Slaves has been a hot topic in the year since they released their first single with a new vocalist, “Heavier.” There was skepticism around replacing the previous frontman, but Matt came into his own as the band released single after single ahead of the long-awaited release of To Better Days. Today, we caught up with Matt and asked about the album lead-up:
New Fury Media: For a year, Slaves has been releasing singles and you’re up to a whopping six ahead of To Better Days. Why so many before the album hits?
Matt McAndrew: We weren’t sure when we’d see the album release so we shot a lot of videos ahead of finding the perfect release date. We had planned on a Spring release, as we had recorded the album back in last August, but COVID put it off until this August. It’s also reflective of the current state of how things go in the scene, with the singles market/playlist placement playing a part as well. We’re glad to get as much out ahead of the album!
New Fury: There’s a lot of self-reflection and regret in To Better Days. What inspired the lyricism on this record?
Matt: Well, actual self-reflection and regret I guess! (laughs) I spent too much of my life living in the past and not as present as I should have been. This record has been a great outlet for me to process it and I was surprised with how much I had to say.
New Fury: You look a lot different than the curly-headed kid on The Voice in 2014. What inspired the new tattoos/haircut?
Matt: My hair’s about the same now because of COVID! (laughs) I’ve gotten only 3 or so tattoos since I’ve been on the show, actually. Regarding the cut, I just decided to mix it up like everyone else does!
New Fury: Obviously you can’t reveal the band’s new name yet, but can you give me any insight on the brainstorm process for it?
Matt: We wanna do something that seems more attuned to our current style. We’re still in the decision process, but we have an idea on one and are pretty stoked about it. We definitely want it to stand out and represent the message of the band as a whole.
New Fury: What are your current dream bands to tour with?
Matt: For an opener, definitely Bring me the Horizon; they’ve been pushing the envelope on modern rock sound for a while now. As a whole tour package, we really like Dayseeker and Awaken I Am. Those real rock vibes that mix with a pop sound are great.
Big thanks to Matt for taking the time to talk to us today! To Better Days releases August 7th, and comes highly recommended from this writer. Check out Slaves before their eventual name change and explosion with To Better Days!
