The Slow Show

3792 fans

Our new single 'Blinking' is out now!

'Progress is slow', Fred 't Kindt says. And of course he's right. Listening to 'Still Life' for the first time, you’d think it's The Slow Show as you know it. Returning to debut 'White Water', only six years old, you realise this has become a different band. 'It's in the name', the keyboard player grins. 'You think we don't evolve, but as you can hear on this record we've stepped quite a bit out of our comfort zone.'

This is the fourth album by The Slow Show, and it has been a ride. Between the start of the band around 2012 and the Moment the World Stood Still, this band had an amazing eight years. From their breakthrough 'White Water' on, it was clear The Slow Show was not 'just another band from Manchester.' The legacy of The Smiths, Joy Division and all those other great predecessors is not something to be trifled with, but The Slow Show didn't need to wear their address on their sleeve: this was something else, fully formed, with a mesmerising sound, rich in atmosphere and melody, with hints of The National. Americana with a stiff upper lip, you might want to call it.

Today, The Slow Show isn't even a Manchester band anymore. How could it be, with guitarist Joel Byrne-McCullough born and bred in Northern Ireland, 't Kindt originating from Belgium. Since 201?, singer Rob Goodwin even lives in Germany, where the band always found a lot of welcoming arms. It was the Haldern Pop-label that gave the band its first opportunities, releasing 'White Water' in 2015 to great acclaim. The press loved the intricate melodies, sweeping songs like 'God Only Knows' and 'Brother'. When 'Dream Darling' followed, only a year later, the band had already reached a next step: playing bigger crowds all over Europe.

On third album 'Lust And Learn', The Slow Show took a left turn. There, the unusual mix of influences came into focus. Of course, you still hear Goodwin’s knack for classic song writing, but also 't Kindt’s classical education, in pieces like 'Amend' or 'Breath:Air', or Byrne-McCullough’s jazz-upbringing. And on 'Brother', you already might have picked up on drummer Chris Hough’s background in brass bands. 'Lust And Learn' was rich in detail, replacing big gestures with small, beautiful movements.

And now this. 'Still Life'. Same but different again. 'We did develop our sound', says Goodwin. 'We had to try something else. We felt we owed that to ourselves, and to the people that come and enjoy the music. We explored a lot of stuff: different sounds, different feelings, different ideas, different processes as well. Some of them didn't work at all, but some did. It was difficult and challenging, but it felt good in the end.' And then you hear it, indeed. This is no longer the alt-rock band of 'White Water' and 'Dream Darling'. Those albums had big songs, with hooks and choruses. And where 'Still Life' keeps the subtle tapestries of third album 'Lust And Learn', it also lurches forward, searching for new territories.

'I actually see what we make now as instrumental music.' Maybe it's guitarist Joel Byrne-McCullough’s take that delivers the clearest explanation of the evolution on the last two Slow Show albums. 'Of course there's Rob’s vocals, but they are adding to the mix as an instrument. We've moved away from the more traditional song structures.'

A lot more is new on this album. 'Some new approaches and sounds crept in', 't Kindt says. 'Some were far from our older work. For instance: after some initial encouragement from me, Rob was keen to sing a bit higher on this record. Chris was encouraged to make his drums a bit more present; some things almost sound like a breakbeat to my ears.'

'I've really enjoyed the last tours, where we started to see some movement in the audience', says Goodwin about that. 'Fred and I often talk about these 'head nod moments', because nothing makes me happier than seeing a bunch of heads nodding to our music. That was a real thought I had when we were writing some of those rhythms. I really hope that people just shut their eyes and nod their heads to this, you know, but maybe slightly quicker than in the past.'

So why 'Still Life'? 'I love the art form', Goodwin deadpans, 'the still lives painters make. But at the same time, of course, I was in a sort of stationary position. Before the virus arrived, I had a busy life; spending two weeks in Germany with my girlfriend, and then flying to Manchester to work with Fred or to a gig. And then all of a sudden, life came to a halt. It took a little getting used to, but I actually had a really nice realisation during that time. I understood that the slower life got, the more I saw. I spent a lot of time in nature, seeing things in a different perspective. And that's what you need, when you're trying to create. You have to really look, and then you see things happening everywhere.'
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Top tracks

