Q&A: Slow Chase

So now that The White Stripes are officially over, here is a band to fill the void; Slow Chase. This band may be fresh but they have a lot of potential to  reach the top with their catchy hooks and rockin’ personalities. Dynamic duo, Adam Gestry (guitar & vocals) and Emily Shaw (Drums & Percussion) gives us  some insight into their sound and their scene.

Tell us in your own words what your sound is.

Adam : Rock and roll that seduces your hips to the dance floor – mad, bad and dangerous to know.

Who makes up your band?
Emily Shaw – drums and percussion, Adam Gresty – guitars and vocals.

What were your influences when you first started writing music? And what are your influences now?
Adam : Kurt Cobain was the first artist that got me really thinking about how songs were actually constructed. His writing sounds deceptively simple because  his songs are so well crafted. Now I draw on a wide variety of influences across lots of genres. I’m constantly panning for gold and always trying to re-use my  influences out of context.

What are you working on at the moment?
Adam : We just finished our debut record “The Blind Spot EP” this week. That’ll be out later this year, and we’re about to shoot a video for the first single,  ”You’ll Never See Me”. It’s going to be a pretty wild video. We’re also getting the live show together and already heavily into writing the next record.

Do you have a procedure for writing music?
Adam : It normally starts with a riff or a vocal melody and chords. For the songs on “The Blind Spot EP” I brought a bunch of demo’d songs with me to pre-production sessions. We spent time shooting bullets at the drum parts I had written and chipping away at structures and arrangements. Not being a drummer I can’t always express what I’m gunning for but Emily is so talented she quickly understands what I’m after and comes up with something way better. For the next record we’re changing things up a bit and writing off the floor at rehearsals.

If you could collaborate with any musician in the world, Who would you collaborate with?
Adam : Right now I’d say someone like Dean Fertita. Dean plays keyboards and guitars in Queens Of The Stone Age and The Dead Weather. I’d have a pretty good feeling about working with him.
Emily : Karen O from The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. She rocks, but keeps it fresh, stylish and sexy.

What do you think about the Melbourne scene? And if you could play anywhere, where would you love to perform?
Adam : Yeah being from the UK I do notice some funny faces being pulled when I tell people in Melbourne we went and made a record before asking anyone to come and see us play live – like I’ve just come into their house on Christmas day and pissed on their kids. But really, I wonder whether being able to get a gig so easily in Melbourne is always such a good thing. I’ve always been taught to never to let your mistakes leave the kitchen y’know? In Melbourne I’ve been to some memorable gigs at the Forum so I’d love to play there – and overseas I’d love to play Brixton Academy – only a minutes walk from my old gaff in London.
Emily : The scene in Melbourne is really diverse now. It caters for even the most obscure tastes. But there are so many bands out there doing shows on any given night – with some incredible musicians amongst them – it can make it difficult to cut through gig goer’s fatigue and generate momentum. I’d love to play the Forum as well, it has a certain magical quality. If it’s overseas – Caesars Palace, of course.

Any interesting stories?
Adam : Yeah, we met at an Elvis impersonator competition. I’ve prayed daily to Elvis since I was a kid so I got pissed at the lack of respect being shown by one of the impersonators – I’d had a few lemonades so just decided to take matters in to my own hands.
Emily : Yeah, I’ve been married to Elvis forever, so ‘meeting’ Adam for the first time as he was rugby tackling this really awful Elvis tribute act off stage made quite an impression. He then went and stole the show with a killer rendition of Way Down.

Where are you playing next?
Adam : We’re looking forward to confirming gigs later this year – and some festival dates. Find us on Facebook for more info.

Listen or download Slow Chase‘s debut single “You’ll Never See Me” here for free: