Slightest Clue is a Vancouver-based quartet. Charting the emotional highs and lows of a relationship, their new single “Suit Uptight!” grapples with the fear of losing someone.
Produced by Matt Di Pomponio, the thrashing verses represent one’s anxious state of mind in thinking this person might be gone for good. In contrast, the melodic choruses capture the sweet relief of realizing that you may have another shot at working things out.
Each member—Malcolm McLaren, Hannah Kruse, Sean Ries, Nick Sciarretta—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) 10 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, their distinct blend of post-punk, alternative rock, and dark pop, all bets are off. It wasn’t supposed to work, but it does, and they don’t have the Slightest Clue how or why.
• What can you share with readers about your new project?
Mac: Suit Uptight is the first single for our upcoming EP Carousel, and it’s the first time we have ever collaborated with a producer in Matt Dipomponio! He helped mix and produce the whole record with us as well as being encouraging and contributing creative ideas in the kindest way possible. It feels like a big step up in terms of presentation both sonically and visually for us.
Sean: this is our first project that has been thematic across the whole EP. Definitely something we are the most proud of to date.
Hannah: This was the first project where a lot of lyrics were written collaboratively, and it’s been really great to be at a place where Mac and I are able to work together to bring the best out of each other as lyricists.
Nick: If you play the song backwards at 1.5x speed and turn the volume on your speakers all the way up, you will annoy your next-door neighbours.
• How does this release compare with your other projects you had in the
past?
Sean: This whole project has been much more cohesive than our others. This EP aims to tell a full story this time as the theme progresses song to song. Where as before it was just the songs we had.
Mac: The songs as well as being our most conceptually cohesive is also our tightest and most confident songs to date. My writing feels a lot more direct and less abstract so I hope that resonates with people. We played and marinated with these songs for up to 2 years so they’ve had a long time to shape up and evolve compared to older projects.
Hannah: In a lot of ways, our first EP was just the first 5 songs we made that we really liked. This next project feels a lot more mature in a lot of ways.
Nick: This definitely feels like our most recently-released song, compared to our other releases.
• What about this single makes you most proud?
Sean: the fact that it turned from a song that was almost scrapped to a song that’s in my opinion super unique and super strong.
Mac: I’m really happy with where my vocal takes landed after dealing with some self consciousness that was eased by my bandmates. Sometimes it’s okay to include a lil sugar in the recipe.
Hannah: I think this single can appeal to lots of people but still truly sounds like a Slightest Clue song, and I’m really proud of that.
Nick: No matter what, I’m proud of and I love all my singles equally.
• Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?
Sean: to dig deeper into our skulls and create music that’s a step up from our original EP. I feel we gained a lot more confidence and comfortability writing with each other after our first.
Mac: We wanted to deliver what felt like a more cohesive and confident identity. Our first EP was just a collection of material with no clear visual relationship to the songs. This project feels like it lives in its own world, with all the songs concepts relating to one another and developing the story.
Hannah: We definitely have a very DIY spirit to our band and music, and we wanted to keep that core value intact while also pushing ourselves creatively. Matt was super down to do this project across a few locations and on a shoestring budget, and with his guidance, we were definitely able to level up as artists and people without sacrificing our core scrappy nature.
Nick: I was hoping this release would be featured on an episode of Gilmore Girls. Unfortunately I didn’t know that show stopped running over a decade ago.
• What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?
Sean: When people are receptive to the music. It’s super motivating when someone from the audience comes up to me after a show and says “ I love that song that goes like ‘nah nah nah’ “ and it turns out to be a new song.
Mac: I’ve been making things alone in my bedroom since 2014 and that process has always been cathartic and where I feel most useful. There’s something exciting and special to me when I listen to demos and I know I’m the only one on earth listening to this lil piece of audio. Music has become where I filter all my experiences and process darker things I don’t want to address. I feel inspired to keep going after sharing these songs with others and hearing and seeing the results of the work we all put in together as a band.
Hannah: Usually I feel something or experience something that is uncomfortable or strange, and when I can make noise and let it out, I feel better.
Nick: For me, it’s the steady and stable financial income that inspires me to be a musician.
• If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? If it’s an indie/DIY artist, please include a link so readers can check them out.
Sean: Lou Reed absolutely. I feel he has influenced a lot of my favourite artists as well as myself.
Mac: It’s hard not to say Kurt Cobain though I don’t honestly know what I could contribute on my end of the bargain haha so maybe Justin Trosper from the band Unwound.
Hannah: Paramore. They’re really place to find you and stay connected?
Sean: Instagram! Easiest place to let the world know about news on the band!
Mac: Instagram for sure, I run the dm’s so send me memes!
Nick: Instagram!!!
• I really appreciate your time. Is there anything you’d like to share before we sign off?
Mac: When it comes to washing your hair never buy the Two in One
Nick: Eat your vegetables!