03
Low
The Slow Show
Lust and Learn
04:49
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show
04
Lullaby
The Slow Show
Dream Darling
03:35
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
11
God Only Knows
The Slow Show
White Water
04:15
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
01
Dresden
The Slow Show
White Water
05:03
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Joel Byrne-McCullough - Christopher Hough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
01
Amend (2 Meter Session)
The Slow Show
Jan Douwe Kroeske presents: 2 Meter Session #1698 - The Slow Show
02:52
Composers: Robert Goodwin - The Slow Show
03
Bloodline
The Slow Show
White Water
05:09
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
09
Vagabond
The Slow Show
Lust and Learn
03:52
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show
01
Mountbatten
The Slow Show
Mountbatten
05:03
Writer: Rob Goodwin / Composers: Chris Hough - Fred 't Kindt - Joel Byrne-McCullough - Rob Goodwin
03
Ordinary Lives
The Slow Show
Dream Darling
03:57
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
04
Places You Go (2 Meter Session)
The Slow Show
Jan Douwe Kroeske presents: 2 Meter Session #1698 - The Slow Show
05:15
Composers: Robert Goodwin - The Slow Show
03
Low (2 Meter Session)
The Slow Show
Jan Douwe Kroeske presents: 2 Meter Session #1698 - The Slow Show
04:51
Composers: Robert Goodwin - The Slow Show
02
Eye to Eye (2 Meter Session)
The Slow Show
Jan Douwe Kroeske presents: 2 Meter Session #1698 - The Slow Show
04:26
Composers: Robert Goodwin - The Slow Show
05
Bloodline (2 Meter Session)
The Slow Show
Jan Douwe Kroeske presents: 2 Meter Session #1698 - The Slow Show
07:04
Composers: Joel Byrne-McCullough - Robert Goodwin - Christopher Hough - Frederik 't Kindt - James Longden

