Slayyyter: Coachella, Tumblr and WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA | Zane Lowe Interview

0:00 I feel like those are really important decisions for any artist at any

0:03 point in their life where they get to a place where they're like,

0:05 you no matter what you think of me, I've got to decide for myself what it is I

0:09 want to do and how I want to move things forward.

0:11 And I think that at least from listening

0:13 to the music and speaking to you briefly,

0:15 that rings true to our guest, Slater, who joined us, what's going on?

0:20 Hello.

0:20 How are you?

0:21 Yeah, good.

0:21 It's nice to meet you in person.

0:22 Nice to meet you, too.

0:23 Welcome back.

0:24 We're excited to hang out this morning

0:25 and for everything that's been going on for you.

0:27 But just to sort of go back to what I was saying,

0:29 does that kind of speak to you a little bit,

0:31 like getting to that place where it's like,

0:32 you know what, I I I need to just burn like burn it all

0:35 down and and really just find my voice and stay true to myself entirely.

0:40 Absolutely.

0:40 That's kind of the thesis for this this whole project.

0:43 Yeah.

0:43 Yeah.

0:43 So, when did you get to that point where enough was enough?

0:47 I think I had just finished out a deal

0:50 with my last um label who they were very lovely,

0:53 but I kind of like made this album Star

0:56 Star[ __] and I just was feeling in a weird

1:00 zone and I felt like I had just gotten off

1:02 of a tour and I felt very at a standstill

1:07 with everything and I felt like I don't know I

1:10 just was like I you get into such a financial

1:13 hole with like touring when you're at like a very

1:15 kind of that like smaller level as an artist,

1:17 it's so expensive to like keep things up and running.

1:19 And I just felt really put out by everything.

1:21 And um yeah, I went into the studio and I was like,

1:24 I'm just going to give it one more album and maybe I'll go back to St.

1:26 Louis or something.

1:27 Maybe what does that look like?

1:28 What did it even look like?

1:29 I mean, how much did you paint that picture of like St.

1:31 Louis if the what if?

1:33 I don't I feel like I get really weird and um I have like

1:36 these existential moments as an artist where I I feel like people don't like

1:40 me or think I'm corny or people hate me and I feel like there's

1:42 a lot of that kind of a headsp space in a lot of these songs.

1:46 Uh but yeah, I just was like, you know what,

1:49 I feel like I had all these expectations making

1:53 like the album right before where I was like

1:55 maybe this will be like a big moment or something

1:57 and it kind of doesn't do what you expect.

1:58 And I was like, honestly,

2:00 I I want to just make music that I think is cool to listen to and not

2:05 put any kind of expectations on it.

2:07 And yeah, I feel like I I like went in like with more

2:10 of like my personal taste being like if I if I think this is cool,

2:13 like that's what the choice is going to be rather than trying

2:17 to make something clean or s that something that sounds like, you know,

2:21 and boom, there it is.

2:22 That's all you have to do, right?

2:23 Is just figure out like what doesn't relate

2:25 to you and you get worst girl in America.

2:28 It feels like those worries.

2:30 I'm sure we all have concerns, but certainly this album has been beautifully

2:34 received and the level of of, you know,

2:36 momentum that's behind you now based on the music and how people are feeling.

2:40 So, what is what is, you know, what does agilation feel like?

2:43 If you if you get inside your head about people not getting it,

2:46 not understanding what is you're trying to achieve,

2:48 how does it feel right now knowing that it is connecting?

2:51 I'm just shocked.

2:52 I'm kind of in like a like what is going on kind of I I like can't believe it.

2:56 But I feel very grateful that everyone likes it so much.

2:59 I feel like it's kind of this like screamy electro punk, you know,

3:03 really high energy project and I wasn't expecting people to respond

3:07 to it in the way that they have just because,

3:09 you know, it's a little it's not so different

3:11 and out of line with things in the past.

3:13 It's not it's not.

3:14 And that's what's interesting about it was and I said

3:15 to you upstairs when I came into when I when I broke

3:18 into your dressing room and you were getting uh you were

3:20 getting ready for the show and I was in my gym gear.

3:22 So sorry about that.

