Heavy Moss Shares “Blutac” Single | Debut Album Dead Slow Out Now via p(doom) records
Last month, the psych-pop quartet hailing from Geelong, Australia, Heavy Moss, released their highly anticipated debut album, Dead Slow. Recorded over the span of 2 years, Dead Slow is an exploration of dynamic psychedelia layered with dreamy pop textures. Formed in late 2022, the band comprises Lucas Harwood, Sam Ingles, Kyle Tickell, and Bec Goring.
The album’s focus track, “Blutac,” is a standout—a transformative piece that began as a “subdued, Krauty electronic track” with sparse synth and drum machine elements, according to guitarist Kyle Tickell. Reflecting on the evolution of “Blutac,” Tickell shares, “The demo had been floating around since the first lock down (weird that we measure time in lock downs these days!). Once we started playing it as a group, it naturally felt like it had to belt along, so we layered in heavier textures and dug in. The song’s about regret and how it can make you pity yourself if left unattended. For some reason, it always felt like dawn or dusk, but I’m not sure which one. Special mention to Bec’s playing on this one. It Belts.”
FEATURE INTERVIEW:
How has Lucas and Sam’s shared hometown of Geelong, known for its own unique music scene, shaped Heavy Moss’ sound and approach as a band?
We all spent countless nights drinking at the beloved Nash growing up and dj-ing at basement, so for us Geelong still sings true of the grunge and electronic scene with River Rocks fest etc. The slower, quieter pace of life here does offer space to experiment and time to sit with ideas, but that said, most of this album was recorded separately. We managed to find time amidst our busy schedules—juggling tours, family commitments, designing etc. – Bec
Additionally, Heavy Moss lists diverse musical influences such as Elton John, King Krule, Spacemen 3, and Drug dealer. How did these inspirations come into play during the writing and recording of Dead Slow?
At the time of writing the songs I wrote for the album, I was listening to a lot of Elton John and Drug dealer and that was directly influencing my playing. I love the really bright, unashamedly cutting piano tones especially in Elton’s work. Specifically in Distant Boy I blended Yamaha’s digital emulation of a CP80 with a Mellotron Piano – love that sound. Sam and I go way back and we were definitely listening to a lot of The Black Angels, Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized when we were first in a band together, and I can hear that all over his tack Melt. As for Kyle, he mentioned he was listening to King Krule’s Space heavy a lot when we were making Dead Slow, and I can also hear that influence on his tracks. – Lucas
The album explores themes of regret and introspection, as highlighted in “Blutac.” Are there any other standout tracks with personal or thematic significance to the band?
Not that it was intentional, but a recurring theme seemed to be the banal realities of suburban-living, escapism from that, any way possible, then the regret and anxiety that comes with realizing what you got is good, and you need to get over yourself. Le con kind of bucks the trend as it’s loosely based on faith, with suburbia weaved in. But the rest, in some way, have the mentioned themes in common. And the record title ‘DEAD SLOW’ is an expression of that banal cycle, in which you can move forward, but only at an alarmingly slow pace. – Kyle
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