Slow Club Interview: SXSW 2010

Consisting of singer/guitarist Charles Watson and singer/guitarist/percussionist Rebecca Taylor, Slow Club was formed in Sheffield, England in 2006. The duo began writing together while their former band, in which they had no creative control, was foundering, and they channeled their favorite '60s influences into a unique brand of "shout-folk." With two EPs and one full-length -- 'Yeah So,' already out in the UK is due in the States on March 30 -- under their belt, Slow Club are returning to SXSW for the second time. Spinner spoke with Watson about the band's origins and how he plans to handle Austin this March.

How did you guys form the band?

We used to play in a band together [Sheffiled's the Lonely Hearts]. Becky used to play drums and I used to play guitar, and we just started doing some stuff together on our own without the rest of the band. We just carried on when the band split up and kept playing. It was a pretty gradual thing. That [band] wasn't really our project -- it was another guy who was writing all the songs and stuff, so we were playing the parts he wanted us to play. This is the first band we've been in together where we were actually writing. We're all still really good friends though.

Who are your biggest influences?

We're both really into '60s stuff quite heavily, like Neil Young. I listened to a lot of Leonard Cohen in the early days when we first started playing together. Lou Reed, Velvet Underground, Daniel Johnston -- we listen to a lot of American stuff.

How would you describe your sound?

The closest anyone's come to it is shout-folk. We don't really put a name on it, so it's always difficult when people give it a name because it's always going to be not quite what you expect. Someone said shout-folk and I thought that was quite fitting.

Why did you choose the name Slow Club?

It's after a place in 'Blue Velvet,' the David Lynch film. Rebecca thought of it.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Maybe 20 dollars to get out of there when it gets too busy.

Did you have a van at SXSW last year?

No, we just took our guitars last year so we were on foot most of the time, which was fun.

At least you didn't have to worry about parking.

Yeah, we were really lucky -- we just left our gear in people's vans all week and dragged it around to restaurants. It is handy. Sometimes you can't get a van down a lot of those streets anyway because they're all closed off, so, yeah, it does make it a lot easier.

Who would you pick: the Beatles or the Stones?

The Beatles. I love the Beatles. There's not really any competition -- just amazing songs, a great prolific band. I'm not really much of a Stones fan, but I've not really listened to them a great deal. I've always sided with the Beatles.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

'The Night' by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It's like 'Diamonds Are Forever,' Bond-era, Las Vegas, late '60s, early '70s, but it's just got the best beat and bass line. It's amazing.

What's your biggest vice?

Probably chocolate -- any kind.

What's the craziest thing you've seen or experienced on tour?

We stayed in a hotel in New Zealand where a pretty horrific murder took place in two years before. That's not really that crazy, is it? We're not a very wild band. Someone drove into our van in a parking space just outside Reading once. We were traveling about four miles an hour and they hit us about six miles an hour. We spent about 25 minutes sorting out insurance details and just went on our way. It was fine.