For a band named after “Slow One,” Sloan sure came out of the gate pretty fast and is showing zero sign of slowing down anytime soon.
On forming in Halifax in early 1991, the alt-rock quartet took its name from one Jason Larsen, a mutual friend of Sloan’s members. Larsen had been nicknamed “Slow One” by his boss, which came out sounding like Sloan courtesy of his employer’s French accent. Larsen was on side with that, with one condition: that he be featured exclusively on the cover of the band’s first album — the 1992 EP Peppermint — which he was.
This is a great story, but an even better story can be found in what has happened since for Sloan in the form of 13 full albums and nine Juno Award nominations, with a 1997 Best Alternative Album win for One Chord To Another.
Even more remarkable, and a rarity of sorts, is that Sloan’s original configuration of Jay Ferguson (rhythm guitar), Chris Murphy (bass), Patrick Pentland (lead guitar), and Andrew Scott (drums) remains intact, the only deviation from that consistency being the touring contributions of Greg MacDonald (keyboards).
Sloan’s near 35-year journey will continue Wednesday (July 16) when Peterborough Musicfest welcomes the band to Del Crary Park.
Admission is, as always, free, thanks to the support of a number of year-to-year sponsors, kawarthaNOW among them.
VIDEO: “Underwhelmed” – Sloan
When grunge music was gaining a firm foothold in Seattle and surrounding area in the late 1980s and early 1990s — think Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice In Chains — Sloan was immersed in a similar movement on Canada’s East Coast.
With each member of the band contributing vocals and songwriting, the band played its first show in February 1991 at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax.
Buoyed by the success of that debut, Sloan didn’t waste any time, releasing the aforementioned EP Peppermint and its lead single “Underwhelmed” in 1992, followed a few months later by a debut full album in the form of Smeared. A reworked version of “Underwhelmed” on that album peaked at number 25 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart.
In early 1995, in the face of rumours that the band was splitting up, Sloan put the tongue-wagging to rest, releasing Twice Removed, which earned gold status for Canadian sales and reaped a 1994 Juno Award nomination for Best Alternative Album. Two years later, Chart music magazine’s readers poll of the top Canadian albums of all time saw the album top the list. It felt like everyone was talking about Sloan.
Riding that high, Sloan released One Chord To Another in 1996. Still the band’s best-selling album, it brought the aforementioned Juno Award in 1997 on the strength of the high-charting singles “The Good In Everyone,” “The Lines You Amend,” and “Everything You’ve Done Wrong.” The album also continued the band’s progression to more of a Beatles-influenced power-pop sound.
Eleven more studio albums followed over the next two decades-plus, along with seven more Juno Award nominations from 1999 to 2012, five of those for Best Rock Album — in order, for Navy Blues, Pretty Together, Never Hear The End Of It, Parallel Play, and The Double Cross.
VIDEO: “If It Feels Good, Do It” – Sloan
After Sloan released its latest album, 2022’s Steady, bassist and vocalist Chris Murphy sat down for an October 2022 interview with the coincidentally named Emma Sloan of Range Magazine.
From the comfort of his home in Toronto, where the band is now based, Murphy spoke of the “democracy” that has served Sloan well.
“Each Sloan album is a shuffle deck of the musicians involved, and our influences,” he said. “We’re set up as a democracy, but not the type where we can out-vote each other. Everyone gets their own section of the album. All four of us write, expect each other to write, and share the credit, money, and responsibility evenly.”
“It’s a big reason why we’re still here — because we share everything and give everyone space to contribute creatively,” Murphy said. “After all, why else would you want to still hang out with someone you hung out with in high school?”
“When it comes to the writing process, though, we don’t exactly write together. It’s almost like The Beatles’ White Album, where it was basically four solo acts that were each other’s backing band.”
Another key to Sloan’s longevity and continued output, he added, is having a common love of their craft that only serves to strengthen the union.
VIDEO: “Scratch The Surface” – Sloan
“We’re fans of music, just like everyone else, and love to feed into that fandom. Creating events, items, room for lyric analysis … it’s what it’s all about. When it comes to the band, I’m usually the one making the phone calls like, ‘Our last record came out in 2018. Let’s get on with it.'”
All these years later, not lost on Murphy is the fact that Sloan brings something unique to the table beyond their music and stage presence.
“They say if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. I don’t know if there are many other bands you can name that are still making records with their original lineup 30 years in.”
Three years after that interview, Sloan is still going strong, with the band set to release its 14th album, Based On The Best Seller, this September 26th. They released the first single from the new album, “Live Together,” in June.
This Wednesday’s concert will be preceded at 6:30 p.m. by indie rock duo Alyssa Morrissey and Kyler Tapscott performing under the Cogeco tent near the George Street entrance to Del Crary Park.
They are appearing as part of Musicfest’s new Future Sound Series featuring the talents of local performers this summer.
VIDEO: “Live Together” – Sloan
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission concerts during its 38th season, each staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights until Saturday, August 16th.
Overseen by executive director Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission remains “to provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the 2025 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a headline sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest’s 2025 season.
