Slaves to Gravity: ‘It’s been a steep learning curve for us all’

By Luke Morton | Published On January 27, 2010 | In Music

Since 2006, London hard-rockers Slaves To Gravity have been rapidly making a name for themselves through touring and the odd single here and there. With a new album due for release later this year, we caught up with frontman Tommy Gleeson.

Describing Slaves to Gravity (STG) as “the audio equivalent of a bare-knuckle fight between Adolf Hitler and Mahatma Ghandi, with a big hearted homeless alcoholic as referee,” Tommy is as much about having fun as he is playing music. This fun-loving attitude can be seen onstage during their live performances; the band are never ones to just stand still and plod through songs. STG have more energy than an Energizer bunny on a Red Bull binge.

The band have already toured with the likes of Aiden and Bullet for my Valentine. | Photo: Slaves to Gravity Official

Having played numerous tours with bands much bigger than their own, Tommy says: “You learn from everyone you work with, and it’s always fascinating to see the inner workings of other bands. Sometimes the biggest lessons are in what not to do. The Aiden tour taught me a few things about 
how to deal with an audience that f***ing hate you night after night… the Bullet [For My Valentine] show taught me never to fly to Germany with no crew for one (unpaid) gig on the hottest day of the year.”

In September 2009, drummer Jason Thomopoulos left the band, wishing to spend more time with his family. In October, Gemma Seddon was announced as his replacement.

“She’s doing great. It’s been a steep learning curve for us all. She’s relatively inexperienced and we’re old and stuck in our ways, but she’s such an incredible drummer. She has a style and feel all of her own that’s a joy to jam with. She’s a very positive influence, always looking on the bright side, and that serves the rest of us well.”

The upcoming album entitled “UNDERWATEROUTERSPACE” was announced last year and is now ready for issue. With producer Bob Marlette (Shinedown, Ozzy Osbourne) at the helm, many hard rock fans are eagerly waiting its release.

“It’s the first time we’ve worked with a producer and it’s really opened us up as musicians and writers. He pushed us to be more original and creative, and the result is an album that’s a lot more mature and accomplished than the first.”

In response to whether current fans will be happy with the new album, Tommy said: “It’s not like we’ve turned into a funk band and there’s no point of reference for anyone. We’re still just a rock ‘n’ roll band playing with our hearts on our sleeves. Really what I think people will get with this new record is that same feeling they get when they see a distant relative at Christmas and think ‘My God! They’re all grown up!’ and subsequently contemplate having sex with us.”

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