Interview: Slater Snow – Red

This song was written right before leaving a complicated relationship behind to move to LA. It’s about knowing that you’re on the brink of change, but not knowing exactly what those changes are going to bring.

Hi Slater Snow, how are you today?

Hi, David! I’m doing pretty well. Excited to spend some time at Venice Beach later.

For those that haven’t heard of you yet, how would you best describe your sound, and who have been your biggest influences so far?

My sound goes back and forth between moody alt-pop and high-energy bubblegum pop. The moodier side is hugely influenced by Lana Del Rey and Lorde, and the brighter side is influenced by Charli XCX and Kesha. All the girls the gays love! Haha.

Do you remember what the first song was that made you want to start a career in music?

I think when I heard Kesha’s “Take It Off”, I heard how much fun music can be. It was wild, unapologetic, and made people want to have a good time. I think I’ve been building my musical world around that idea ever since.

You have just released your new single ‘Red’. Can you tell us how that track came about?

That song is funny because I was watching the Netflix docuseries about the band Nasty Cherry, and it was showing them working on songs, and I felt this immediate desire to write a song, even though I didn’t know what it would be. So I found a track that spoke to me online and I kind of improvised “Red” as the track played. It kind of wrote itself! 

And is there a story behind it?

I wrote it right before leaving my life in West Virginia behind to pursue music in Los Angeles. I had been involved with a guy there for a few years, and it was kind of a challenging relationship, so the song is my way of processing that I was about to really leave, and was on the brink of all these changes, and I didn’t know where they were gonna lead. 

Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?

I have ten more songs I’m working on releasing, but for now, I’m going to put them out one at a time as singles. When the time comes for me to make a record, I’d really like to have some help from a musical collaborator(s) and/or a more business-like entity. I don’t wanna make an entire album all by myself. My favorite thing about music is how social it is, so I’m using the singles to build my network here in Los Angeles for the time being. But yeah, at least ten more songs coming soon!

The coronavirus outbreak has obviously affected everyone’s plans, but what have you got in store for the rest of the year?

Since the restrictions have been lifted in Los Angeles for a couple of weeks, live music is slowly coming back, so I’m really really excited to get back out there and playing open mics and hanging out with other musicians. Singing the music live for people is definitely the best part.

And finally, what is the best piece of musical advice you have ever been given?

Emily Kinney is a singer-songwriter and actress who has a podcast called My Caffeine Withdrawal on which she talks to artists about their creative paths, with the goal of the podcast being to keep people inspired and creating. One time, she said that if you want a creative career but don’t know what to do, just do it every single day, whether it’s singing, writing, playing an instrument, or any combination of the 3, and from tapping into your creative energy on a daily basis, you will naturally be guided toward sharing it with others.