Under the harsh glare of neon green fluorescent lights, one of Austin’s most iconic dive bars, Hole in the Wall, pulses with energy. It’s old, a little grimy, with worn-out stools lining up the bar, where a few regulars nurse their drinks. Four musicians squeeze together on the tiny, cramped stage, barely fitting amongst their amps and pedal boards. The singer, wrapped in a royal blue shirt that perfectly matches his guitar, hunches over the microphone before jumping into the opening number. Heads turn, and the crowd of 20-somethings flood towards the stage to catch Slurp the World in action.
Within seconds of starting the song, the bandmates seamlessly become one, their movements in perfect harmony, a gift gained from over two years of performing. Their smiles and exchanged giggles between verses indicate a deep, comfortable camaraderie. Interacting with effortless ease, the band’s energy radiates across the room, beckoning the crowd into their friendship. As the four bandmates lose themselves in the music, it’s clear Slurp the World is not just performing; they’re transmitting a moment of joy with the audience, making it a performance everyone remembers.
“The majority of time we have together is spent playing live shows, and I feel like that’s created a feedback loop of really finding who we want to be on stage,” bassist Rylie Riddle said. “Not just persona-wise, but getting comfortable, having more fun, and making a show instead of just playing a song. I feel like that’s inspired some more interesting things to grow in our music, too, because we’re like, ‘Oh, this actually sounded really fucking cool when we played it live, even though I didn’t mean to do that.'”
Since forming in early 2022, Slurp the World has been resolute in its pursuit of music, from 2 a.m. gigs on weekdays to overbooked weekends. They’ve since slowed their pace, concentrating on making their shows as enjoyable for the audience as they are for themselves. Lead singer and guitarist Jackson T. Cox explains they now “choose to play loud,” preferring to embrace their mistakes rather than masking imperfections with heavy distortion. At Hole in the Wall, it’s no stupefaction that the band is having the time of their lives. Shirts fling off, there’s playful banter with the crowd, and they even join the audience in their sweaty exuberance. By the final song, the band radiates energy, their faces flushed with sweat and broad grins. T. Cox passionately sings while Riddle leaps off one of the amps flamboyantly. As the band synchronously agrees, they’ll “do anything for a bit.”
“We like to be performers. We like to jump around and do stupid shit. I think it’s worth missing a note or two if you can do some sick jump,” Riddle said. “They don’t know what the songs are supposed to sound like; they don’t know if I missed that entire part.”
When Slurp the World began, creating music was a new experience for them. Guitarist Jackson C. Cox, who had been playing guitar for just a year at the time, recalls he was “mostly just playing chords and simple rhythm.” Now, having materialized his craft and the band’s unique sound, he integrates his own riffs and melodies into their music. As they work on their debut album, the band feels a newfound cohesion while maintaining their respective voices. Their October 2022 EP, The Slurp Sampler, credits each band member on each track for their contributions. However, with the album, they put behind their roles to present themselves as a unified entity: Slurp the World.
“We’ve got the songs starting with guitar and then everyone else coming in, or the long instrumental bridges. We’re finding structural ways to make similar threads through the songs while still having different sounds to them,” Riddle said. “We tossed around the idea of doing a concept album because we love concept albums and then forgot about it. At some point, we realized that all the songs we had written dealt with the same subject matter anyway.”
While creating the album, Slurp the World discovered that many of their songs intrinsically aligned with one another. C. Cox describes it as an unintended “coming of age album,” capturing their reflections on life and the challenges of navigating adulthood. When the band formed in April 2022, each member was a student at UT. Now, as they approach or reach the end of their college years, they find themselves on a shared journey of self-discovery and existential contemplation, as Riddle puts it.
“Navigating adolescence is a tumultuous time in everyone’s life,” C. Cox said. “What do you do after school? What do you do when relationships end? What do you do whenever you’re dropped into these uncomfortable situations you’re confronted with throughout life? In your early 20s, you lose a lot of the safety nets you had growing up as a kid. That’s why coming-of-age stuff is so popular and why we feel compelled to write about it.”
As Slurp the World refines their music, their songwriting process remains a dynamic collaboration. One member often brings lyrics, while another focuses on instrumentals, creating a unique and experimental final product. It’s common for different parts of a song to be developed independently before being combined. As drummer Conner Petru notes, each song is a “Frankenstein” of various contributions, resulting in many diverse songs. The band is preparing to re-record their track “Troubadour” while planning to keep “Downer Ending” as a secret B-side for dedicated fans. In anticipation of their upcoming album, the band will release a few singles fans can already hear live at shows. C. Cox expresses his excitement for fans to experience the “new studio touches, mixes and flourishes” added to the songs.
“We have a bunch of ideas of what we want to change for our parts, but then we also get to deep dive into everybody specifically, and so we all can put our opinion out there,” Petru said. “On top of that, our producer can do the same thing, and he’s brought in so many good ideas. The last time we were in the studio, when we came back afterward and played those songs, having recorded them and developed them with Indri, they were so much more than before.”
The band views their producer, Indri Schaelicke, as a pivotal figure in their creative process. T. Cox likens him to a “secret tech genius,” much like the characters in action movies “where there’s the guy in the chair with the screens.” Although the band is sometimes reluctant to alter familiar aspects of their music, they value Schaelicke’s fresh perspective, often leading them to new techniques they love. They believe their songs would remain unchanged if they were to self-produce. As Riddle aptly puts it, “If the song doesn’t change at all, we did something wrong,” highlighting the producer’s role in driving their musical growth.
“I think if you self-produce, you’re just in a feedback loop with yourself, of hearing your own opinions, and you forget to make the music more dynamic and appealing to other people,” T. Cox said. “Otherwise, we would come out of producing getting exactly what we wanted, which isn’t what other people want,” Petru said.
Over two years, Slurp the World has polished their unique sound and deepened their connection as friends and bandmates. Their extensive live performances and recording sessions have melded their varied backgrounds and experiences into a distinct musical identity. As they continue to work on their album, they invite fans to witness their unreleased tracks in live settings, ensuring each show is an unforgettable experience. Slurp the World promises an unparalleled performance and experience that lingers long after the final chord.
“We’ve created something special, and part of it is just our friendship, but the sound, too,” Petru said. “I think we should give ourselves credit for the songs that we’ve created. It’s something really cool and unique.”
On October 24th, Slurp the World will participate in a UT-sponsored emo night, featuring multiple emo cover band performances. More information is soon to come.
“For the My Chemical Romance fans who may be reading this, we’re playing the deep cuts. We’re playing the deepest cut,” C. Cox said. “We’re playing My Chemical Romances best song that they didn’t play on their tour when they came to Texas, and then they only played in New Jersey. We’re playing that one, baby.”