SLOAN PETERSON

Hi Sloan and thanks for taking the time out to speak with us at Musicology. Firstly congratulations on your sophomore EP. Produced by Thomas Rawle of Dreller / Papa Vs Pretty fame, what did Thomas bring to the table that really shines through on this EP?

Yeah, I worked on my latest single ‘Our Love’ with Thomas firstly. He was super easy to get along with and really understood the ideas I had going. He mixed the EP and really took it upon himself to take it in the direction it went. I loved his initiative and fearless attitude in regards to mixing.

In laying this down on tape, are the tracks ones that have been with you for some time and only now seeing the light of day or all relatively new material?

That was kinda why I wanted to call this EP ‘Midnight Love VOL.2’ because they were mostly older songs I wrote at the same time as ‘Midnight love VOL.1’, there were two songs that were newish. But I kinda just wanted to get those out into the world, as I have started writing for my album I want it to be a fresh start.

You have said that you are inspired by motion and colours, can you explain a little further this concept and how the two translate into the music you create?

Yeah, I love themes and colours I work at a button shop I’m continuously colour coding the buttons also my wardrobe. I think it’s more of an OCD thing then anything, but I love the way colours and the organising of them make me feel, I think they can portray a lot of emotion for me.

Having started out in Black Zero’s, is your current work as Sloan Peterson an extension of where you musically started out or an about face to your punk beginnings and a deliberate change in genres?

No it’s definitely a development of Black Zeros, half the songs I wrote when I was in BZ but I just got better skills at guitar and singing that I could only reach the goals I had in my head with Sloan Peterson.

The lead single off your EP Our Love lyrically centres around love and religion, was this a dichotomy that spoke to you the strongest in terms of finding the right way to express the battle fought between the good and bad in relationships?

It came very naturally to me, I write a lot of poetry as well, I’m not saying it’s any good, but I think it helps a lot when I sit down to write a song I kinda have all these little unfinished songs I can develop.

The sleek video clip Our Love is not only a lavishly produced music video but interestingly the first instalment of a two part video series. Can you elaborate on the concept of producing two clips and if they are interlocking in any way or an evolving storyline?

I told my house mate the idea I had for these two clips and she mentioned I should contact these two ladies, Natasha and Erin and basically they loved it and made magic happen it was such a beautiful experience and being able to just let go a bit and trust that people had my back. The two part story is portraying I guess a little bit of the terrible thoughts people have in their head about love and relationships that they don’t tell anyone, second guessing yourself or just being stuck in a relationship for the sake of not wanting to feel lonely.

Musicology last caught up with you when you supported Portugal The Man back in May of this year at the Enmore Theatre. An amazing band and one that whose strong morals are matched only by their creative genius. Did you have an opportunity to depart the tour with any new insights curtesy of the band and their style of performance art?

They are so creative with their visuals and good dudes..with the way society is heading especially with music it’s all about computers and electro music, don’t get me wrong I’m an advocate for growth and development .. I’m using samples for my upcoming tour to make it sound “a lot bigger” but also will not be using them as much for support tours as I love that idea of pure rock n roll baby. Everything you hear is what you see, mistakes on stage are magic, if I wanted to hear a perfect set I would listen to the record at home? That was one thing Portugal The Man blew me away by, have no backing system.

Speaking of artistic styles, you have also bridged the music world to the fashion world. In what creative ways to you find there to be similarities between the two and in what ways are the worlds completely unique?

I don’t think of myself being particularly stylish, I just have OCD with colours, maybe it ties back in with being a very visual person, I think it’s more just a natural habit of mine, but by all means I love that I have people fooled into thinking I’m “fashionable”.

You will be on tour shortly supported by Seaside, how did this particular partnership present itself?

Well actually a kid from my uni told me about this band Seaside they thought it was me on the radio and said we would be a good fit for a tour, then when I was brainstorming with my managers I mentioned them and they said that they had already been contacted by their management or something and it just worked out perfectly.