As part of The Arctangent Festival Advent Calendar, we are delighted to reveal that Pupil Slicer will be returning to Fernhill Farm for another unforgettable set.
We are absolutely delighted to exclusively reveal that Pupil Slicer will be playing ArcTanGent Festival 2023!
The band have had a huge 2022, introducing their rampant, raw and really fucking good sound to more and more ears.
They also followed up their 2021 album ‘Mirrors’ with the unbelievable ‘Thermal Runaway’, which sounds a lot like this:
And they will be heading to ATG to follow up their unforgettable appearance this year as one of the weekend’s ‘Returning Heroes’ who will be playing on the Wednesday.
We had a quick catch-up with drummer Josh Andrews and bassist Luke Fabian to find out how they are feeling about it…
How does it feel to be returning to ATG for the second year in a row?
Josh: “We’ve said this many times, but ATG is one of our favourite festivals in the UK. To be invited back with so many cool bands is unbelievable. We have some surprises up our sleeves for this year, though. So people will have to make sure they come down on the Wednesday to see us!”
Luke: “Well, of course, it’s very flattering to be asked to return and play two years back to back and also a privilege to share the stage with our friends and peers in Conjurer and DVNE. Slicer were taken aback by the reception we received last year and look to build on this in ’23.”
What is the main memory you have of your set in 2022? What is there that sticks out from it?
Josh: “We attended the whole festival and saw some absolutely unbelievably good sets over the weekend. Knowing that we were one of the closing acts of the festival built up a bit of nerves but mainly excitement. We also worried that most of the festival would be at Opeth, the main headliner we clashed with, so when we saw the tent overflowing with people, we were over the moon and really pumped to put on a good show. As a musician, seeing that many people turn up is the kind of thing you dream about when you’re starting out and something I will never forget.”
Luke: “As Josh says, being pitted against Opeth was a daunting task, and again, seeing that amount of bodies in the tent was a sight to behold. It was surreal to walk around the festival site and first to be identified as a Slicer, but then second to be told that, ‘I/we are going to come and watch you guys over Opeth’. As a massive and long-time Opeth fanboy myself, this was mind-boggling.
“As an aside, I only just about saw Opeth play ‘Deliverance’ at ATG due to our clash, so a couple of weeks ago, I went to see Opeth at Hammersmith in London on their 30th-anniversary tour. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t contemplating and chewing over the above reflections during the show.”
How important do you feel it is to have a festival like ATG in the British circuit? What is it that makes it so unique from your perspective?
Josh: “ATG is an incredibly important festival that is one of a handful of festivals in the UK that is prepared to take risks booking amazingly talented bands who you wouldn’t typically see at a large festival. Everyone always comes away from ATG discovering a new band they love and the eclectic nature of the lineup is a huge part of why that’s the case.”
Luke: “ATG is a broad church. Even more so in recent years as – at least as I see it- the booking has begun to take in more mainstream metal acts with progressive leanings to sit alongside its base’s more post / experimental core. As much as I, and many others, love Maiden and Metallica, ATG has undoubtedly created a crucial and alternative space in the UK festival scene for the growth of alternative and heavy music outside of the oft-lauded mainstays.”
Overall, what do you feel 2022 has represented for Pupil Slicer? What are you the proudest of?
Josh: “As a band, we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved in 2022. We’ve ticked off so many of the firsts together, from completing a full tour, playing some amazing intentional festivals, hitting the studio as a collective, and making a full studio album in one session. We’ve learnt so much in such a short period of time, that has really flown by. We feel a little bit more prepared for what 2023 holds for us, and we’re already super excited! We’re proudest of how many shows we’ve played and learned how many people want to share their energy with us. I’ve said it before, but it’s really beyond what we imagined we could achieve when we started Pupil Slicer!”
Luke: “Josh has summarised my thoughts nicely. I will save the repetition except to say we have surpassed all our expectations on basically every conceivable front. The release of ‘Mirrors’, and everything that came from that has been extremely humbling.”
What are you most excited about in terms of what 2023 may hold for the band?
Josh: “We have made a real stylistic jump and matured in our songwriting. In 2023 we want to double down on what we did in 2022 and really push to make Pupil Slicer a crushing live experience that will leave people’s jaws on the ground. We want to reach new people with new music and build on the momentum we have created from 2022. The ATG audience will be a perfect place to do this, and I can’t wait to be back in Bristol for round 2. I hope you’re all ready!”
Luke: “I have waxed lyrical, so I will keep it short and sweet. What am I excited about for Slicer next year – Riffs, Riffs and more Riffs. On a non-musical note, I’m also excited for, hopefully, the impending self-explosion of the Tories!”
Pupil Slicer will be joining the likes of Deafheaven, And So I Watch You From Afar, Cave In, Russian Circles, The Fall Of Troy, Holy Fawn, The Callous Daoboys and LOADS MORE.
ArcTanGent will be taking place between August 16-19 at Fernhill Farm, Bristol.
Tickets are available from right HERE