Introducing: SLOWHANDCLAP

Known for fusing harsh punk energy with electronic noise, jagged hip-hop breaks, and an undercurrent of emotional tension, Slowhandclap aren’t just genre-bending — they’re genre-busting. With their latest single Disarm, the band sharpen their sound and vision into something unmistakably theirs. We caught up with them to talk origin stories, shared history, and the quietly dystopian world they’re making music in.

Disarm feels like a real statement — both musically and lyrically. What was the energy in the room like when that track came together?

Sam:Disarm actually started out as an electronic track. We later deconstructed it and rebuilt it together in the rehearsal room. That back-and-forth between programmed and live elements has become a big part of how we write now.We naturally lean toward harsh punk — it’s in our bones — but we’re all massively influenced by hip-hop and electronic music, so that bleeds into everything we do.Lyrically, the song came out of a very difficult time for me personally. But as I sat with what I’d written, I realised it wasn’t just about me. It tapped into this wider feeling of separation and disenfranchisement that a lot of people are carrying around right now.

You’ve known each other since childhood — how does that shape the way you write, argue, or push each other creatively?

We’ve known each other since we were teenagers — some of us even earlier. We’ve all played in different projects together over the years, so there’s a shorthand when we write.Yeah, we bicker (a lot), but we’ve grown to understand each other the way only old friends can. That trust makes space for improvisation — some of our favourite sections come out of just playing and reacting in the moment. We’ve got shared references and instincts, and they’ve only deepened over time.

Your sound blends noise-rock, electronics, hip-hop breaks, and a heavy sense of tension. What pulls you toward that jagged, genre-blurring approach?

It’s how we hear music — fragmented but connected. We grew up on punk and noise-rock, but over the years we’ve fallen in love with all kinds of sounds. A lot of our conscious references now come from electronic and hip-hop artists.We’re always asking: how do we recreate that kind of sonic world with a live band? That challenge is fun for us. Punk is still our foundation — that urgency, that chaos — and then we build everything else on top of it.

There’s a political edge to your music, but it never feels forced. How do your lived experiences shape the themes you explore?

We try to write songs that zoom out — that reflect what it feels like to live right now. That feeling isn’t always easy to describe, but it’s often one of low-key hopelessness.The lyrics aren’t trying to be dystopian — they just reflect the world as we see it. If things ever shift toward the light, who knows? We might start sounding like the Beach Boys. But right now, the mood is the mood.

You’ve shared stages with some serious heavyweights. Was there a particular moment where you felt: “We’re really onto something”?

There’ve been a few. Supporting Maruja at Band on the Wall was huge — they’re an incredible live band. That same night Just Mustard had just played, so the atmosphere was insane.Opening for Psychotic Monks in this tiny room was another one. They’re a French noise band, and the intensity they brought… it blew us away.But honestly, our last headline at YES in Manchester might top them all. It was sold out, and we played a lot of new material we’d been sitting on. The crowd’s reaction was like nothing we’ve had before. It made us feel like, yeah — we’re moving in the right direction.