Slightest Clue is a Vancouver-based band that has been cutting their teeth at a number of local venues like the Fox Cabaret, The Roxy, Lana Lou’s—just to name a few.
Their energetic sound is a blend of the respective influences of each member, ranging from alt-rock to post-punk to dark pop, and more. The four-piece band consists of Malcolm McLaren on rhythm guitar and vocals, Hannah Kruse on bass and vocals, Sean Ries on lead guitar, and Nick Sciarretta on drums.
The band recently released their newest song, “Zipper”, which you can take a listen to here. The fast-paced track perfectly captures the energy that they bring onstage for their live performances.
The four members of Slightest Clue took time to answer a few questions for us over e-mail. Read ahead to learn more about the band in their own words, their favourite music venues in Vancouver, and the last concerts they attended.
Q: How would you describe Slightest Clue’s music to a first-time listener?
Malcolm McLaren: We are a blend of post-punk, grunge and indie rock with pop aspirations that keep us accessible. We try to write catchy hook-fuelled songs, but pull from more oddball and disparate influences to hopefully offer something unique as a finished product.
Sean Ries: I would describe ourselves based on our influences since a named genre is so hard to pin down. We range from Queens of the Stone Age to The Pixies to Arctic Monkeys, but post-punk indie rock most likely fits within our borders the most.
Nick Sciarretta: We all have widely different influences that come together to create this weird concoction, so it’s hard to answer that. I would just say we’re an alt-rock band that has moments of being ‘easy-listening’ but then has a lot of moments of being more on the edgy punk side of alt-rock.
Hannah Kruse: Like the guys have said, we definitely have moments where we wear our influences on our sleeve! I think above all, we each really appreciate songs that are well-written, from lyrics to melodies to production. All of us are obsessive over tiny details, so a first-time listener might expect meticulously crafted songs with definite alt-rock instrumentation!
Q: What is your favourite music venue in Vancouver?
M: My favourite would probably be the Rickshaw or the Fox since I see most of my favourite touring acts in those venues. I also really love the Commodore Ballroom, which might have the best sounding system in the city.
S: The Fox for me is my favourite, as it has all the elements of other music venues, while also remaining quite intimate with its smaller capacity.
N: If we’re talking about venues I like to play at, it would be venues that have free parking as close as possible, so I can park for free and don’t have to carry all of my stuff very far. If we’re talking about venues I like to watch shows at… same answer.
H: Probably the Biltmore. I have equal love for the Fox, but it’s kind of in a different category now that I’ve played on that stage! I also miss The Imperial, not sure if we’ll see that one open again anytime soon though.
Q: If someone is listening to Slightest Clue for the first time, which song would you recommend they start with?
M: I would recommend “Look At The Way She Goes” or “Just Fine” to get a proper idea of what we’re all about.
S: “Look At The Way She Goes” since it gives a taste of everyone’s playing style!
N: I think I would recommend our newest song, “Zipper”.
H: I’m super partial to “Style”, but maybe it wouldn’t be the best first song to listen to as it isn’t super similar to the rest of our tunes!
Q: What was the last live show you attended?
M: The last live show was at the Rickshaw, which had a large mix of local acts like Bealby Point, Nuclear Disco, and Lola’s Songbook! The day before, I saw Sleaford Mods at the Commodore which was also a ton of fun.
S: The last show I attended was FIDLAR at the Rickshaw! They’ve been one of my favourite bands in the last decade so it was a treat to see them play live.
N: The last show I attended was Crown the Empire and Munk at the Commodore. I’m not really a fan of metal, but my cousin’s husband plays bass in Crown the Empire, so I got to meet the band after the show and they were all super nice.
H: I was at the Bealby Point and Nuclear Disco show with Mac the other night, which was epic! Before that, I saw local acts Kylie V, bbkate, and Zack Kleisinger at Beaumont Studios. I also caught Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit at Queen Elizabeth Theatre not long ago, which was an absolute treat—he’s probably one of my favourite living songwriters.
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Learn more about Slightest Clue and more upcoming shows on their website here. The band will be playing a show in Vancouver on Saturday, May 6 at Green Auto alongside Felisha and the Jazz Rejects and Lunchtime Band.
