Some artists have a certain flavour or aura that distinctly marks them as having a certain origin, a place that they come from, Australian bands are generally unmistakable Australian, They have that something that is indefinable, but colours them with that brush;
Every now and then, though, someone comes along that fools me completely. Such is the case with Melbourne outfit, “Slowly Slowly”. They could be from anywhere; America, Europe, it’s genuinely difficult to tell. Their sound is definitely something resembling pre 2010 post punk, reminiscent of bands like Fallout Boy and Good Charlotte, while being completely unlike any of them. Their sound is not as aggressive, well polished, but with well constructed and carefully contemplated lyrics, and arrangements of songs that step around and outside of any traditional or familiar structures, without sounding like they’re trying.
I recently spoke to vocalist and founding member, Ben Stewart.

The band, like well known acts such as Foo Fighters, was originally Ben’s creative vision alone, The first offering by the band, Chamomile, was just Ben, playing all of the instruments and taking care of vocal duties also.

“It started out as a recording project. My friend Alex, who is now our bass player was working at a studio, and he got paid in studio time for some of his projects, so he reached out and asked if I had anything I would like to record. Im like ‘Ive got these songs I’ve been writing in my bedroom’, and it just kind of spiralled from there. He ended up playing guitar here and there”

“I started out playing drums, and kind of wrote in secret, I suppose you would say. Then a few songs started leaking out to friends and so forth. Once I had the confidence to do that, I stepped out from behind the drums and haven’t looked back. I roped some people in as the demand for live gigs started to happen. They’re all really close friends of mine”

There have been some great bands in history where this was not the case, and the members sometimes barely tolerated, or in some cases actively disliked each other. I asked how important friendship is in this band.

“I think sometimes it’s good to have opposing ideas, and some push back on ideas. It makes the creative process more interesting. The overarching idea though, is that we all get along. When you spend a lot of time on the road, minor irritations soon become bigger, and can take over and undermine everything. I have learned that in other bands I have been in before ‘Slowly Slowly’. If someone is going through a tough time personally, sometimes it’s important to slow down and let them sort it out rather than push too hard. We want a long, healthy career. We want to be playing shows in years to come, so we look out for each other”

One of the challenges of writing and performing original music is finding a healthy balance between exercising creative control as the primary songwriter, and allowing other members to contribute creatively and feel like they have some ownership and input into the finished product. Ben’s thoughts on this were interesting.

“That is a very delicate little dance. Ultimately, at the core of it, it comes down to finding people who understand the subtlety of that, understanding that serving the song is at the forefront of that, and everyone understands that. It is a rare thing to find four people that all have a united vision toward that end. Finding the right people is paramount. Learning to walk away from relationships that don’t understand that, rather than push it when it’s not happening is a big part of that. The boys understand that , for the most part, I write the material, then bring it to the band. If they have an idea that they feel will really add to the song, then I’m all ears, and I’m totally open to hearing what they hear.”

“I think having that autocracy of being in charge of most things has been what saved us to some degree, rather than a messy scenario of undefined roles and finger pointing . I think that helps the flow. Its hard enough putting out one record, but when you’re like five deep, it becomes important to have that structure. At the end of the day, this is supposed to be fun. It’s an escape from the pains of the world”

“I guess it has always been about how certain chord progressions speak to me. Sometimes it sparks a feeling, or a sentence and it’s off to the races from there. It’s usually just sitting alone with my guitar and my thoughts and letting my mind wander. I just try to get out of my own way much of the time. I have to allow myself to make a bunch of embarrassing mistakes and then …almost see them through.”

“I produce for other people as well, and when you are doing that, you have to wear this hat of judgement most of the time. You’re kind of driving, but if you do that yourself when you’re writing, you kind of cut the head off the snake before it’s even had a chance to grow.”

“I was literally saying to my wife last week, (I had a few frustrating days in the studio) that you can spend your life perfecting a craft, or trying to, and having this skill that I have, and not being able to tap into it at all. You have to just trust the process”

“At the end of the day, we are all just sitting there with our rods in the water, hoping something bites.”

“The latest offering from the band, entitled ‘Forgiving Spree’, is written with the idea of live performance in mind. After lockdowns in Melbourne, and with the cost of living crisis having an impact on attendance for all performers, performing and selling tickets to live shows has once again become the way most performers make a living, so the importance of performing has become so much more important than making a living recording. That was once the only way a musician could earn a living. Perhaps things are coming full circle, and this is why it is crucial to support live music , and the venues and organisers that support and encourage it. Nothing will ever replace the feeling of a quality live performance.”

Slowly Slowly will be performing at The Tanks on Saturday September 13
They will be supported by The Teenage Joans. Tickets are available through Ticket Link, or at the venue if not sold out.

Noel Keid

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