“Nothing On” is accessible from all angles and sees Slowly Slowly expertly strike the balance between frivolity and depth. Listeners on the outskirts of the band’s world will be drawn in by its dance and pop-esque sensibilities; meanwhile, faithful Slowly Slowly listeners will equally notice this tune’s heartache-tinged qualities and the depth of its storytelling.
Produced by Slowly Slowly frontman Ben Stewart and mixed by acclaimed UK producer Jonathan Gilmore (The 1975, Wolf Alice, Nothing But Thieves, beabadoobee), “Nothing On” serves as the first taste of new music from Slowly Slowly since their 2021 single “Blueprint,” which recently came in at #92 in triple j’s Hottest 100.
“With this song, I really tried to push the margin out on what is considered to be the Slowly Slowly wheelhouse,” says Stewart. “After I had finished writing the music, I knew I needed something that was furiously addictive, but I didn’t want to lose the depth of songwriting the band has grown to be associated with. I rested on something that had a few layers — at a glance, it’s frivolous, topical even. But I wanted to create the option to dive a little deeper for those wanting to listen more closely.”
He continues, “This song is about the world stopping and getting the chance to repair things that had gone unsaid or been swept up in the everyday, for some time. I was locked up in a house, and for the first time, was forced to look at what I had become — how I’d lost the fun side of myself. It’s a nod to the bittersweet nature of the last two years. It’s been so difficult, and yet, such a period of growth. Most of the music I’ve written in this period has an upbeat feel to it, in a desperate attempt to remember that feeling. I don’t think I could have handled writing a bleak-sounding record, and so this song, like many to come, details very complicated, painful situations housed in fun exteriors. Even if you choose to just scratch the surface, ‘Nothing On’ is highly addictive — we have been listening to it for months now and we’re still not sick of it.”
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