Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Categories:
Cart 0

Your cart is empty

Slaves

An English punk duo with a high-energy style rooted in hardcore, metal, and post-punk, England's Soft Play combines sweaty, mosh-pit aggression with relatable lyrics that reflect social and political disenfranchisement in an increasingly fractured world. Emerging in 2012, the band issued two EPs and three full-length efforts, including 2015's gold-selling Are You Satisfied?, under the Slaves moniker before renaming themselves Soft Play ahead of the release of 2024's Heavy Jelly. The group was formed in 2012 in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, by guitarist Laurie Vincent and drummer Isaac Holman, both in their early twenties. Having initially met on the gig circuit, Holman briefly joined Vincent's band, Bareface, before the two decided to venture in a new musical direction. They started with just one electric guitar and a minimalist drum setup consisting of two cymbals, a snare drum, and a floor tom (which Holman played while standing up). The pair shared vocal duties and developed a harsh, vicious, cathartic, and uniquely British sound, drawing inspiration from bands like Crass, Gang of Four, and the Clash and similar in sound to acts like Gallows and Iceage. Their willingness to play as many gigs as humanly possible garnered increasing interest in the duo. Despite their clean-cut appearance, the band surprised and enthralled audiences with their abrasive and intense performances, often concluding with both members shirtless and the crowd energetically pogoing. Their debut EP, Sugar Coated Bitter Truth, containing 11 songs and spanning 21 minutes, was released in 2013 and included the fan favorite "Girl Fight," which was just 15 seconds long. The single "Where's Your Car, Debbie?" followed in early 2014, and their debut full-length album, Are You Satisfied?, was released in 2015. Building on their rising popularity, the duo returned the following year with another full-length, Take Control, featuring contributions from the Beastie Boys' Mike D. They toured Europe and the U.S. extensively to support the album in 2017, and in 2018, they released their third LP, Acts of Fear and Love, produced by Jolyon Thomas (known for his work with U2 and Royal Blood). The four-song EP Velvet Ditch appeared the following year and would be the last release for the group as Slaves. Looking to distance themselves from a name that "doesn’t represent who we are as people or what our music stands for any longer," they rebranded as Soft Play. This moniker better reflected their aggressive yet inclusive style and sound, which they pushed to the extreme on 2024's frenetic and widely acclaimed Heavy Jelly.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo
Listen

Similar artists

Palma Violets
Drenge
Dr Victor
VANT
Baaba Maal
The Strypes
Kid Kapichi
shame
The Hives
IDLES
O'Yaba
slowthai
The Maccabees
FIDLAR
Hands Like Houses
Everything Everything
Iceage
Sleaford Mods
SOFT PLAY
The Wombats
The Cribs
Gallows
Lucky Dube
Rat Boy
Parquet Courts
The Vaccines

Discography

16 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller

My favourites

Cet élément a bien été <span>ajouté / retiré</span> de vos favoris.

Sort and filter releases