Early Life & Formation
Slow Fiction is a five-piece indie rock band hailing from Brooklyn, New York. They formed in March 2021, when vocalist Julia Vassallo, guitarists Joseph Skimmons and Paul Knepple, bassist Ryan Duffin and drummer Akiva Henig came together via Craigslist ads and mutual friends. The members themselves had relocated from places like New Jersey, Oregon and Virginia before operating out of New York.
Their first gathering took place in Vassallo’s East Village apartment, where they sat in a circle with guitars and worked through what would become their early material. Their debut demos were recorded live in May 2021, and that immediate creative spark laid the foundation for the band’s identity.
Musical Style & Influences
Slow Fiction blends the grit of early-2000s garage rock with art-school poetics and an East Coast urgency. They cite influences ranging from poets like Anne Waldman and Ted Berrigan (of the New York School) to bands like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol and The Walkmen. Their sound features sharp guitars, churning drums, bittersweet melodies and lyrics that combine personal reflection with cinematic framing.
As they describe their approach: they record, jam, and write with spontaneity—sometimes pulling a song together in half an hour. The band emphasises sound and texture: they use live rehearsal acoustics, studio noise and sampled materials to build the sonic world around their songs.
Career Highlights
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Early Releases (2022): Their double-single “The Cut / Niagara” debuted in February 2022 on Paper Moon Records. The tracks quickly caught attention, building momentum via East-Coast live shows.
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Live Gigs & Growth: Following their formation, Slow Fiction toured the East Coast in spring 2022 and then settled in Brooklyn to focus on recording and honing their identity.
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Debut EP (2023): Their self-titled debut EP was released in early 2023. It features tracks like “In the Distance, Where It Doesn’t Matter”, “Jericho”, “Top 10 Movie Scenes”, “Madman” and “Brain Protection Agency”. These songs showcase emotional urgency, layered instrumentation and melodic tension.
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Writing & Recording Process: For the EP they spent the summer writing, arranging and demoing before entering the studio. Their aim: to create music with depth, vulnerability and fun—an immediate snapshot of who they are at this point.
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Live Ambition: As of the release, the band expressed intent to build a more robust team (management, agent, distribution) and expand touring beyond the East Coast.
Notable Tracks & Themes
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“Jericho”: A standout track whose biblical reference pairs with raw guitar chugs and lyrical weight; the band calls it a “heated upheaval”.
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“Top 10 Movie Scenes”: More melodic and cinematic, this track reflects on memory, longing and the false lenses we use in retrospect.
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“Brain Protection Agency”: Their most developed track to date, rooted in a ukulele sketch from March 2021, growing into a chaotic, cathartic finale.
Across these songs, common themes emerge: emotional threshold, illusion vs reality, and the self as spectator and participant.
Why Slow Fiction Matters
Slow Fiction stands out because they marry indie rock authenticity with intellectual and poetic touches. The band’s formation—just as venues reopened after the pandemic—gave them a unique vantage: raw energy meets thoughtful craft. Their debut EP presents a band finding its voice and refusing to play safe: noisy guitars sit beside tender vocals; confessional lyrics meet sweeping arrangements. For fans of modern indie rock with depth, Slow Fiction offers a promising vantage point.
As one reviewer put it: “emotional turbulence never felt so damn good.”
Looking Ahead
With their debut EP out, all eyes are on Slow Fiction’s next chapter. Will they expand their geographic footprint on tour? Add more colour to their sound on a full-length? Collaborate with producers to refine or challenge their aesthetic? The groundwork is solid: a defined voice, compelling live potential and a creative hunger.
For new listeners: start with the EP and keep an ear on forthcoming announcements—they’re a band primed to move fast now that they’ve found their footing.
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