On The Radar #74 The Slytones

“Uprageous, cantographic and pshogomanic. Just what the National Health Service need to put spine back in the body musical.”

That’s how Arthur Brown described The Slytones, who are launching their new single Shake The Cage tonight.

Below Fred and Dry from the clown-faced Brighton avant-pop band talk about their debut album and biggest shows.

Fred: “We started out as a three-piece. Ash (guitar/vox), Fred (drums) and former bassist Milky met through a mutual friend, jammed and started writing in 2006.”

Dry “Our rolling stone gathered moss along the way in the form of lead guitarist Bradley Wescott, bassist Chris Warren and Robin O' Keeffe, aka 'Dry Daniel 'taking on percussion/sample duties.”

Dry: “Our main influences are 1960s psychedelia - The Beatles, Hendrix, The Doors. I also take a lot of inspiration from jazz, prog and gospel. The Mars Volta, basically. We have a love of local music scene and wanting to do something different.”

Fred: “Our biggest gig was a night called Stranger Than Paradise at the Hootananny, in Brixton. It was right after our van got broken into and had the stereo stolen. Luckily we had already taken our gear inside! We played to a full house and it was mad.”

Dry: “Supporting Arthur Brown at Komedia a couple of years ago was also pretty big. We'll be playing there again with Brown on Friday, October 30.

“The Slytones debut album spanned two years of pregnancy and one year of hard labour, to produce an ugly love child of epic proportions. We recorded at Ford Lane Studios with producer Rob Quickenden.”

The Slytones play The Hope And Ruin, in Queens Road, Brighton, tonight (Fri 26) from 8pm, to launch their new single.

Support from Eighteen Nightmares At The Lux and Dirty White Fever. Tickets £4. Call 01273 325793.

They will be on tour with Brighton indie-folk-rockers The Moulettes in September.

Find out more:

www.theslytones.com

www.facebook.com/theslytones

twitter.com/theslytones

soundcloud.com/the-slytones