3:22 I didn't realize in that room.

3:24 Uh but I said to you know it's like it it

3:26 feels like to some degree the world has to catch up.

3:29 You know that you can't force people to meet you where you stand.

3:33 You can only keep moving forward and hopefully your paths cross at some point.

3:36 When they do you got to be ready, right?

3:38 That is that's the rule.

3:39 Definitely.

3:40 I al I think it takes time too to kind

3:42 of develop yourself and like cook as an artist, you know,

3:45 like I've had almost eight,

3:47 nine years of touring experience and making different albums,

3:51 trying different things in the studio.

3:52 I feel like

3:54 touring and performing live has led me to wanting to scream more

3:58 and make more like aggressive music cuz I like performing that more.

4:01 So, it's like it's just taken a while for me to kind of

4:05 develop my skill set as an artist a bit, you know,

4:08 like I don't think like fresh out of the gate you have all the tools necessary.

4:12 Some people do and that's really cool and that's great,

4:14 but I think it just took me some time to hone everything in.

4:18 You know, you got to figure it out no matter what.

4:19 Whether it happens quickly or it happens at the right time or it happens later.

4:22 You've got to figure you're going to figure it out at some point how to how

4:25 to sort of manage it in a way

4:26 that that works for you and not for everybody else.

4:28 Um, yeah, the idea of patience, the Kachala show coming up.

4:32 There's so much to get into.

4:33 We're going to hang out with you.

4:34 You know what's cool?

4:34 Not really in practice,

4:35 but in terms of on this record, cannibalism is reallying cool.

4:38 Thank you.

4:40 It just feels like that one Slater in the studio for Cannibalism

4:43 off this album called Worst Gone America would have been one

4:46 of the more kind of rewarding days creating this record because

4:50 I just feel like that rhythm track is like, "All right, go.

4:53 Just go.

4:54 Take it as far or as little as you want.

4:55 I'd be happy just to sit in that and hear you on that.

4:58 But by the end, you take it somewhere and you expand on it really naturally.

5:01 But it must have just been a very wonderful way to do to create on that day.

5:04 Yeah.

5:04 Yeah.

5:05 I feel that was one of my favorite songs to make on this project.

5:08 I feel like we pulled up like real drum loops

5:11 and they were playing a bunch of different like grooves and stuff

5:13 and like kind of in like a we don't know if

5:15 you'll like this and I was like no no I love it.

5:17 It reminded me of like the cramps or like the B-52s or something.

5:20 that kind of groove, that like surfy groove to it.

5:22 And um yeah, I feel like I kind it brought out

5:25 like a vocal performance I haven't really done that's like a little

5:27 punkier with like the you know vocal inflections and I feel

5:31 like this whole album is just like distortion on every single song.

5:34 So I feel like I've been leaning into that a lot.

5:36 But I feel like yeah, that was a really fun one to make.

5:38 That's the frustration we were talking about in the previous conversation,

5:41 you know, coming through in the music.

5:42 And I I love that you've honored that.

5:43 It's like I'm not going to bury that now.

5:45 I'm going to show people exactly where I am.

5:46 Get take me or leave me at my most heightened right now.

5:48 Um, you know, I've never really had a chance to talk to you,

5:51 so I don't really know kind of where

5:52 the inspiration to be an artist or musician came from.

5:54 What kind of kid you were, what inspired you, what what put you on this path.

5:59 I was a bit of a loner.

6:00 I feel like, you know, middle school, middle school up,

6:04 I always had like a couple friends, but I felt kind of weird.

6:07 I always felt like a weird kid.

6:09 And I feel like the internet and music always was such an escape.

6:12 And I just since I was very very young,

6:15 you know, I did dance recital, dance, dance class, dance recital.

6:18 Like I always loved performing and singing.

6:21 And I I feel like, you know, when you're really young,

6:24 you get those like people are like, I want to be a baseball player.

6:27 I want to be a ballerina.

6:28 I want to be I would always be like, I want to be a pop star.

6:30 And like everyone gets older, that changes.

6:32 And I just like it never I never like grew out of that.

6:35 So I feel like as I got older,

6:36 I was still kind of like, you know, like I want to make music.