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  • Discography
Albums
℗ 2019 The Slow Show under exclusive license to [PIAS] Recordings
30-08-2019
Lust and Learn
01
Amend
The Slow Show
Lust and Learn
03:04
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show
02
Eye to Eye
The Slow Show
Lust and Learn
04:51
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show
03
Low
The Slow Show
Lust and Learn
04:49
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show
04
Hard to Hide
The Slow Show
Lust and Learn
03:39
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show
05
St Louis
The Slow Show
Lust and Learn
03:53
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show
06
Loser's Game
The Slow Show
Lust and Learn
04:07
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show
07
Breath:Air
The Slow Show
Lust and Learn
01:44
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show
Access the complete album info (12 songs)
℗ 2016 The Slow Show
30-09-2016
Dream Darling
01
Strangers Now
The Slow Show
Dream Darling
05:18
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
02
Hurts
The Slow Show
Dream Darling
04:23
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
03
Ordinary Lives
The Slow Show
Dream Darling
03:57
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
04
Lullaby
The Slow Show
Dream Darling
03:35
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
05
Dry My Bones
The Slow Show
Dream Darling
03:52
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
06
This Time
The Slow Show
Dream Darling
04:19
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Chris Hough - Frederik 't Kindt - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
07
Brawling Tonight
The Slow Show
Dream Darling
03:04
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
Access the complete album info (10 songs)
℗ 2015 The Slow Show
06-03-2015
White Water
01
Dresden
The Slow Show
White Water
05:03
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Joel Byrne-McCullough - Christopher Hough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
02
Long Way Home
The Slow Show
White Water
03:50
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
03
Bloodline
The Slow Show
White Water
05:09
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
04
Testing
The Slow Show
White Water
03:53
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Chris Hough - Frederik 't Kindt - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
05
Brother
The Slow Show
White Water
04:02
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
06
Bad Day
The Slow Show
White Water
03:36
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
07
Augustine
The Slow Show
White Water
03:15
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
Access the complete album info (11 songs)
EPs
2020 2 Meter Sessies
17-01-2020
Jan Douwe Kroeske presents: 2 Meter Session #1698 - The Slow Show
01
Amend (2 Meter Session)
The Slow Show
Jan Douwe Kroeske presents: 2 Meter Session #1698 - The Slow Show
02:52
Composers: Robert Goodwin - The Slow Show
02
Eye to Eye (2 Meter Session)
The Slow Show
Jan Douwe Kroeske presents: 2 Meter Session #1698 - The Slow Show
04:26
Composers: Robert Goodwin - The Slow Show
03
Low (2 Meter Session)
The Slow Show
Jan Douwe Kroeske presents: 2 Meter Session #1698 - The Slow Show
04:51
Composers: Robert Goodwin - The Slow Show
04
Places You Go (2 Meter Session)
The Slow Show
Jan Douwe Kroeske presents: 2 Meter Session #1698 - The Slow Show
05:15
Composers: Robert Goodwin - The Slow Show
05
Bloodline (2 Meter Session)
The Slow Show
Jan Douwe Kroeske presents: 2 Meter Session #1698 - The Slow Show
07:04
Composers: Joel Byrne-McCullough - Robert Goodwin - Christopher Hough - Frederik 't Kindt - James Longden
℗ 2019 The Slow Show
05-06-2019
Live With Hallé Youth Choir
01
Eye to Eye (Acoustic)
The Slow Show
Live With Hallé Youth Choir
03:53
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
02
Hard to Hide (Acoustic)
The Slow Show
Live With Hallé Youth Choir
03:37
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
03
Sharp Scratch (Acoustic)
The Slow Show
Live With Hallé Youth Choir
03:54
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
04
Low (Acoustic)
The Slow Show
Live With Hallé Youth Choir
04:54
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
℗ 2012 The Slow Show
07-05-2012
Brother
01
God Only Knows
The Slow Show
Brother
04:15
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
02
Brother
The Slow Show
Brother
04:05
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
03
Dirty Little Secret
The Slow Show
Brother
03:58
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Chris Hough - Frederik 't Kindt - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
04
Goodbye Rose
The Slow Show
Brother
03:37
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
℗ 2011 The Slow Show
09-05-2011
Midnight Waltz
01
Falling Slow
The Slow Show
Midnight Waltz
02:51
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
02
Missing The Rain
The Slow Show
Midnight Waltz
03:10
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
03
I Hope That I Don't Fall For You
The Slow Show
Midnight Waltz
00:39
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
04
Mr Blue Tie
The Slow Show
Midnight Waltz
04:06
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
05
Run With Me
The Slow Show
Midnight Waltz
03:16
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Chris Hough - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
06
Don't Let Me Down, Pt.1
The Slow Show
Midnight Waltz
01:54
Writer: Robert Lloyd Goodwin / Composers: Chris Hough - Frederik 't Kindt - Joel Byrne-McCullough - James Longden - Robert Lloyd Goodwin
Singles
℗ 2023 The Slow Show under exclusive license to [PIAS] Recordings
30-05-2023
One Shot
01
One Shot
The Slow Show
One Shot
03:58
Writer: Frederik 't Kindt - Joel Byrne-McCullough - Rob Goodwin - Christopher Hough / Composers: Frederik 't Kindt - Joel Byrne-McCullough - Rob Goodwin - Christopher Hough
℗ 2020 The Slow Show under exclusive license to [PIAS] Recordings
17-03-2020
Mountbatten
01
Mountbatten
The Slow Show
Mountbatten
05:03
Writer: Rob Goodwin / Composers: Chris Hough - Fred 't Kindt - Joel Byrne-McCullough - Rob Goodwin
℗ 2019 The Slow Show under exclusive license to [PIAS] Recordings
12-11-2019
Eye to Eye (Acoustic)
01
Eye to Eye (Acoustic)
The Slow Show
Eye to Eye (Acoustic)
03:54
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show
℗ 2019 The Slow Show under exclusive license to [PIAS] Recordings
01-10-2019
Low (Acoustic)
01
Low (Acoustic)
The Slow Show
Low (Acoustic)
04:55
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show
℗ 2019 The Slow Show under exclusive license to [PIAS] Recordings
30-07-2019
Low
01
Low
The Slow Show
Low
04:49
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show
℗ 2019 The Slow Show under exclusive license to [PIAS] Recordings
10-07-2019
Sharp Scratch (Acoustic)
01
Sharp Scratch (Acoustic)
The Slow Show
Sharp Scratch (Acoustic)
03:54
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show
℗ 2019 The Slow Show under exclusive license to [PIAS] Recordings
19-06-2019
Vagabond
01
Vagabond
The Slow Show
Vagabond
03:52
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show
℗ 2019 The Slow Show under exclusive license to [PIAS] Recordings
05-06-2019
Hard To Hide (Acoustic)
01
Hard to Hide (Acoustic)
The Slow Show
Hard To Hide (Acoustic)
03:37
Writer: Robert Goodwin / Composers: The Slow Show