Music
Press
nme (“reassuring that such heart -tugging music still lurks”),
q (“several songs may sneer about fame but marlowe may well have to deal with it if they keep making albums like this”),
the guardian (“go get”)
- various
Discography
Save Me EP
R/D May 2011
Knave Records
Bucks Music Group
Photos
Bio
Fronted by former Marlowe singer Simon Bradshaw, Slack Elvis draw from elements of early 90s rock bands - particularly Soundgarden and the Pixies - and fuse them with the components of classic rock/metal and the eclectic and melodic principles of today’s alternative music scene.
Singer Simon Bradshaw describes the band’s sound as “…if Queens of the Stone Age were in a scuffle with AC/DC whilst The White Stripes watched and jeered them on.”
Bradshaw and drummer Aron McGhee have known each other since high school, a friendship formed out of their love for metal and their religious collecting of copies of Kerrang and RAW magazines, cutting out the pictures of bands like Skid Row, Wolfsbane and Rollins Band to glue on their walls.
“ I was brought up on a diet of Whitesnake, Rainbow, UFO, Dio, Iron Maiden and other NWOBHM bands. I would set my alarm at 4am to get up and record “Raw Power” (the classic TV show beloved of many teenage rock fans in the 90s) on VHS because I simply wasn't bright enough to set the timer on the video..” - Simon Bradshaw
Their friendship prompted the two friends to learn to play guitar and drums and form their own band. Following a couple of short-lived, “starter” bands, the duo formed Marlowe, an alternative band that had a successful 10 year career signed to the independent Probe Plus label (Half Man Half Biscuit) which is where bassist Ed Pink joined them. The band won critical acclaim across the board from Zane Lowe, NME, The Guardian and Q magazine to name a few. They were invited to perform at the John Peel Tribute Concert in Germany and in 2005 performed at SXSW along with Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs and Fatboy Slim. They were featured on MTV2 and recorded two sessions for BBC 6Music and one apiece for XFM and the great man himself, John Peel.
After a successful run which included 3 albums, 3 singles and numerous tours, Bradshaw, McGhee and Pink were ready for a change in direction. Having honed their song writing and musical skills in Marlowe, it was time for them to return to their teenage love of all things rock and metal. Their aim was to record tracks that combined the loose power of albums like QOTSA’s “Songs For The Deaf” and Soundgarden’s “Superunknown” with the roaring stomp of classic rock. The name Slack Elvis comes from “Elvis” for kings of rock and “Slack” for the rough around the edges approach.
The “Save Me” EP will be followed by UK tour-dates later this year.
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