Slightest Clue is a Vancouver-based four-piece that probably shouldn’t work. Each member brings distinct influences and experiences: a stage actor whose playlists go from Talking Heads to Sonic Youth to Björk, a hook-obsessed recovering choir girl, an electrical engineer whose personal idol is John Bonham, and a guitarist who played for (and left) ten other bands before deciding this was the one for him. It’s like the secret after-school project of four kids who would have passed each other without a glance in the hallway at school - but once they’re plugged in and ready to play, all bets are off. It wasn’t supposed to work, but it does, and they don’t have the slightest clue how or why.
How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
M: The band formed in 2018 from my bedroom as a build-a-band situation. Soon over the internet, Hannah and I exchanged some emails about playing together, and then Sean being an old friend of mine since we were 13 joined immediately after. Nick joined over a year ago and that’s when the band’s direction and drive really began to take shape with the four of us as a unit. The name is an acknowledgement that the world is grey and we are searching for answers alongside anyone who takes an interest in our music. Slightest Clue is about accepting the fact that no one knows what they are doing on this earth and it’s the pursuit of finding comfort in the unknown.
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
M: This is my first and only band but I got into music by making beats alone in my room back in highschool, then I slowly transitioned into the guitar music that I always wanted to make and which formulated my tastes growing up. I was really afraid to sing for a long time and didn’t learn to sing and play guitar at the same time till I was 21 or so learning Nirvana songs.
H: I’ve been writing songs from the moment I started learning how to play piano - which must have been when I was ten years old. I’ve written songs for myself ever since! I haven’t gotten around to releasing any of that work as my own project, but would love to some day. I briefly played with a few bands while I was living in France for a few years. I actually started playing bass because the lead guitarist of that first band handed me a bass at a gig and told me “It’s the bottom four strings of a guitar, you can figure it out,” and sure enough, I did.
Sean: I first started playing guitar so I could learn GreenDay songs at 10, eventually joining bands when I turned 13 playing shows in churches and other interesting venues. After coming and going through 10 different bands, eventually landed with Malcolm and stuck!
First concert that you ever went to?
M: My first concert was the police when I was a wee one. The first local act was seeing Winona Forever in Vancouver back in High school and it got me stoked and following the local scene ever since.
H: I’m a total pop-head – so it’s no surprise my first concert was Natasha Bedingfield, probably in either 2009, as it was right around when Pocket Full of Sunshine came out. Growing up in the suburbs of Seattle, I loved getting the ferry into the city to see smaller names from the Sub-Pop and Hardly Art family, especially La Luz, an epic all-girls surf rock four-piece.
What's your writing process like?
M:It begins usually with sharing an at home demo and then all of us dissecting what parts work and what doesn’t while trying things in the room. Nothing is sacred and we tend to get surgical and think mostly about how this will translate to a live set because it’s so important to have a strong live show these days. We try to be democratic and discuss when someone is unhappy with a section and generally we always try suggestions before we turn ideas down.
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
M: Sonic youth’s use of alternate tunings and experimental guitar work definitely inspired me when recording this project, I also am in love with a lot of the UK post-punk scene, so BCNR and their use of spoken word and experimental arrangements were key in writing songs like breathe slow. I know queens of the stoneage arrangements and chord progressions are a big inspo of mine as well as for melody writing on vocals.
H: My influences are all over the place - but writing “Just Fine,” I was heavily inspired by Liz Phair’s Exile In Guyville, “Lasting Friend” by Samia, “On The Floor” by Perfume Genius, “Good Days” by SZA, and “Sober II” by Lorde.
Sean: I’ve been inspired by the white stripes and the whole Elephant album. Additionally Metrics Old World Underground album. Definitely became unintentionally wearing those influences on my sleeve throughout the EP.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be it's own thing?
M: I think this is the most important era for live music so we are always making sure our tracks work in a live context as a 4 piece before we go into the studio and add bells and whistles that can’t appear live. I think it’s okay to add layers and make studio tracks feel special but at the core of the song it should always work and feel powerful enough in the live setting.
Has the band toured?
M: So far we have just been playing shows locally in Vancouver but plan on hopefully touring the pacific northwest by next year, as well as eastern Canada. Our worst shows were definitely at the beginning, years ago I was tuned an entire key down and we played the first 3 songs in different keys hahaha or one where there was human poop outside the venue doors…
H: Haven’t had the chance yet, but I would love getting down to Seattle and Olympia to play a few shows!
What's up next for the band?
M: We plan on writing and incubating over the next few months to get a new set of songs ready for another EP and hopefully we can organize a tour as well for the new year as we’ve never traveled with our live show. We also plan to get some music videos out for Twin Silver as we prepare the next project.
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