Neu SLAG: “A lot of our decision-making is fueled by what we think would be the most fun”
Meet the Brighton quintet putting flamboyance and fun firmly back on the menu.
In a world where we constantly seem to be banging on about the rise of AI and a lack of real human connection, it’s really rather comforting to be reminded that the magic of finding your people just by chance actually can - and does still happen. Take the origin of SLAG as a prime example; a group of five uni students who first met in a smoking area of Brighton’s Concorde 2 venue during Freshers week.
“I sort of came to Brighton on a mission to create SLAG,” nods vocalist Amelie Gibson, as she digs into their earliest meeting back in September 2023. “I came with the goal of finding the rest of the band. Me and Seb met,” she nods to her bandmate, keyboardist Seb Cooper, in his alternative Zoom window, “because we lived near each other, and we attended some Freshers events together, looking for the rest of the band; we found them on that first day.”
After an unexpected match of rock, paper, scissors helped decide their guitarist Dan Phillips’ place in the band, the rest was - as they say themselves - history, with their lineup completed by drummer Luke Martin and bassist Freya Eastcote. “It’s just so funny that the formation of our band was very much this ‘stars aligning’ moment,” notes Seb. “Everything kind of fell into place.”
“It feels a bit like the Power Rangers when we’re writing.”
— Amelie Gibson
From then on, the quintet hit the ground running, rehearsing and playing together regularly before beginning to gig locally. “We were all coming at this from completely different backgrounds, musically, and with completely different influences,” Amelie explains. “It feels a bit like the Power Rangers when we’re writing, where we’re all sort of like, ‘Hands in!’,” she laughs, referencing the iconic power move: “everyone’s bringing their different thing, but I think it creates something quite unique.”
That’s something evident from the eclectic nature of their discography so far. Having tested the waters with three previous singles (2024’s ‘Ripped’, followed by last year’s ‘Heaven’ and ‘Legs’), they’re now heading towards the release of their debut EP, ‘Losing’ (out this month, via Big Scary Monsters), a heady, five-track opening statement that ushers listeners into the technicolour world of the band - a world that doesn’t just start and end with the songs themselves.
“We all love dressing up, it’s so much fun,” enthuses Amelie, with regards to the visual personality of their band. From the kitsch prom night that acts as backdrop to the video of their EP’s title track, through to the painstaking spray-paint production line they set up for their vinyl sleeves (“I did feel like I was back in school doing arts and crafts,” the vocalist grins), via the creation of their very own magazine, if there’s one thing that really defines SLAG’s output so far it’s a sense of creativity and fun.
“It’s not just the music at this point,” Seb offers, “there’s so many parts to this that are just as enjoyable.” “I think you’ve hit the nail on the head with fun,” Amelie rounds off. “That’s what guides us quite a lot. A lot of our decision-making is fuelled by what we think would be the most fun.” Arguably, as it should be. “We just get to hang out with our best mates and do fun stuff all the time,” Amelie laughs, “and that’s great!”
‘Losing’ is out now via Big Scary Monsters.
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As featured in the March 2026 issue of DIY, out now.
Featuring Yard Act, Death Cab For Cutie, Graham Coxon, Maisie Peters and more.