Slingshot Around The Moon

Slingshot Around The Moon were a band from Kent, formed in 2001 and active until 2004. Their sound is really fantastic, a genuine bit of emo that combines midwest emo and emo pop with post-rock, the result being some truly great soundscapes and a sense of grandeur on their later recordings. It seems the band played their first gig at a Jimmy Eat World cover show, which makes a lot of sense if you listen to their first demo, Elixia. Their biography on Last.FM, which seems to have been posted by a band member, ends with a wish to record the last five songs they wrote. As it turns out, they did, and the result is the This Is Who We Were EP.

The Elixia demo was their first release in 2001. Recorded with a single microphone, the demo is a muddy attempt at a more emo pop-oriented sound than they would later pursue (none if its songs were rerecorded for subsequent releases, which is honestly a shame as there's at least two or three great songs on there). Following the five-track Elixia demo, the band put out a two-song demo, usually called Demo 2003, and then their best-known release, the Quod Sum Eris 7", which was originally titled What you remember more. The 7" marks the point in which the post-rock influences really begin to shine through. After that, the band recorded another two-song demo. Finally, in 2004, the band recorded This Is Who We Were, which was never released. It showcases a heavier, more energetic take on the band's sound.

While that list covers the band's 'official' releases, there is quite a bit more. I admit that 'official' in this case is a shaky definition, including anything that had a physical release as well as an EP that was intended to. Because various band members held on to behind the scenes material, I have a pretty comprehensive history of the band's unofficial recordings and demos, including a set from a 2001 house party and a collection of demo tracks spanning the life of the project. The Westgate Studio Live Demos even showcase the band rehearsing the same songs repeatedly. While I will leave some of this material out of the Youtube discography for the sake of brevity and repetition, they will still be included in the download, and I think they represent a great snapshot of Slingshot's creative process.

This artwork is made available courtesy of How Nothing Feels.

Slingshot Around The Moon Discography