Inspired by a long list of musical rule-breakers from the past and present, Swedish alt-pop duo Slide are making sure no one boxes them in with their bold and dynamic sound. Having been compared to the likes of BROCKHAMPTON and Post Malone, the duo are ever-evolving their productions with euphoric melodies and boundary-pushing hip-hop beats creating a daring new soundscape.

Having soared to success with their breakthrough debut EP “Into Happiness” last year, the duo are now following up their addictive project with their new EP “Things I Tell Myself”. Breaking away from their initial sound, the duo embraces their more rebellious side with more statement lyrics and eccentric rock type-beats. Accompanied by a series of videos shot in LA, the band’s latest EP is an entrance into a new era for the group. We sat down with the duo talking their genre-bending EP, their success and what’s next.

Check out the interview below…

Hi guys, how has lockdown been treating you? What’s one thing it’s made you realise?
I’ve actually not really been that affected by lockdown other than having to wear a mask to the grocery store and stuff like that so I really can’t complain. I spend most of the time making songs in my bedroom anyway, so I’ve pretty much just kept on doing that but just going out a lot less. If anything it has just made me realize the importance of being around people and staying social. I’ve started facetiming a lot more to compensate.

How did you guys meet? And when did you realise your sonic synergy made for amazing punk music?
We met in high school. I guess we were both like outsider type dudes, so we found each other in that pretty quickly and since I wanted to sing and rap and stuff and Simon had just started getting into production our arrangement was pretty much set right from the get-go. Also, I think that feeling of being outside looking in is what gave us that punk mentality you’re talking about. It’s a kind of freedom to not have any expectations on you to be a certain type of person even if it comes from being an outsider.

Who did you guys grow up listening to – where are your strangest influences from?
My father told me he played me Red Hot Chili Peppers’ album Californication when I was still in the crib and so naturally that became my favourite album growing up. I even tattooed Scar Tissue on my right arm. Generally, I was just really into 90s bands like that growing up. Nirvana, Green Day, The Pixies, Coldplay’s early stuff. It was just recently, like a couple of years ago, that I got really into pop music. It might be a little out of character but I’m really inspired by people like Zara Larsson. I also love Blackbear, Dominic Fike and Lauv. I think what I’ve realized is that being punk is not giving a fuck and just being inspired by whatever you happen to be inspired by.

Congratulations on “Things I Tell Myself” – what does the name mean and what was the EP inspired by?
Thank you! The name is referencing the fact that I spend so much time in my own head just talking to myself. I keep obsessing over things and I keep trying to calm myself down by telling myself things. I think that’s recognisable for anyone who’s dealt with anxiety and the pressure of growing up, which is pretty much fucking everybody. So it’s inspired by a lot of those conversations I’ve had with myself. It’s also the beginning of this world I’m building with my music with California as a backdrop, like a lot of great music I like.

What’s been the best piece of feedback you’ve had on the EP so far?
Someone said it sounded like Post Malone meets Twenty One Pilots meets The Neighbourhood and I’m definitely down with that.

How do you think your sound has progressed since your debut EP “Into Happiness”?
It’s a lot less grungy and indie. We definitely went more pop but honestly, that wasn’t really our intention. We just kind of tried to not be restricted to be these try hard rock dudes even though that’s kind of how we started out. At the end of the day what we want to do is quality alternative pop music but keep the honest raw emotional side of it that we’ve always had.

Your recent set of visuals were shot in LA – how involved are you with the visual aspect of the music and what did you want to achieve with the music videos?
I’m actually very involved. I do all pre-production with our creative director and then I actually edit and colour the videos myself to make sure we get the vibe just right. With these videos, I really wanted to take our visuals to the next level and I had my mindset on doing everything in California for the longest time. It just felt like it fits our music so well.

What’s next for you? What are you excited about in 2020?
It’s a weird year for sure and so I’ve learned to be a little more careful with making plans. But I’m just gonna keep on with what I do. We’re gonna release more music and content – got to keep on pushing and keep on building towards the full vision!