Biography

Since forming in 2015, Chicago’s Slow Mass has been committed to pushing its artistic vision forward at all costs. Though Slow Mass is currently built around the core members of Dave Collis, Mercedes Webb, Josh Parks, and Sean Hallock, the band has a fluid lineup that features collaborators who are spread across the country, dipping in and out as needed. After springing to life and releasing the 2016 Treasure Pains EP, the band quickly got to work on its debut full-length, 2018’s On Watch, which garnered praise from the likes of Pitchfork and was named one of the best Chicago albums of the 2010s by the Chicago Reader. Following On Watch, the band kept its nose to the grindstone, touring with the likes of La Dispute, Gouge Away, mewithoutYou, Horse Jumper of Love, and delivering a host of new releases that each expanded upon the sounds Slow Mass had become known for. With the trio of EPs in the ongoing Music For Ears series and 2020's Music For Rest, they transformed their Fugazi-inspired post-hardcore propulsions into muted ruminations that could have fit on a modern Low album. By blurring the lines between several different subgenres, and allowing collaborators to float in and out of the band as desired, Slow Mass has built a body of work that feels distinctly it's own. With multiple new releases prepped for 2021 and beyond, Slow Mass is ready to continue pushing the boundaries of what it means to be an indie rock band. -David Anthony, 2021