6:38 I want to, you know, do this and that.

6:40 And um yeah, I feel like as I got older,

6:44 I just couldn't shake wanting to make things.

6:46 And what was the bravest thing you did when you were when

6:48 you were building this out and you were becoming who you were?

6:50 When you look back on it now, you're like, "All right, man.

6:52 That was like a that was that was a that was a risk."

6:55 I think, you know, I think just going for it in the first place.

6:58 I'm from the suburbs.

6:59 I was a hair salon receptionist.

7:00 I worked a bunch of jobs.

7:02 I dropped out of college and I was like waitressing

7:04 and doing all these like kind of odd jobs here and there.

7:06 And um I remember my mom was so freaked out and she was like

7:09 you need to get a backup plan like you know I don't want you

7:12 to not have a a plan for your life like if this doesn't work

7:16 out just cuz it is you know when you're from like the suburbs of St.

7:19 Louis it's not very no one's like this doesn't like happen I guess a lot.

7:23 So, what were the conversations like?

7:24 And and do you remember sort of how you

7:26 responded to that and and how those conversations go?

7:28 Because there's a lot of artists, a lot of young people right now who are

7:32 trying to figure out what their path is who are

7:33 probably feeling the same either sub subliminal or even

7:36 outright pressure from the people who love them the most

7:40 to figure out a plan B.

7:41 And the first thing anyone I know who's been very successful over the course

7:43 of their entire life in this industry will say is there is no plan B.

7:47 B.

7:47 So, how were those conversations for you?

7:49 I feel like, you know,

7:50 it came from a place of love and her wanting me to have like,

7:54 you know, something like a security in my life,

7:56 but it just was never a question.

7:58 There was no plan B.

7:59 I I would have rather been a hair salon

8:01 receptionist and made music on the side for fun

8:03 for the rest of my life than not than done

8:07 something else that like I didn't feel passionate about, you know?

8:10 Yeah.

8:10 Yeah.

8:10 So, okay, that was one of the bravest things.

8:12 What's been one of the hardest things?

8:13 What have you what have you had to deal

8:14 with in this industry or as an artist that you feel like,

8:17 you know, if we could get rid of anything, let's get rid of that?

8:20 Oh my gosh.

8:21 I don't know.

8:21 I feel like I feel like there's a lot of pressure, you know,

8:26 like I feel like when things started to heat

8:28 up with my music at the very beginning,

8:30 I was making things very purely out of, you know, for fun.

8:34 Obviously, it was my dream to reach an audience or have things blow up,

8:37 but I feel like the goalpost shifts and then there's

8:40 all these pressures with like touring and like keeping things afloat,

8:44 being able to pay your bills.

8:45 And I think that when you're kind of at like a small level,

8:48 which I have been at for, you know,

8:51 the past like eight years, like it's it's it's like tough.

8:54 Like I feel like I would like be going on tour and like putting out albums

8:57 and then I would like be looking at my bank account being like, "Oh my god,

9:00 this doesn't get talked about enough and I'm not

9:01 trying to sort of put you into this conversation.

9:03 and I'll carry it.

9:03 You lean in or don't.

9:04 But this is why I got so mad at people

9:06 who didn't understand or criticize what Chapel said at the Grammys

9:11 about health insurance and actually creating an infrastructure around

9:13 the arts in the same way other jobs ultimately do.

9:16 And and man, I couldn't believe how many people and some people

9:19 in the industry as well who threw their hands up and were like,

9:20 "She's crazy." And I'm like, "Is she?" No, not at all.

9:24 For kids, for young people, this is like I mean,

9:26 can you imagine the stress you got to go through just to back yourself?

9:29 And by the way, you do all the work.

9:31 Then you get into business with with a company

9:33 and you succeed and then they just get to celebrate and take tons of revenue

9:37 and and you're the best and everything else,

9:39 but but what about all those years when you're just like

9:41 to your point trying to figure out can I even eat?

9:44 Can I keep the lights on right now?

9:46 Yeah.

9:46 Yeah.

9:47 It's hard.

