Interview with Slaney Bay

South-London based trio Slaney Bay have just released their breathtaking new single ‘The Snow and The Eclipse’. Combining delicate vocals reminiscent of Daughter, with euphoric guitar solos redolent of The War on Drugs, ‘The Snow and The Eclipse’ is a subtle-yet-spectacular single, one that instantly seeps into your subconscious.

We caught up with lead singer Cait Whitley to chat about the new single and how the band developed their sound.

Hi Cait! How’s everything going right now?
Hey Paul! It’s going great thanks. It’s currently the eve of The Snow and the Eclipse release, so we’re buzzing with excitement. Can’t wait for it to be out in the world!

Your new single “The Snow & The Eclipse” is released on February 23rd – tell us a bit about it.
The Snow and the Eclipse is an anthemic, indie-rock love song. We wanted to write a song that would fit on a film soundtrack. Something to slow-motion run to hahahha. So we packed it full of emotive, delicate lyrics, and soaring, electric guitar. It’s a very special song to us- detailing the experience of untold romantic feelings. I hope that people will listen to it and think of their specific person.

It’s only your third single release – what has changed, if anything, since you started with “Talking About You”?
I think we’re starting to pinpoint the ‘Slaney Bay’ sound more and more as we write. We love rises in sound, and creating songs that have a big build-up before a release of emotion. That’s what you get in both Talking About You and The Snow and the Eclipse. But Talking About You is more soft and delicate, and The Snow and the Eclipse feels dramatic. We want to keep exploring the whole alt-indie realm in this way. Pushing ourselves to write songs for every mood. I do have a soft spot for the lyrics in Talking About You- they’re quite vulnerable and layered with a lot of hidden meaning. So I always try to hit that same satisfaction, lyrically, with our other songs too.

If you could only listen to one record, what would it be?
I’m a big War on Drugs fan- so I’d have to pick their album, Lost In The Dream. Red Eyes is one of my favourite tracks- you’re taken on a proper journey throughout it. The swells of synth and those thumping drums almost instruct you on exactly what to feel, and when to feel it. They pack so much feeling and intricate sound into their music- but it doesn’t feel overcrowded. I think that’s a difficult thing to achieve. I’d choose that album…and try to pick up a bit of their magic.

Who did you listen to growing up and how did that influence the band’s sound?
We’ve got a very eclectic list of influences. Pretty much every genre is covered. I think that’s important in our sound. It helps us draw inspiration from a tonne of different sources, meaning that we don’t keep writing different versions of the same song. For me, classic indie-rock was my gateway into music. My dad bought me an MP3 player for Christmas when I was around 7 years old- with The Killers, Hot Chip, The Strokes etc all on it…So those big guitar riffs feel nostalgic to me- and I’m very drawn to that in Will’s writing too. Like the riff in Talking About You.

I can’t find a “Slaney Bay” anywhere on Google Maps – how did you come up with the name?
I’ve got Irish family, and I’ve always felt very connected to the country. We wanted a band name with meaning behind it, so Ireland popped up in my head straight away. Slaney is an area that has a load of intriguing mythological tales and hauntings, but the river that runs through it has been rumoured to be healing. So in our heads, ‘Slaney Bay’ is where the horror meets the healing. Everything feeds into that bay. I think the name reflects the emotion and hidden messages in our tracks too.

You have a gig scheduled for March 11th – how does your live sound compare to the records you’ve recorded?
We do indeed! We’re headlining Camden Rocks Festival on Friday March 11th at The Fiddler’s Elbow in Camden, London. We love playing live. There’s nothing quite like it. We take somewhat of a different approach to our songs at gigs as opposed to recordings. We focus on the energy and commitment to a performance, rather than all the intricacies we pack into recordings. I think it surprises people a bit. We’re a lot more bold and loud live haha! Joey really gets the crowd going!

What would go on your signature pizza and what would it be called?
The boys and I had some hard deliberations over this. We’re going for Saucy Bay. A deep dish pizza with spicy salami and every dip you can imagine.

What else do you have planned for 2022?
After The Snow and the Eclipse release and the March 11th headline, we’ll get back in the studio! We’re gonna knuckle down this year to get more music out there. I won’t spoil any surprises, but there’s some tracks that we can’t wait to show everyone…All announcements will be on our socials! @slaneybay everywhere…Thank you!

South-London based trio Slaney Bay fuse soft, introspective lyrics with soaring, ear-worm guitar riffs. Guided by melodic vocals and euphoric guitar tones, the band explores the whole indie- alternative genre. The band consists of 3- childhood friends: Caitlin Whitley (lead vocals and guitar); William Nicola-Thompson (lead guitar); and Joel Martin (backing vocals and bass). Slaney Bay’s debut single, ‘Talking About You’, garnered generous support in 50+ countries, with notable support from actor, Robert Carlyle. Their second single, The House Across the Street, is an earworm indie-pop track, lending to an energetic live performance. The group has enjoyed sold out crowds at Modern Age’s Ones to Watch for 2022 and Camden Rocks Festival.

You can find out more info on the band on their website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram