Today, British punk duo Slaves debuted the video for their third single “Magnolia” via a premiere on NME. A slab of catchy, grungy guitar pop, “Magnolia” is both a sneering takedown of suburban consumerism and a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the bland and ubiquitous paint which has found its way into so many UK homes. The video finds the band indulging their inner painter/decorator, giving the audience a little glimpse into what their life may have been like if they hadn’t pursued their career in music. The track stems for the band’s latest album Acts Of Fear And Love, which debuted at #8 on the UK Billboard chart this past August.
Acts Of Fears And Love, Slaves third album, is not what you’ve come to expect from the duo and yet it also feels like an amalgamation of everywhere they’ve been to date. Bandmates Isaac Holman and Laurie Vincent are no longer content railing against the status quo, they want to smash their own self-created system. The record is far more genre-bending than past releases, containing the speed-y vitriol that’s always been par for the Slaves course, but tempered by quieter, dreamier moments of straight-up ‘90s indie. The album cover, shot by luminary photographer Juergen Teller, marks the first time Slaves have been featured in their own artwork, joining them Laurie’s son Bart. Acts Of Fears And Love can be purchased here now.
Slaves have had an action-packed year of festivals playing the likes of the Foo Fighters’ curated CalJam, Lollapalooza in Chicago, IL, Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas and Governor’s Ball in New York City. The band have just completed an extensive US tour and are in the middle of a month-long European jaunt before hitting the road in the UK for what will be their biggest run of shows so far.