9:47 But I feel like with everything now, like everything I feel like with the music

9:52 industry has shifted so much where maybe

9:54 an artist at my level like back in like the early 2000s or the '9s would like,

9:59 you know, it wouldn't be as as dire as it is, but it's it's hard to

10:04 kind of like reap the benefits of what you do nowadays.

10:07 I feel like, you know,

10:08 they always say there's like no more middle class of artists,

10:10 and I feel like that's definitely true in a way, but I um yeah, I don't know.

10:14 I feel like it just felt like a struggle.

10:16 a lot of hard work with little like benefit to it

10:19 or just in way and also just in terms of confidence, right?

10:22 Because at those moments,

10:23 all you need is just another little bit of confidence to say,

10:26 "I'm on the right path." And I think that's why I love getting to do

10:30 this and play records and still shout about music because I just feel like,

10:33 yeah, it is a confidence game.

10:35 You've got to have somebody believe in you or in your family,

10:38 around you, and manager, whatever.

10:40 You know, it's really, really important.

10:41 Definitely.

10:42 Um, getting back to this album, Worst Girl in America, cover artwork,

10:44 Crush, album title, Crush, everything about it is just so dialed in.

10:49 Um, when when did you come up with the idea

10:51 of this because it does it doesn't feel conceptual,

10:52 per se, but it definitely has strong imagery.

10:55 Yeah, I I think when I first

10:58 started getting in the studio for this specifically,

11:00 I had just gotten back on Tumblr and I was just thinking a lot

11:03 about like my high school experience and like my hometown and you know,

11:09 I didn't want to like recreate things that felt so on then

11:12 nose with like the era I guess I was pulling from.

11:15 But um I just wanted things to feel kind of you know

11:19 like this like dreamscape that's like nostalgic for me and my own life.

11:23 Like I feel like a lot of the visuals,

11:24 things reference like my childhood, like dance costumes I wore as a kid.

11:28 There's references to just like so many different things.

11:31 A lot of the set pieces are like from my apartment.

11:33 Um, I wanted it to all really feel like me.

11:36 And even like the title worst girl in America,

11:38 like I had this group of like skater friends in high school

11:41 and onward that if like someone was like too drunk or like whatever,

11:45 they'd be like, "Oh, like most worst dude,

11:47 like most turned dude." Like they would always like say that.

11:49 And I always thought that was kind of funny.

11:51 And uh yeah, so perfect.

11:53 I feel like it the title almost is kind of like,

11:56 you know, it's like how I see myself in a way,

11:58 but also how I feel like other people might view me or like feel like,

12:03 you know, feeling like you're the worst or like that kind

12:05 of hangover anxiety when you feel like people don't like you or whatever.

12:09 And I feel like wearing that title on your chest kind of takes you kind

12:14 of like reclaim it a little bit and kind of makes you feel better about it.

12:17 like you know when you wear that with pride rather than with pride.

12:20 It's just so funny because we do like we we we do

12:22 take pride in some of our friends like when they go like I

12:27 just remember when I was when I was like when I was

12:29 in my teenage years and stuff or whatever and and everyone was smoking weed.

12:32 I mean it's legal down in New Zealand so and everyone was smoking weed

12:36 and and sometimes you know they'd be like

12:38 one of my friends would just like overcook it.

12:40 They just be cooked and we would do the exact same thing.

12:42 Someone be like, "Hey bro,

12:44 right now there is no one on this planet more stone than you.

12:48 You are literally in the top maybe in the top three most stone." Like,

12:52 think about the whole world right now and everyone who's smoking.

12:56 Everyone, you're in the top three, bro.

12:59 Congratulations.

12:59 You made it just to like induce his psychosis a little further.

13:02 Yeah,

13:03 just to play with it a little more.

13:05 Worst girl in America is with us right here.

13:07 Slate, everybody.

13:08 Let's go.

13:08 Uh, this one's going to go off at Coachella.

13:10 You already know that.

13:11 It was built for it.

13:12 Yeah.

13:12 Right now in a future reality, there's quite a few thousand people in a packed

13:16 Mojave tent are losing their[ __][ __] right now.

13:22 You just haven't caught up to it, Slater.

13:25 But you will in a few days time.

