Last month witnessed the debut, self-titled studio album from Melbourne production duo, Slum Sociable.
The partnership of Miller Upchurch and Edward Quinn has crafted an intersection between jazz and electronica with soulful vocal melodies.
On the album, Miller and Edward have continued to build on the musical framework they established on 2015 EP ‘TQ’. “This album has been written over the past three years,” Miller says.
“From early demo-stage songs that we thought might have gone on the first EP then we ended up workshopping the whole shitload to get them ready for the album.”
Miller goes on to explain that both he and Edward wanted to create a debut album that made a bold, artistic statement about how the pair have developed since their first release. “Because we went through so many songs they had to have some sort of factor in them,” he says.
“I don’t want to call it the ‘x-factor’ but they needed something and they all needed to be a cohesive piece. At the end of the day the album has to be cohesive, so they all had to have a special something and they all had to have the same special something.”
Binding together much of their new work are themes of mental health and maintaining the various relationships in one’s life, be they romantic, platonic or merely casual. “Thematically the album has a lot to do with taking care of yourself,” Miller says.
“Mental health is an issue I write about, also personal relationships as well, which doesn’t have to be a romantic relationship it can be anything: your parents, siblings, friends or workmates – it goes across the board.
“I try to write lyrics to be [about] specific experiences but also ambiguous enough so you can relate it to your own life.”
In building on the framework constructed on ‘TQ’, Miller says he and Edward were much more prepared for the increased efforts making an album requires.
The pair worked with two producers, Russell Fawcus and Rich Cooper, who both leant their own trademark tinctures to the Slum Sociable brew. “Getting the help of a producer has skyrocketed our creativity and our understanding of how putting a collection of music together works,” he says.
“We learnt a lot from Tommy Iansek from Big Scary who produced that first EP and definitely opened up our eyes to the world of production and how much we actually care about it.”
Slum Sociable are on the road this December for a national tour that will see them play some of their biggest venues to date as a headline act.
“Some of these rooms, we’ve played them before but we’ve played them as support acts and the electricity in the air when the main act goes on is something hard to describe,” Miller says.
“Especially if you’re on the roster and you feel like you killed the show, then the main act comes on and everyone goes crazy.
“It’s pretty special so we are in disbelief that we are going to be the headline act at the same venues where we watched some amazing music happen. It’s exciting.”
Slum Sociable Tour Dates
Fri 1 Dec - Oxford Art Factory (Sydney)Sat 2 Dec - Corner Hotel (Melbourne)
Fri 8 Dec - Jack Rabbit Slims (Perth)
Sat 9 Dec - Fat Controller (Adelaide)
Thu 14 Dec - The Foundry (Brisbane)
Sat 16 Dec - Hobart Brewery
