The Slates – Watch Life Burn

Image credit: Oliver Roberts

The Slates have released their latest single ‘Watch Life Burn’ via This Feeling and Lab Records. The single was produced by Peter Redshaw and mixed by James Kenosha.

As Spring breeds life into the UK, The Slates follow suit with this ode to living your life to the fullest. Originally written when frontman Louis moved to University, the song has a broader appeal, and one that the world needs reminding of in these dark times.

The rhetoric may be well-worn, but frontman Louis Barnes’ vocal breeds new life into it. Angelic and thoughtful, he allows hope to look humble and achievable for all. It’s an arm around the shoulder from an elder saying, “You can do anything”. His voice is subtly heartfelt, not overreaching, no ego, just a soul yearning to see the world and fall in love.

In a world that often feels heavy, The Slates offer a gentle yet stirring reminder to look outwards. This isn’t their ‘Live Forever’ step into the greats, but they’re striding toward that sentiment; it’s sure to follow soon.

The Slates - Understand the Groove

The Slates have released their new single ‘Understand the Groove’ via This Feeling and Canvas Music. The single was written by the band, produced by Peter Redshaw, and mixed and mastered by James Kenosha.

*banner image credit: Oliver Roberts.

Artwork courtesy of Fear PR

To date, The Slates have been crashing through gates with chaotic indie, searching for the knockout anthem. This time out, they step back into a world of ‘Fools Gold’ and Ride with groove-laden licks and funked-up basslines.

There’s a musicality to them here which proves they’re not just indie fodder. There’s a deftness of touch, a slickness to play which can cut through the post-punk dirge of the guitar scene. Frontman Louis Barnes’ vocal refrains from his archetypal 100mph, steps into an ethereal pocket, only occasionally snarling to add poignancy to said moments. Between Barnes and Joe Briggs, the guitars stride to the front of the stage, bearing a hook destined for radio airwaves!

If you’re going to stray onto John Squire and Andy Bell’s patch, then there best be a solo, right? The percussion and jagged bass of Jude Wales lead The Slates into the majesty of ‘Fools Gold’ and ‘One Love’. Powerful, but short, they get in and get out in indie’s finest heist of the year.

Click the link below for tickets to their upcoming tour:

The Slates – Fiesta

Yorkshire’s The Slates are back after twelve months with their latest single ‘Fiesta’.

* Banner image credit: Tom Oxley. Courtesy of This Feeling

Last time out, the band was in an anthemic yet reflective mood on ‘What Have You Done’. Upon return, the internal scrutiny has been altered for living in the moment on this ode to the journey, not the destination.

Through the riotous mod-cum-rock ‘n’ roll of Twisted Wheel and the debauched euphoria of The K’s, The Slates have fired themselves out of a cannon into 2025. This is nothing short of the joyride across a town destined to be escaped for sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll a ragged-out Fiesta deserves!

Louis Barnes’ vocals have taken on an urgency, an almost vicious tone that allows the guitars to breed the now-or-never sonic. This is a vital record that deserves to be rammed into the consciousness of those who care, and especially for those who don’t!

It’s easy to see on this form why Radio X icon John Kennedy is giving them a spin.