13:27 I'm so excited.

13:28 Well, you've earned this.

13:28 You've worked for this.

13:29 You and your collaborators.

13:30 What a group a great group of people who went on this ride with you.

13:35 Yeah.

13:34 Um and I think it's important that we honor the people who who work with you.

13:37 I know you produce music and produce these songs, but you know,

13:40 you were collaborated with people and and just what the energy was

13:43 like when you made that song because you caught it on record.

13:46 Yeah.

13:47 A lot of the producers are people

13:48 I've been working with from like the beginning, like my first trips to LA,

13:52 and then there were some um who were new that I've never,

13:55 you know, really worked with before.

13:56 Some were like longtime friends, some were new friends,

13:58 but I feel like everyone really we all kind of met each other with like

14:03 the same taste and the same like m like we just loved the same stuff,

14:07 love the same movies,

14:08 love the same I feel like it just was really

14:10 easy and natural to all go into the same place.

14:13 Like I feel like, you know,

14:14 a couple sessions like I showed up and everyone was like,

14:16 "Oh, like are we making like pop songs today?"

14:18 And that's not really what I wanted to do.

14:20 And I feel like everyone kind of got excited to kind of push against that.

14:24 And you know, we were all like listening

14:25 to a bunch of different things and listening to like

14:27 death grips and playing all these different like rap

14:29 songs from high school years that we were like,

14:31 "Oh, remember this and blah blah blah." And I think it just felt

14:34 like a really natural collaboration every time

14:36 I would work with anyone, you know.

14:38 What was that stuff that connects you?

14:40 What kind of stuff do you like outside of making music?

14:42 What would you say, you know,

14:43 is is on your mood board in terms of other arts things that you like?

14:46 What inspires you when you're not creating?

14:49 So much.

14:49 I love um I love watching movies.

14:51 I feel like there's a lot of, you know,

14:54 David Lynch influence on like in a lot of the visuals or like Harmony Kurin.

14:57 I feel like Gumo, I remember seeing that when I was in high school.

15:00 Uh and I feel like that's such a like a a creepy portrait of the Midwest.

15:06 And uh I think

15:07 both of those directors and I mean this with respect, you know,

15:09 lean into I would say the uncomfortable spaces pretty pretty well.

15:13 Yeah, definitely.

15:14 Which I think that I wanted to do that a lot visually

15:17 with this project too where there's something

15:19 a little off and something a little uncomfortable.

15:21 I kept telling everyone I was like, "Oh,

15:22 this is going to be like my ugly like I want to look ugly in all the videos.

15:25 Like I want to like I don't want this to be like a beautiful

15:29 like pop star album.

15:31 And there's some moments where it is like feminine and it's, you know, sensual,

15:34 but then I feel like videos like old technology where I'm like hitting

15:38 like a water bottle bong and I just look I'm like like it's just

15:42 it's kind of like creepy and gross to watch and there's like dirt

15:44 in the bathtub and it feels like

15:46 you're watching something you're not supposed to.

15:48 So, what are you what are you reacting to?

15:49 We spoke a little bit about some of the disappointment or whatever

15:52 frustrations that you felt um in terms of like putting a record out,

15:56 touring it, coming back, trying to work out where the metric of value is there.

16:00 Did I get what I need to get out of that to keep going?

16:02 Is it worth it?

16:02 Is it not?

16:03 Is this my last shot?

16:04 Okay, that's there.

16:05 What else is wrapped up into this dirt,

16:07 into this filth that that that we hear on Crank It and we see in these videos?

16:11 I feel like, what are you mad at?

16:13 Yeah.

16:14 I don't know.

16:14 I I feel like I just have a lot of angst.

16:16 I feel like, you know, I had kind of like a tumultuous childhood experience

16:21 and like I don't really have a relationship with my dad.

16:24 I feel like, you know,

16:26 a lot of people I know that have similar kind of family stories as me,

16:29 you kind of carry this like chip on your shoulder or this kind

16:32 of like anger when you have like a broken relationship with a parent,

16:35 especially as like a girl when like your first relationship

16:38 with like a man, which is like your father, is kind of like a bad one.

