Dan Hillier
An act of total sonic immersion, the Belgian shoegaze collective came into prominence just shortly after their formation with their hypnotic and universally acclaimed debut long play Aurora in 2018. The band where jettisoned right into the public eye; vinyl pressings where swiftly depleted, they became one of the most lauded acts in the European scene and the band rode a wave of sudden and well deserved popularity that allowed them to relentlessly tour the world until it came to a sudden whiplashing stop last year. But whilst it seemed Slow Crush where on a seemingly imminent course for world domination, cracks where beginning to form under the surface. External pressures from peers and industry types along with the stress of relentless touring where creating fissures in the bedrock – and once the world as we all knew it came to an end – Slow Crush where faced with the realisation that a collective assessment was long due.
Following on from tours with the likes of Torche, Gouge Away, Pelican and appearances at the likes of 2000 Trees, ArcTanGent and Roadburn, the band where forced to slam the brakes and evaluate just where to go next. Not an ideal situation in any means, but this halt in motion allowed the band to process and manage creeping burn out that was swiftly bubbling upon the surface. With a new lineup shift and a game plan in place, Slow Crush headed to the studio and forged their latest body of work under the cold steel skies of midwinter. The result was Hush, their most accomplished and atmospheric record thus far that surpasses both lofty expectations from peers and the songwriting on the album that kickstarted this journey in the first place.
Released via Church Road Records, Hush is the natural evolution of Slow Crush. A more darker, brooding and dynamic affair, it’s an irresistibly compelling call from the shadowy depths in which the band reside; a full musical immersion into atmospheric waters that’s are so beautiful and pressurised it’s nigh on impossible to even notice a return to the surface is too late. Not that one would care away, for Hush tempts you further deeper as it’s enveloping textures of shoegazing abrasion gets more tempting and enigmatic the further they unfurl.
With the record out now, we got in touch with Isa Holliday (Vocals, Bass) and Jelle Harde Ronsmans (Guitars) to discuss trails and journeys they’ve navigated that led to the result of Hush and the next chapter of their career.
“We’re happy with the end result. It was a tough fight, mainly because of the pandemic making it difficult to travel. But that didn’t stop us from making it an international production. We recorded in Number Nine Studios, in Belgium and it was mixed by Neil Kennedy in Southampton. Neil also mixed our first album. Due to travel restrictions we couldn’t be present during the mixing process, so we did a ton of online streaming sessions and messaging back and forth through WhatsApp. With the state of the world as it was, the entire process took a little longer than anticipated but we’re super pleased with the end result.”
“We never expected our first album to do so well, nor all the touring that came with it. We started this band just as a small project and never really intended to play so much. Everything that happened over the last few year was just an enormous bonus and surprise, which in turn increased pressure for the second album.”
“Expectations are higher now, but we don’t feel trapped into living up to something or that we have to conform. We believe in the importance of evolving as a band and as people. It would be hard for us to write exactly the same album. That would just be boring and dull for the listener, as well as for ourselves. What we’re doing will always be Slow Crush. There is a certain sound, feel and emotion connected to most things that we do, and this will always be there. We may just portray it a little differently.”
“If people like what we’re doing and want to join us on this journey, that’s great! You’ll always have fans liking the old stuff better, but we don’t want to become stagnant, do the same things or make the same songs all over again.”
“To be honest there isn’t much difference in the way we approach things. The DIY ethos is still strong and always will be. We grew up in this environment, learning early on that when you want to get something done, you have to go after it yourself. We’re still there hanging out in the crowd or behind the merch stand after shows. Not hiding backstage or anywhere else. It’s all about the connection with people who have to same passion and love for music.”
“The only difference is the machine behind the band. More people are involved; bookers, managers, people who help with live shows, packing up orders, etc. With our labels, Church Road Records and Quiet Panic completing the team, we are happy to surround ourselves with like-minded people sharing our values and spirit. People we are all grateful to call our friends. It becomes bigger but the essence is still the same.”
