Manchester’s Xenya Genovese AKA Freak Slug is our latest favourite name. The debut album, I Blow Out Big Candles, is out on 8 November via Future Classic. The video for the track ‘Spells’ is below. Anybody running around in their undercrackers with a slug head on is fine by us. Check out the Q & A and video below.
Hello Freak Slug……. Welcome to the DeClunk universe
Please describe your immediate surroundings so that we can all get snug.
Hey I’m in my living room, I got my cat to my right who’s just come in drenched from the rain, cup of tea to hand, and some crimson gladiolus flowers in a vase with dragons on it. It’s a rainy city, but cosy inside.
We know that your name is Xenya Genovese. Why did you choose to work as Freak Slug? Were there any other names in the hat? Please tell us, somebody might need them.
Not really, I knew I needed the word freak in there. That was non negotiable. Slug just popped into view shortly after. But yeah I can spew out indie band names for days. I can’t remember what was on the table at the time though. I just knew I wanted mine to be ridiculous and not soft n sweet at all. I’ve realised I’m growing into the name Freak Slug year by year.
At what age did you write your first song? What was the title and what was it about?
Yup so I wrote my first song at 15 aka as soon as I picked up a guitar and learnt 3 chords. I cannot unfortunately relay the truth of the content because emo teenager me would die. Song was definitely romantic cos apparently I really like romance.
We are really enjoying the single ‘Spells’. Did the idea for the video come from you? Do you like to have control of all the creative processes involving Freak Slug?
Thanks. Yeah, I just wanted to wear a big slug head and prance about in my underwear for a minute. A friend shot some BTS at a photo shoot for me and it ended up being the music video. And yeah I do like a lot of creative control, maybe controversial but if you don’t want creative control as an artist is it even your art, or the expression of somebody else’s vision?
The debut album, ‘I Blow Out Big Candles’ is out in November. This must be a very exciting time for you. Is it a ‘pinch yourself moment’?
It’s a very exciting time, I’m gonna bake a cake. I’m gonna make an act of celebrating it, I reckon. I’ve been waiting for the right moment to release a debut album, I could have done it much earlier but I just didn’t feel in my heart it was the right time and I’m glad I waited. I’ve matured a lot emotionally, mentally etc since 2020 so things are different now. I have my cerebral cortex development to thank for that. This definitely needed to happen before I put out an important body of work, at least for me. I’m not speaking for everyone here, but I’m definitely finally here on Earth now and can make decisions that future me will thank.
Please tell us a little about the album, is there a theme running through it? Why the title? What inspired the songs? Will there be a physical release?
The overarching album theme is that it all takes place in a party setting, and there are all types of people at the party who you might have vastly different relationships with. Some cause chaos in your life, some are cute to look at, some have ugly smiles, some have nothing going on in their mind whatsoever it seems, but ultimately they’re all at this party, they’ve all gathered there at this moment in your life, in one room.
What was the most recent book that you read, the last music that you listened to and film that you watched. Were they any good?
Do you know what, I’m not gonna go with the book I’m reading now cos I’m about to abandon ship, but the last interesting book I read was Martin Newall’s biography, “This little Ziggy” who is Cleaners from Venus, aka undoubtedly my favourite artist ever ever ever. When I say even if you don’t like music full stop, read it. It’s actually so brilliant that it has inspired me to start slowly compiling my own memories, and begin writing my own biography. Which is wild. On the whole though, I tend to read educational spiritual books, those are the books that genuinely keep me hooked, I like learning about the spiritual realms and absorb that information like a lil sponge.
With music, I’m not an eager beaver trying to find all the latest stuff. I’m not musically trendy like some of my friends. I have my go to’s, the songs that touch my heart and help me feel, then outside of the earphones world honestly I just mediate between classic fm in the afternoons and BBC6, strictly 5pm onwards cos its indie time and I love indie. I’m not into techno at lunchtime.
In terms of shows, Poker Face is something that I love. I love Natasha Lyonne. I’ve never had an actor I related to so much in my life before her, I never really gave a shit but I really love what she’s doing. She’s just being her, she’s super masc in her delivery of words, unapologetic but witty and it’s just fucking nice to see as a woman. Honestly, it’s just authentic, I don’t see many women like that making it into the mainstream at the moment. Obviously I’m probably wrong and I’m sure somebody’s gonna shoot me down with a million different examples but from my lil bubble, I’ve not seen it. But I wanna see some more though.
DeClunk recommends for you the following albums. Tongues by Tanya Tagaq, Braindrops by Tropical Fuck Storm and PF1 by Pill Fangs. Your turn.
I just went to a show last night, fucking brilliant. Bethany Ley, she’s just released a new EP. Wowskies is CocoRosie perfumed. I don’t know what to say, just want people to hear it cos I was blown away.
Do you have any hidden talents? You know, maybe an expert in origami or making the perfect Yorkshire pudding.
I don’t know how hidden it is, but I’m a painter alongside this music thing. That’s good fun. I’ve also got a lot of herbal knowledge, talent or not but somebody has an ailment and I can usually prescribe them combinations of remedies that will work 🙂
My friend and I go fishing overnight a couple of times a year. It involves beer. A two-man disco breaks out around 11pm. This involves two blokes, in wellies, throwing shapes in the dark. What would be on your playlist for a drunken bankside disco?
I’ve got a playlist called “NIGHTGIRLS”, which started when all the girls would come round and get pissed at mine. It’s got all the bangers any inebriated person could ever wish for, Gorillaz, Madness, The Libertines, Fontaines, Supergrass, ESG the list goes on. Just love a homemade karaoke on a Friday.
Thank you so much for taking the time with DeClunk. We look forward to hearing the album and hope to catch you somewhere doing your thing.
DeClunk 