After years of building a devoted following on stage, Slug Boys have finally unleashed their debut album, LISTEN TO SLUG BOYS. Known for their chaotic live performances and genre-defying sound, the band captures raw energy and tight songwriting in a record that is as unhinged as it is precise.

By Sandra Pinto

From blending Norwegian, British, and Swedish influences to mixing humor with political commentary, their music reflects a unique balance of introspection, absurdity, and punk-fueled intensity. In this interview, the band discusses the recording process, the challenges of capturing their manic live energy in the studio, and the vision behind their eclectic debut.

LISTEN TO SLUG BOYS is your debut album. How does it feel to finally release it after building a reputation on stage?
It feels more like a relationship than a reputation. We’ve met so many who repeatedly support us and spread the word. They sing our songs, ask questions about lyrics and even make setlist demands. It’s really personal and intimate, knowing that we have the privilege of their attention, love and support. They listen at home and listen again when they leave a show. We released the album knowing it was reaching those people so it felt very communal.

The album is described as unhinged yet precise. How did you balance raw energy with tight songwriting in the recording process?
Our Mixer and producer, Morten, was instrumental to this. He took the time to assess the vibe for every song and let each one be its own thing within the context of the genre, still retaining some kind of overarching concept. He also gave us the time and space for us to remember that raw energy. The studio is a cold and unforgiving place at times, so he created the right energy and spirit for us to thrive.

What was the biggest challenge you faced while creating the album?
There were times we had more opinions than people in the room. Something so final means high stakes, a million possibilities and conflicting ideas. Nothing too deadly, mind. We usually agreed when a song didn’t sound like the version the five of us had in our heads. Personally, I got sick twice at the beginning of the recording and progressively pulled every muscle in the left side of my torso. I was on painkillers while we recorded Painkiller!

Are there any particular tracks that you feel capture the essence of Slug Boys most clearly?
Not at all, and we’re so happy to say that. The fact that we haven’t constrained ourselves to a single angle is a point of pride. We have a lot of creative leeway for future songs because people expect the unexpected.

How does the album reflect the mix of Norwegian, British, and Swedish influences in your sound?
First, I have to say that we recently got described as “scandi-brexitcore” and I love that categorisation. From a geographical perspective, we had a bunch of musical blind-spots that we just took as an opportunity to share and discover. We built our musical relationship by watching each other discover these bands. As a Brit, I’m not going to know about Bob Hund or Kvelertak. In return, I got to share Idles and Famous.

Your music combines post-punk aggression with melodic hooks. Which artists or movements have been the biggest inspirations for the band?Speaking on behalf of the band: Idles for honesty, earnestness and energy, Turnstile for the atmosphere that sets a crowd alight, Viagra Boys for being a weirdo and getting away with it en masse. As a teen, I used to play Regina Spektor and System of a Down back-to-back and the boys have similar opposing influences. Frank Turner also springs to mind, a hardcore punk with a solid message who can break your heart in a single line.

How do you approach blending political themes with absurdity and humor in your lyrics?
I’ve known protestors of genocide who crack jokes in despair, firefighters coping using gallows humour and I’ve been to funny funerals. It feels natural to break solemnity with something else, anything else. My favourite is in Glasnost, and the whole “being flirtatious with Putin” pre-chorus, for all the homophobia, death and hate he has spread, it’s nice to do something he would despise. We also have songs on the tortures of life that neighbour a love-declaration to the Saab 900, an Elvis pastiche preceding a song about depression etc. This isn’t to trivialise these topics but to light up the dark, make certain topics more digestible and hopefully provide some form of catharsis. People need escape.

The album swings from punk-fueled blasts to emotional gut-punches. How do you decide when to dial up chaos versus reflection in a song?
I wish I knew. Maybe we have a general sense of pace that we subconsciously keep in balance?
Magnus likes his chaos in good measure, whereas I say I want chaos the whole time, only to pour my heart out in the spaces the boys create. We’ve happened upon the practise of wrapping mayhem in meaningful messaging. During shows, people fly across the room in our most vulnerable songs. We’re fortunate that they don’t see the two opposing forces as exclusive, they allow us to have our cake and eat it.

Slug Boys are known for chaotic live shows. How did you capture that manic energy in the studio?
Record in your underwear. Trying to bottle that up was such a challenge but the value of screaming in your pants cannot be underemphasised. Recording was a genuinely happy time for us as a band. With Morten and Bosse, we just had good vibes and felt comfortable. I hated my take on “Why” so much that I got Kasper, our bassist, in the room just to dance, pull faces and give some sense of life in an otherwise empty room. What took me half a day before turned into two useable full takes, cheers Kasper!

Have any live show experiences directly influenced songs on the album?
Glasnost. The experience of going to a Pornofilmy show here in Oslo is the reason that outro exists. There was unity in that room, from protestors who have been in newspapers, publicly declaring their stance on the invasion of Ukraine, knowing they might not visit family and still resisting.

How do you envision performing these songs live now that they’re fully recorded?
Oh, we got to try that out already. Only 8 days after release, we had a live celebration with our nearest and dearest. We’ve never experienced a gig like it. Now that people know the songs, they’re getting hyped up for certain parts, they anticipate when the room will erupt. It’s exactly what we’ve been aiming for.

The album was produced and mixed by Morten Øby and mastered by Emily Lazar. How did their involvement shape the final sound?
Emily first mastered one track for us, “Sleep forever”. The question of “Who masters the full album?” was not something we had to linger on once we heard what she was capable of with “The War”. I think she understood us. We needed consistency and cohesion for what is arguably the least cohesive album that could land on your lap. She also nailed our request for a transition between “One Of Us” after a happy accident in the studio left us with this guttural, pounding rhythm that we wanted to use as a vehicle to transition to “Painkiller”. Morten was very clear about the boundaries you get depending on if he’s there to mix, produce or both. There are hard realities you have to face here and there, but he always delivered the news in the kindest and most understanding way. Damn, are we glad he is our producer? He’s someone who throws himself into the love of the project and wholeheartedly carries it to completion with passion, excitement and belief.

Did working with experienced producers change the way you approached writing or recording the tracks?
Strictly speaking, we came to the studio having “finished” writing the songs but there would be a world of difference without him. He’s someone who sinks time and patience into each track until he understands the vision. He brought out odd “toys” for this sound or that sound, got us out of our comfort zone with wild techniques and really strived to understand the atmosphere of these songs that didn’t exist yet. Having someone with his experience, a highly-sensitive critical ear and that much skin in the game shaped everything that brought the album together. It’s a pleasure to see him work.

What do you want listeners to feel or take away after hearing LISTEN TO SLUG BOYS?
It would be nice to think that newcomers finish the album feeling introspective, energized and inspired, albeit a little confused. What I love most is being surprised by people who tell me how they feel. They cry, stay up until midnight to hear the full thing for the first time or spend 30 minutes in the bathroom re-listening to a song.

Looking ahead, how do you see Slug Boys evolving in sound and performance after this debut?
We have a few new songs in the works already and I don’t believe we’ll drastically change, we’ve only just figured out who we are and what Slug Boys actually sound like. Thankfully, the tone we’ve set means we don’t just have to pick one lane. Performing, however, is only getting more rewarding. We released this album slowly and that gave us a real opportunity to watch the crowd evolve. These days they go all-in with us and that offers a new level of confidence knowing they are sharing this experience as the 6th member of our band…Slug Boy or Slug Girl.