SLIP~ons released their new single, “Graystone,” along with an accompanying video on October 14, 2024, through Scamindy Records. This guitar-heavy, power-pop quartet brings together two Canadian music legends, capturing the vibrant spirit of 90s rock.
Featuring Brock Pytel of The Doughboys and Brian Minato, known for his work with Sarah McLachlan, the band also includes Rob “Shockk” Matharu of The Spitfires on guitar and Shane Wilson on drums. Their sound evokes the energy and melodic hooks reminiscent of iconic bands such as Hüsker Dü, The Posies, Soul Asylum, and The Nils, while also appealing to fans of The Lemonheads, Ash, The Replacements, and Dinosaur Jr. To celebrate the release, they will host a single release party at Green Auto Music in Vancouver on November 15th.
“Graystone” showcases Pytel’s signature gravelly vocals and clever, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, all backed by slamming rhythms, punchy guitars, and rolling bass lines that drive the melodies. Sparse yet poignant gang vocals add depth to the track. Pytel reflects on the inspiration behind the song, saying, “The Graystone was a venue we used to play in Detroit back in the late 80s when I was in the Doughboys. It was always an adventure, from just getting across the border to dealing with the promoter, Cary Safarian, who everyone referred to as ‘Scary.’ When Rob and I started exchanging voice notes of the main riff, it brought to mind the MC5/Stooges Midwest sound. I wrote the lyrics based on my memories from those trips and reached out to my old bandmates, Scott McCullough and Jon Asencio, to gather their recollections, which also found their way into the song.”
The video for “Graystone,” produced by Scott Gordon at Halo Creative LA, embraces an imaginative approach. Pytel shares, “I stumbled upon J Robbins’s ‘exquisite corpse’ video and loved the concept. Nobody needs to see us old guys dancing around in a classic rock video, so animating it felt like a perfect solution. Scott was excited about the song and the ‘80s Detroit punk scene theme, which allowed for cool imagery featuring flyers, illustrations of the club, and photos from our past. I’m hoping to see a photo of teenage Shockk doing BMX tricks included in it.”
Recorded in May and July 2024 at Afterlife Studios in Vancouver, “Graystone” was produced by Brian Minato and the band, with mixing by Dave Ogilivie and mastering by Ronan Chris Murphy at Veneto West. Since their formation in 2012, SLIPons have established themselves as a powerful, guitar-driven band from Vancouver, BC, blending influences from the Exile on Main St. era of the Stones and the Afghan Whigs. With a history marked by acclaim, their last album, “Heavy Machinery,” garnered significant attention, spending seven weeks on College Radio across North America and receiving support from impressive broadcasters like KXLU (Los Angeles, CA), WFMU (Jersey City, NJ), WUTK (Knoxville, TN), and WXAV (Chicago, IL), along with coverage from numerous outlets including Global News, True Skateboarding, and Exclaim. As anticipation builds for “Graystone,” SLIPons continue to solidify their place in the power-pop and alt-rock landscape. The band plans to complete more recordings and videos in the months ahead and announce North American tour dates for 2024 and 2025.
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