
Somewhere between Mazzy Star and Mastodon, Slung flits masterfully between thundering momentum and sinister riffs, to a vulnerability so delicate it catches you entirely off guard.
Slung are excited to announce their debut album “In Ways” will be released via Fat Dracula on May 02, 2025.
Theyâve also announced a tour to celebrate the full length, and revealed its first single, the trauma-fueled, ribcage-rattling “Laughter.”
Watch the official music video through the YouTube player below:
Stream the single and Pre-Order the album here: https://ffm.bio/slingitbaby
Vocalist Katie Oldham says âThis song is about a face-off thatâs been a long time coming, and the difficult relationships we can have with members of our family, especially our parents. When weâre children weâre so desperate for our parents’ attention and approval that their dismissal or rejection can feel agonising. With an emotionally absent parent, trying desperately to earn love or consideration from someone who isnât capable of giving it can be so destructive. This hurt can often develop into resentment as we age and we may even later villainise this person, wanting to fight, confront, defeat them.â
With a debut duo of singles at the tail end of 2024, Slungâs sounds piqued interest among discerning ears across the industry and internet. Theyâve also been working hard in the real, physical world, earning a legion of fans the old fashioned way, by hitting the road hard before theyâd even released a note of music. Theyâll continue this with a tour to celebrate the release of debut album In Ways this spring.
“In Ways” is a collaborative combustion of its membersâ experiences, circumstances and supreme musicianship. Their sonic universe – comprising the power of guitarist Ali Johnsonâs incendiary riffs, vocalist Katie Oldhamâs enviable dynamic and tonal range, bassist Vlad Matveikovâs undulating, yet grounding basslines and drummer Ravi Martinâs expert rhythmic punctuation – is a veritable musical supernova. Influences within the Slung camp are far reaching, with the bandâs members referencing artists from Deftones and Baroness, to Wednesday and MJ Lenderman, to Queens of the Stone Age and even a sprinkling of Chappell Roan and Fleetwood Mac.
Initially the brainchild of Vlad, whilst he was living in Brighton, Slung were some time in the making. He tells of randomly meeting Ali at a campground in Australia in 2009, falling in love with Katie during lockdown and hearing a demo of drummer Ravi Martinâs old band in his other role running indie label Small Pond. The kernel of an idea for Slung began to germinate when Vladâs previous band InTechnicolour disbanded, as he began to formulate new musical ideas, not knowing where they would lead him.
Vlad started out by working with like-minded vocalists such as Ash Tubb (Sugar Horse), Zac Jackson (El Moono), Lucy Sheehan (Projector), Annie Dorret (CLT DRP) and Micahel Barton (Sick Joy). Bringing Katie on board as vocalist was its own journey. “First thing you need to know is that Vlad is an absolute machine,” she states, matter-of-factly. “He has creativity, passion and drive like nothing else, and an ability to âget shit doneâ that is second to none. He approached me about two years ago with these demos to see if I wanted to work with him as a vocalist, and maybe try turning them into a band. I totally bitched out,â she admits, laughing. âMy previous band (Sit Down) had only very recently fallen apart and my confidence was in the gutter – I just didnât feel ready. But immediately from working with him (on just one track to begin with), I felt incredibly reassured and encouraged by him, and it was such a different songwriting experience than Iâd had before. After about a year of convincing and with Vlad having successfully recruited Ali and Ravi, I finally took the plunge and joined.â Having found a musical home that really fits, she now remarks poignantly to the rest of the group and their journey together: âI canât remember when you all became main characters in my life.â
Singer Katieâs storytelling and the compelling way she brings together personal, lived experience with more abstract, conceptual ideas and characters is evident throughout “In Ways.” Her inspirations range from sex workers and the power dynamics that come along with that profession (Class A Cherry) to the tragic occurrences of bull fights in Spain (Matador). In Ways also contains some of the contributions from the bandâs former collaborators along the way. The melodies for “Collider” were largely conceived by El Moonoâs Zac Jackson, which Katie adapted to fit a new lyrical narrative of a cult who are ruled by a deity they refer to as the âritual prophetâ whom they converse with through the use of psychedelics. “Limassol” started life with Mykl Barton from Sick Joy while Projectorâs Lucy Sheehan worked the initial stages of “Come Apart,” a track which sounds like it could be the opening theme for a cult TV series like Breaking Bad or True Detective. The lyrics and melodies of Heavy Duty are the result of creativity from both Katie and CLT DRPâs Annie Dorett. Itâs an impactful song about generational trauma, the pain of growing up as a young girl and realising youâre being cultivated into a product the world wants to consume. âMen teach you to be quiet and obey from a young age,â explains Katie. âAnd so often we are raised to be as pretty and helpful as possible to serve men, to be their glamorous trophy, or servant to their every whim. I was exposed to a lot of this ideology as a kid, a lot by how my Father viewed women, and itâs taken me years to deprogram from it. Sometimes I still hear his voice coming out of mine when I react to things, the imprint of his temper flaring up in me.â
Katie communicates that one of her personal missions for the band relates to representation, inclusion, sisterhood and women being a more dominant force in music, whether thatâs on stage, behind the scenes or in the crowd. She says âMy love for women knows no bounds. Everything I do, I do for the girlies, the women and the female gaze exclusively. (This extends of course to ALL women inclusively, no TERF bullshit here.) There is just an unparalleled magical feeling when youâre around liberated, electrifying women who speak with honesty and clarity and without fear. The world is built to try and make us resent, envy and destroy each other, and I LOVE those moments where we realize we are more alike than what divides us. I want to be around women all the time, to be inspired by them, to connect with them and to share and to bond and unite.”
Slung‘s debut album “In Ways” will be out May 02, 2025 via Fat Dracula.Â
Pre-save/ pre-order it right here: https://ffm.bio/slingitbaby
Tracklist:
01. Laughter
02. Class A CherryÂ
03. Come Apart
04. Collider
05. Matador
06. Limassol
07. Heavy Duty
08. Thinking About It
09. In Ways
10. Nothing Left
11. Falling Down
Live dates (Tickets available here)
02 May Winchester – The Railway Inn
03 May Brighton – Green Door Store
04 May Cheltenham – Frog & Fiddle
05 May Reading – Purple Turtle
08 May Southampton – Heartbreakers
09 May Northampton – The Garibaldi
15 May Guildford – The Boileroom
16 May Nottingham – JT Soar
17 May Norwich – Voodoo Daddy’s
23 May Bristol – Exchange (basement)
24 May Cardiff – Paradise Garden
29 May Tunbridge Wells – Forum (basement)
30 May Leeds – Wharf Chambers
31 May London – The Victoria
06 June Alton – The Lounge Bar