudenell Social Club (Games Room) (Headline tour)
October
01 Manchester, Soup Kitchen (Headline tour)
03 York, The Basement (Headline tour)
04 Hull, The New Adelphi (Headline tour)
05 Derby, The Venue (Headline tour)
06 Sheffield, The Picture House Social (Headline tour)
07 Newcastle, Think Tank? (Headline tour)
09 Edinburgh, Sneaky Pete’s (Headline tour)
10 Glasgow, The Broadcast (Headline tour)
12 Liverpool, The Magnet (Headline tour)
13 Stockton, KU (Headline tour)
16 Nottingham, The Bodega Social Club (Headline tour)
17 Leicester, The Cookie (Headline tour)
18 Southampton, The Joiners (Headline tour)
19 Plymouth, The Underground (Headline tour)
20 Bristol, The Louisiana (Headline tour)
21 Reading, The Purple Turtle (Headline tour)
24 Brighton, The Hope& Ruin (Headline tour)
25 London, Camden Assembly (Headline tour)
26 Oxford, The Cellar (Headline tour)
27 Paris, La Boule Noire