Slow Down Molasses: Reflecting on a 16-Month Touring Cycle and Teasing New Music

Saskatoon’s Slow Down Molasses is at the tail end of a 16-month touring cycle, just back from their first shows in Sweden and Denmark. We caught up with frontman Tyson McShane during a brief moment of peace between gigs and recording sessions. 

Blundstone: What’s happening right now for you guys?

McShane: We just put out a record [Minor Deaths] a year and a half ago, and toured a ton. It’s one of the best-received live tours we’ve ever had, so we’re really excited to take that energy, work it into new songs and put them on a record. 

At the end of a touring cycle, I can be kind of saddened that I don't have a big trip to Germany, the U.K., or Montreal coming up, but it’s really exciting to have this chance to write.

Blundstone: Sixteen months is pretty crazy!

McShane: Ya, we were on the road every other month. It’s hard to be away from partners and children, but we’ve been really fortunate. Every time we put out a record, we get to tour just a little further abroad, which means we’re going to play with bands we absolutely adore that will probably never play in Saskatoon.

The only reason we do this is just because we’re fans. We want to play festivals in the U.K. because we want to see these bands, we want to go to Toronto and see if we can play with somebody we love there. We’re doing this because we love to hang out with bands and see bands.

Saskatoon has so many fantastic bands, too—there are just so many wonderful musicians in our isolated province who don’t get the opportunity to tour. So it’s an essential thing for us to suggest these bands and promote them, to make sure others are aware of them. We just love it so much.

Blundstone: So now you’re in the writing stage of the cycle. Is that process a solo effort?

McShane: We’ve gotten more and more into collaborating on writing. I still bring a lot of ideas myself, but I'm very cognizant that everything gets better when filtered through the lens of everyone working together.

Blundstone: Sounds you’re getting to take a breather for a bit.

McShane: Well, we all put in the hours in our non-music life when we’re home, which gives us these incredible opportunities to tour.

Blundstone: Will fans get a glimpse into your new stuff soon?

McShane: We’ll head into the studio later this year, but I did recently discover something we may be able to release this summer. I’m just working on that possibility now.

Get a glimpse into Slow Down Molasses’s high-energy shows and be the first to hear about their new releases at slowdownmolasses.com and @slowdownmolasses.