Slow Pulp become indie rock stars on ‘Melodie’ tour

Slow Pulp is a defining band of modern indie rock. Their songs are layered with electric guitar, packed with catchy vocals, and produced with inspiration from shoegaze, slowcore, and even country. Now three albums in, the group seems ready to harness their growing fame and acclaim.

The Madison-born band headlined Union Transfer Thursday night; the city was wet and shiny, lights reflecting from the day’s rainstorms. About two months before this show, Slow Pulp released their anticipated album Melodie via Anti-, arriving almost exactly three years after 2023’s Yard. Their biggest song, however, still happens to be the breakout track “Falling Apart” from their Winspear-backed debut album Moveys; a certified Spotify Radio juggernaut with a heart-wrenching violin line. 

Four-piece noise rock band Her New Knife, a local Philadelphia DIY community favorite, opened the show. They emerged from the smoke and began an experimental set featuring very intimate vocals from lead singer Edgar Atencio, which Ben Kachler’s creatively unconventional guitar work quickly buried. In black-and-white light, the band’s vibes were creepy, but seemingly well-received by the crowd. They ended with their recent single “lyre,” which could be a glimpse at an upcoming project. Her New Knife has dropped music under Julia’s War Records, but hasn’t released a proper debut album.

In between acts, it was hard not to notice the amount of gear on stage as Her New Knife quickly struck their equipment. At least 15 guitars sat in view before the openers removed theirs. The house lights dimmed for the headliner, and Slow Pulp took the stage in rockstar fashion. Holding just the mic for the first song, “Better Man,” lead singer Emily Massey performed with confident, commanding stage presence, illuminated by flashing lights from either side to create a runway-esque, paparazzi image. The setup was simple but brought out the band’s pop-star side.

With producer Henry Stoehr on lead guitar, the group also had Alex Leeds on bass, Teddy Matthews on drums, and Joe Suihkonen providing background vocals, keys, and more guitar layering. They continued with a few Yard singles, “Cramps” and “Slugs,” providing the room with some very singable choruses to warm them up. In the live setting, it became clear how big and impressive Massey’s vocal performances are on most of the Slow Pulp songs. Her naturally breathy tone can make those aspects less apparent in their recordings.

The pace slowed down with Melodie’s standout opener “Yellow and Green,” which has to be a Packers reference. Stoehr appeared to play his acoustic guitar with some sort of bow, creating a rhythmic buzzing during the track. One sad song led to another, and they began “Falling Apart,” although Massey turned it into a joyful moment by pointing the mic towards the crowd during the chorus. 

Yard and Melodie tracks comprised most of the rest of their set. Massey surprised the audience by whipping out a harmonica during “Broadview” and nailing the post-chorus parts live. Apart from the newer cuts, OG fans were thrilled to hear “High,” a single from the band’s 2019 EP Big Day, which proved to be a slow-building rager. Near the end of the set, Massey made sure to shout out one of her childhood friends and a few of the band’s parents in attendance, as well as their lights, sound, tour manager, and merch people.

The “MUD” chorus line of “I don’t want this to end” became all too true as the band reemerged for an encore following the somber track, performing the stripped-back Melodie closer “Slip Away” as well as one of their earliest singles “At Home” to cap off the night around 10:30 p.m. 

For more on Slow Pulp, check out their 2024 World Cafe appearance, find them on tour this month, or listen to their third studio album Melodie!