16:41 You kind of feel like soured to like life in a way.

16:45 I feel like that came out a lot in in everything.

16:47 And also just, you know,

16:48 feeling like I didn't really fit like this perfect pop star box.

16:53 Like I feel like I don't really fit in to the like celebrity world.

16:56 And I think that I figured that out really fast getting into music and

17:01 being kind of like the small fry in these like big spaces.

17:04 Like I always just felt like I was the two drunk like trashy like St.

17:07 Louis girl that would be like running around like like and people are like,

17:10 "Oh my god, like go over there." And uh yeah, play by the rules.

17:15 Play by the rules.

17:15 There are some rules.

17:16 There's rules.

17:16 We don't talk about the rules, but they exist.

17:18 Play by them.

17:19 Yeah.

17:19 Like my extensions are like shown in the back and I just look crazy.

17:21 And like I think that there's like something that's funny about that to me.

17:26 But I just think, you know, I started to have this chip on my shoulder.

17:29 I was like, you know what?

17:30 Like maybe I should lean into like that very real version

17:34 of myself and not try to be so curated and so

17:36 stylized cuz that's not like who I am and that's

17:38 not it's just not like what my life story is about.

17:43 That's not like what I I don't like emulate that well.

17:46 So I feel like there's things with like Crank

17:48 or songs on this album where like there's like St.

17:50 Louis, like a very specific kind of Missouri like tweaker twang

17:54 or like a swagger that I feel like is very unique to me.

17:57 It's unique to like my friends that I grew up with.

17:58 It's unique to like, you know, drunk nights in like parks in high school where

18:05 make out fun.

18:06 Yeah.

18:06 Yeah.

18:07 Like literally like smoking cigarettes in the back

18:08 of someone's truck and just like, you know, being crazy.

18:12 I feel like that is so specific to me in my life and I think that it's

18:15 something that I wanted to lean into more than

18:17 like run away from it this time, I guess.

18:19 Yeah.

18:20 Yeah.

18:20 And that is kind of who Slater is.

18:21 And it's I guess Slater and you have met

18:23 for the first time on this record in a strange way, right?

18:26 Like this is the first time it's like, hey, okay,

18:28 I think I can share qualities with this identity

18:30 that I've formed in the world of music.

18:32 Cuz that's a whole other thing.

18:33 It gets kind of tricky that when you become something in art and then it's like,

18:38 hang on, how does that relate to the person

18:40 who's on this planet trying to forge healthy relationships,

18:44 figure out who I want to be away from Slater?

18:46 Are you there yet or are you like I'm just all in on Slater right now?

18:49 I feel like it's the same.

18:51 I feel like it's both things are like married now.

18:53 Maybe it wasn't in the past or maybe it was more of a character.

18:56 But it's funny too cuz I feel like in high school that was kind

18:58 of like a nickname that I had and like I love the movie Dazed and confused.

19:02 So I like I had like this like business

19:04 class like sticker project thing that I did with like

19:06 my illustrations and I called it like Slater Stickers

19:09 and that's kind of like where that came from.

19:11 And um yeah, I feel like the two are

19:15 one now rather than being like a separate entity.

19:17 Like it's it's kind of like full circle where it's like something like

19:20 this word and this name from this movie character I loved in high school.

19:23 It's like full circle like that is just me.

19:25 It's not this like bimbo tanning bed persona.

19:28 It's not this Hollywood star.

19:29 It's like I feel like this is the true me.

19:32 You're going to get it.

19:33 Whatever it is, whatever I'm feeling, you're going to get it.

19:35 Okay.

19:35 How are you going to how I mean let's put rehearsal to one

19:37 side because obviously we would hope that people might rehearse or maybe

19:40 not I don't[ __] care for a show as big as Coachella just

19:43 show up it's going to be great but how are you how do

19:46 you prepare in advance of actually stepping on that stage because this music

19:49 demands a lot right it's like these song you've created like these are

19:55 like serious wild unruly disgusting filthy[ __] shitty people and you have

20:02 to go out there and rip them every single on every on every level.

20:06 Oh yeah, that's the highest compliment, by the way.

20:08 I want to see it all.

