SLUGS is a 4 piece alt rock outfit out of Los Angeles comprised of singer/songwriter/guitarist Marissa Longstreet, Sarsten Noice (bass/vocals), Josh Beavers (lead guitar) and Dash Hutton (drums). Their influences range from Linda Perhacs with their melodic harmonies and tenderness to Thee Oh Sees with their high energy, spitfire performances.
Their latest single “Super Sane” features high voltage expression along with a calmer wash, showcasing restrained strums of electric guitar which is both divinely gripping and atmospheric. The delicate lower harmonies are so haunting, while the intimate vocals are gentle and totally skeletal in their honesty. Somewhat warm and somewhat cold, the overall feel is wonderfully juxtaposed with feelings of healing and acceptance. The minimalist sound is also vividly complex in its dynamics and meticulously placed elements.
Amongst a witty feel with a richly colored palette, there is an ironic air of contrast to the underground meaning of the bittersweet feelings of both mourning and welcoming a person to the world. Longstreet confides, “A friend of ours died in a motorcycle accident on St Patrick’s day. Another friend of mine had just had a baby. At the time, I was celebrating the birth of a new life and mourning the loss of someone who didn’t feel gone yet. I wrote this while processing that conflict—trying to convince myself and others “I feel fine” while unravelling.” The visuals for the track were inspired by conversations over zoom during a not so delightful pandemic. SLUGS shares, “The video idea came to me during the boom of Zoom amidst the pandemic and messing around with different video backgrounds with friends during our hangouts. I liked all the different characters this virtual world indulged and thought it was a goofy coping mechanism we used in our detachment”. The quirky video is a flamboyant collage of different clips of the band cycling around Los Angeles and standing in front of weird and wonderful footage of thunderstorms, fireworks and old warships, delivering a lighthearted feel to a sombre narrative.
SLUGS have been on tours with LP & The Districts and have opened for Jessica Lea Mayfield, Joywave, Lets Eat Grandma & The Mattson II.
