In the single “Stew” by Slow Dress, you might recognize the aching sound of Katie Solomon’s voice paired with the guitar riffs that Bredon Jones plays for the St. Louis-by-way-of-Boston band. The bandmates used to be in Jakals, and have a history of playing grunge-y indie rock around Boston’s more intimate venues. In fact, the pair met at an open mic night at the Lizard Lounge. They decamped to St. Louis three years later.

Now, with the same earnest edge and storytelling lyricism the artists brought to their previous project, they release “Stew.” In it, Solomon isn’t afraid to dive fully into something that’s especially hard to talk about right now—death. Her hypnotic vocals, reminiscent of other alt./indie artist Julia Jacklin, muse over the idea of dying, and intrinsically, not fully living. 

The song’s pre-chorus feels awfully relevant to life under lockdown. Solomon sings: “Everything’s happened that is ever gonna happen. Heaven is eating the same stew that you eat every evening, and it’s all that you’ll eat again.” Soloman’s ability to evoke the pain of the last line is striking, and then a medley of instruments crescendo into the chorus.

We took a moment to ask the band a few questions about settling in a new city among a global pandemic, how they’re sourcing inspiration, and more about their first single from an upcoming debut. Stream “Stew” and read the interview below, then mark your calendars for the band’s next virtual gig.

 

Allston Pudding: Why did you move from Boston? 

Katie Solomon: Bredon had to move back to St. Louis last year. So, I decided it was worth it to give it a shot living in St. Louis so we could be in the same place. It’s much cheaper! I was there for a couple months and we did a lot of writing and recording but plans sort of changed after coronavirus hit. Right now we are just keeping our options open about what could happen after this pandemic.

AP: How are you finding the St. Louis scene? By which I mean both: how do you feel about it, and how are you finding contacts especially during this weird time?

KS: To be honest, we didn’t get much of a chance to get too involved with the scene before coronavirus. We saw a bunch of shows that were pretty cool and we met a few people and we had some shows lined up but sadly had to cancel. Luckily, we have a strong connection with the Boston music scene and it’s been awesome to stay connected during this time and be able to watch/support friends doing live streams, etc.

AP: Where was “Stew” written?

KS: The music was started in St. Louis by Bredon and lyrics were started in Boston by me and then we came together in Boston and the song was born. So, I guess it was written in Boston? 

AP: Where was it recorded?

Bredon Jones: We recorded with producer Cairo Marques-Neto at 37’ Productions in Rockland. 

AP: Considering the idea behind the lyrics that make up “Stew,” what are you doing to live your life to the fullest while in quarantine/social distancing?

KS: I guess just remembering to be present each day. It’s so easy to get caught up in social media especially during a time like this. And to feel so isolated and low. I’m just constantly working to stay connected to myself and the people I care about. I had a bunch of years, in the midst of and following some traumatic experiences, where I really isolated myself and was in a mindset where I felt a need to constantly be producing. My value felt so tied to what I was doing/creating. I was just moving so quickly and felt like I wasn’t really living. Thankfully, I’ve been working to change that mindset for the past year or so and I am continuing to do that during this time. Meditation has been helpful with that. And writing a lot just for the sake of writing for myself. 

AP: How has your songwriting process been affected by “the new normal”—if at all?

BJ: Honestly, we already had developed a strong long-distance writing process since I have been in St. Louis since 2018. So it’s pretty much business as usual for us right now. And we have plans to reunite soon to continue working on new material.

AP: What has inspired you this week? (music, podcast, book, movie, poem, animal, scent, neighbor—anything)

BJ: I’ve been inspired by the moon this week. I love the full moon and it’s been informing my songwriting, lyrics, etc. I went back through some old lyrics and found references to the moon in 4 or 5 of them. Also I’m visiting with my parents right now so it has been great to be close to other humans after so much time self-quarantining. So I guess it’s inspiring to let someone else cook amazing food for me. 🙂

KS: All the mutual aid efforts have been awesome and inspiring.