20:09 So, how are you going to how do you get ready for that?

20:12 I'm really I mean, we've been rehearsing every day.

20:14 I think um this is kind of my first I've like redesigned my live

20:17 show a bit where I'm performing with a band for the first time,

20:20 so it's kind of the debut of that.

20:22 But, um yeah, I think that I'm like a very DIY approach kind of person.

20:26 So, I've been watching like screo lessons on like YouTube.

20:29 Yeah.

20:30 Yeah.

20:30 Cuz you are a punk rocker.

20:31 I don't want to like blow my voice out like song number four

20:34 cuz there's like singing and there's like a lot of like you know

20:37 very guttural you know screaming songs but um yeah like I feel a lot

20:43 with this album like I don't want anything to be too rehearsed or too planned.

20:46 It's not I want it to kind of have like a element of like freestyling on stage.

20:52 So I don't I'm not like rehearsing every single move and every

20:54 single queue and every single mark like there's going to be something that

20:58 comes out like when we actually do it.

20:59 That's the beauty of having a band as well is that, you know,

21:01 you get to the whole thing can fall apart, which is awesome.

21:04 Yeah.

21:04 You know, I watched this Soulwax um tour documentary

21:08 and there was something about how it was like boring.

21:10 Who'd want to see those?

21:11 Oh my god.

21:12 2 hours on tour with Dave and Steph.

21:14 Are you kidding me?

21:15 Oh no, it's directed.

21:16 Oh my gosh, it's the best documentary ever.

21:18 It's like I know.

21:20 But I I feel like I watched that and it was so life-changing just cuz

21:23 you guys in brown suits again.

21:24 That's great.

21:25 I can't wait to see that.

21:26 That's awesome.

21:26 Wow.

21:27 Amazing.

21:27 Yeah.

21:28 Oh my god.

21:29 No, I honestly even for music like there's something inspiring about it.

21:32 Like that documentary like even the spoken they'll have

21:34 like fans talking but the audio is like blown

21:36 out and like distorted so they'll be like we

21:38 love saw wax and it'll be so loud like

21:41 no like literally a clips and I'm like[ __] I just love that.

21:44 I love that documentary.

21:45 But it's like you know they did something that was like part electronic

21:48 part very like you know punk and live and um every night like

21:51 the show would be different and they would like talk about how every

21:54 night like the music would get a little unhinged or parts would be different.

21:56 So, I feel like from here forward,

21:58 like I kind of want to bring that every set, every time I perform,

22:01 I want it to kind of unlock a different version of a song or, you know,

22:04 different different moments.

22:06 I love that you referred to them.

22:07 I mean, I joke around, but I've known those guys a long time.

22:09 I feel like, you know, I feel like you exist in a in a really

22:12 exciting place right now where um music is just unapologetically visceral.

22:17 The friction is real.

22:18 We feel it and you lean into it.

22:20 And right now we're joined by the wonderful Slater uh a couple of days

22:23 away from this beautiful arrival moment I

22:26 think Coachella at the slot of all slots.

22:28 I mean you you you didn't seem to really know what that slot meant.

22:32 Maybe you did and you're just playing it cool but that's a great moment

22:36 on a Friday that like it's a really it's going to be really really special.

22:40 I'm excited.

22:41 Uh what is what does the rest of 2026 look like for you when you

22:43 get back and it and you know what's how's this how does this all open up?

22:47 I have some music I want to finish up.

22:49 Um, and I would love to release some more stuff this year

22:52 just cuz I feel like there's a lot of kind of tracks

22:55 that didn't make the worst girl like official track listing that still

22:59 feel very in line with everything that I want to put out.

23:01 And then and you can, by the way,

23:02 that's the beauty of of the technology side of it is you just can.

23:05 Yeah.

23:05 Yeah.

23:06 I feel like there's a lot more to explore with this like sound.

23:08 So, I'm excited to kind of, you know,

23:10 tap into some other demos and then also make new stuff.

23:12 But, um, and then yeah,

23:13 I go on tour in September, which I'm really excited about.

23:15 I haven't toured in a while and it's my first time touring

23:18 with a band and so I feel like it'll be a good

23:21 a good kind of you know run of shows

23:23 with this new kind of live live show and live direction.

