Slaves 'guarantee' 2nd album will land this year

Slaves have already written at least six songs for their second album and “guarantee” it’ll be released in 2016.

The punk duo from Kent only released debut Are You Satisfied? in May last year, but guitarist Laurie Vincent says work on the follow-up is well under way.

He tells TeamRock: “Because we’ve got a bigger captive audience now, I’m hoping that we can shoot for the top with the next album. Hopefully the total number of people who bought this album will buy it in the first week next time – that’s the dream. I’d love to get a number one album and, because we got in the top 10, it kind of feels possible.

“I pretty much guarantee you there will be an album out this year. It’s half done in our minds – we have plans for the cover and the title. We’ve got six or seven songs fully completed and that we need to record, but it’s moving very rapidly.”

The band are on the road playing a number of UK dates that had to be rescheduled when drummer Isaac Holman dislocated his shoulder late last year.

Holman says the issue is a long-standing one, but that he’s back to full fitness.

He adds: “It came out during quite a rowdy show in Norwich last month and it’s back in now, and I feel all right. I’ve been told I’ve got mobile joints and my shoulders just pop out when they want, occasionally. But I’ll just go as normal and hope for the best.”

Vincent is still riding high after being named Total Guitar magazine’s Best New Guitarist for 2015. His bandmate then presented him with a trophy, engraved with the message: “Laurie Vincent – Best guitarist in the world.”

Asked whether Total Guitar’s accolade or Holman’s trophy meant more, Vincent jokes: “Isaac’s trophy, if I’m being 100% honest. When I’m senile, it’s nice to know that’ll be in my flat and that I was once the best new guitarist in the world.

“It’s crazy. I think it’s one of those things that everyone else has been so overwhelmed by. Family members actually think I have a job now, that I’ve done well.”

Slaves have shows in Liverpool, Manchester and London still to come this month.

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.