“We were approached by a few booking agencies after the release of ‘Aurora’ our first record and we jumped on a few tour offers. We were touring a bit before then, but nothing major. 2019 to early 2020 was full-fledged touring. About 160 shows and more days on the road. We just went along for the ride and toured right up until Feb 2020 when Corona hit. Our last show pre-pandemic was the last of our US West Coast tour, in Boston. It was sold out and friends of ours flew out from Belgium to come see us play, making it all the more memorable. At the time, nobody had any idea that the world would come to a standstill less than a month later, or that it would be months before we saw each other in person again after saying goodbye at the airport.”
“Corona forced us to cancel three tours, one headline EU and US tour and one support tour in the EU. Although it sucked to have to cancel all of that, we feel there was a bright side to the lockdowns hitting when they did. We were close to various burnouts around that time, combining heavy touring with work and home life. So much so that two members decided to step down. Although playing so many shows may look all glitz and glam to the outside world, it’s definitely not all that! Travelling all day to get to the next venue after limited rest the night before is tiring enough. And then you still need to shift all your heavy gear in and out of venues with varying numbers of staircases, play a show, somehow figure out what and when to eat before/during/after all that, figure out where to sleep that night… wash, rinse, repeat.”
“It’s safe to say the forced rest saved our band as a touring unit and our own mental health, as well as giving us time to adjust to the new set up and fine tune everything for ‘Hush’ to make it studio ready. We’re super happy with our line up right now and have never been tighter as a band but touring has definitely taken its toll.”
“It definitely has. A lot of stuff happened in between the two albums. I mean we’re happy, positive, optimistic people but maybe this music allows us to release a certain type of darker feeling and tension that we’re trying to give a hopeful twist to. The album might be a bit slower and darker but it doesn’t feel bleak to us. We feel there’s always this silver lining to our music.”
“Recording mid-winter, mid-pandemic had its challenges, but also allowed us to do some cool stuff in the studio. It was raining and snowing a lot, so we decide to record some guitars it the hallway which had a high glass ceiling. You can hear the rain full on the glass during the intro of ‘Lull’, one of the album singles.”
“There is certainly a surge in alternative guitar music right now. Maybe mainstream music has neglected ‘good guitar music’ for way too long and people just dig deeper again and go looking for that sound that they love. A lot of standard radio music sounds very samey – generic enough to be harmless while forced down your ears, on repeat, every hour, on the hour. Maybe people are looking for something with a stronger identity again?”
Also, shoegaze is such a broad term. Something is labelled quickly as shoegaze. From the moment it has some weird effects – it’s shoegaze. That’s all fine but we feel there’s more to our music than just that. We don’t want to be gatekeepers or be gate kept. I also think this type of music lends itself really well to allow influences from other genres, there is so much overlap. Look at bands like M83, Deafheaven or Washed Out to name a few bigger artists … all completely different but still a ton of common ground to me. This might be the reason why more people are attracted to shoegaze?
“It’s hard to tell if it will continue, but it definitely feels like more people get into it every day. It’s become less hard to grasp. This type of music really tries to make you feel something or tries to take you on a journey. I guess more people are looking for an escape and this type of music allows them to let go.”
“Vinyl feels less obsolete to people right now. The emotional connection with a physical product is definitely stronger compared to the connection with a digital streaming platform. The artwork also completes a release. We always try to make it fit 100% with what we’re trying to get across, down to the vinyl colour ways and everything.”
“Right now, we’re still waiting for our vinyl to arrive (due to the global increased demand for vinyl and massive sourcing delays) and Hush doesn’t feel finished yet for me, up until I hold the vinyl in my hands. Only right at that very moment Hush will finally be out.”
“Whatever speaks to them the most! We find it important that the listener allows the music to evoke their own feelings and mood, connect their own stories to each song. It’s always fascinating to hear about the different journeys. There’s no right or wrong answer here. All we ask is that you take a step back from the daily hustle and let the music absorb you.”