23:26 You know you described um how you feel about about where you

23:29 are in life right now beautifully and it's all on the record.

23:31 You didn't even have to put it into words but this idea of like

23:33 no I'm from here and I live my life like that with people

23:36 like this and we grew up like that and I and I

23:38 don't want to ever divorce myself from that like that's who I am.

23:41 um which kind of painted a picture of someone who

23:44 and again being the outsider in the in the room

23:46 of in the scene you know that's again

23:50 a big part of what inspires on this record.

23:52 So the thing with music is when it connects

23:54 and people start to love it then the phone starts

23:55 ringing and people start reaching out and they actually like

23:57 want to invite you to places and things like that.

24:00 Like how do you sort of wrestle with that?

24:02 This idea of of like no I'm happy not being there.

24:05 I'm comfortable being on the outside and being this punk,

24:08 but[ __] like I'm gonna have a hit here

24:11 and people are going to want to work with me.

24:14 So, how do you sort of balance that?

24:16 I think just sticking to your guns and like I think it's such a corny sentiment,

24:20 but it's so true is just like being yourself and doing what feels true to you.

24:26 I feel now I think with age it's a lot easier to navigate what I think is right

24:31 for me and for my project and for my music

24:33 and for my visuals than it was at the beginning.

24:36 You're good at No.

24:37 Yeah.

24:37 Yeah.

24:38 I I don't think I don't feel very like charmed

24:41 by things or like maybe it's like being jaded which is

24:44 like sad but like I don't I feel like when

24:46 you first start you're like so stareyed and like it's just

24:48 like oh like you know but I think that I

24:50 I keep things really I'm I'm like very very specific about

24:55 how the way I want things the way I want

24:56 things to sound the way I want things to look visually.

24:59 Um, and like even with like styling myself and doing all these things,

25:03 like I I it's so like from my soul that like

25:06 I I feel fine to kind of, you know, shy away from, you know, I don't know

25:13 the[ __] But like if something's cool and it works, then that's like great.

25:16 You don't deny yourself the experience.

25:18 Of course.

25:18 Of course.

25:19 And what about the fans?

25:20 I mean, obviously you've got a very passionate fan base.

25:22 We know that cuz every time we play your music or we

25:24 we say you're coming on, people get really excited about it.

25:27 um you know, how has that sort of changed since you

25:29 put this record out and and the interactions you've had thus far?

25:32 Oh, I love them so much.

25:33 It's I feel like there's more people engaged now, but you know,

25:37 there's still like fans that I know and see

25:40 from day one that have been here from like

25:44 I like me making like like putting music out

25:46 on Soundcloud only and like you know what I mean?

25:48 like from my hair salon receptionist days like there's people that I

25:51 recognize on Twitter and recognize at meet and greets and like it

25:54 just feels like this album is kind of for us and not

25:56 just like a me thing even though it's very inspired by my life.

26:00 I feel like I have a lot of people,

26:02 maybe new fans or old fans, that just say that they're like, "Wow,

26:05 like I'm from kind of a random suburb

26:07 in like the middle of America and this really

26:09 speaks to me and I the visuals really hit home and this really reminds me

26:13 of where I'm from and I love it and I feel proud of where I'm from and not

26:17 like I need to escape so bad because

26:18 it makes me like appreciate the more mundane pieces of the world."

26:23 Well, I love it as well.

26:24 You know, it does it I Yeah, I mean,

26:26 I can actually It It's reflective for me growing up in Oakuckland, you know,

26:30 at a time when there wasn't anything to do and you just

26:32 do whatever and I could totally see myself playing this as a kid,

26:35 like in my friend's car, and there's nothing to do all day except waste time.

26:41 Yeah, we just did a we just did a gallop poll of the of the of the of the United

26:44 Nations of the Zlo Show and everybody would crank that[ __] Everybody,

26:49 thank you.

26:50 Have a really really amazing time.

26:52 Uh, and you're going to have a really good

26:53 time at Coachella and come back and see us.

26:54 All right.

26:55 Absolutely.

26:55 Thank you so much.

26:56 Of course.