The Slants’ final full-length album, aptly titled The Band Plays On, is a fourteen-track collection of the band’s melodic, highly-danceable synth-pop, which was released digitally and on vinyl. Unlike prior The Slants’ albums, The Band Plays On features a guest performer on each track, including a guest vocalist on almost every song. These guests are comprised of prominent, as well as up-and-coming, artists from the Asian American community
“The Band Plays On is a logical evolution for The Slants. There’s a mixture of old and new songs, many reflective of Simon’s and my own personal journeys into music and activism, but presented through collaborations with extremely talented Asian American singers, musicians and producers from across the country,” says Jiang on the new album. “When the band retired from touring in 2019, our focus was on our foundation and supporting/connecting marginalized artists. It made perfect sense to do the same with this album.”
“Even though we were exhausted from over thirteen years on the road, our timing of stepping down from touring as a band right before the pandemic was serendipitous; that down time allowed us to really focus on what mattered for the band. For me, it was focusing on telling our stories, both literally through publishing my memoir, as well creatively through our music,” recalls Tam on how the album came about. “For the first few years, we connected with hundreds of other Asian American artists through the work of our nonprofit, The Slants Foundation, and it really helped us rethink what was possible with our art.”
Discussing the record and all the guests on The Band Plays On, Tam says the record was born out of the pandemic, and due to the pandemic, and not wanting to put another version of the band together, invited friends to guest on the album. The result is a record that redefines what The Slants are, as well as what constitutes a band.
“Through weekly Zoom calls and trading hundreds of emails, Joe and I began writing as much music as we could, without any real limits in mind. At first, we started seeing how it could become the basis of a new album. But with the many transitions and folks stepping down in The Slants, we knew we didn’t want to put together a new band in the middle of the pandemic. So, we started reaching out to other artists that we enjoyed working with. We brought Bao Vo (of Ming and Ping) on as a co-producer who really helped us shape the sound and we decided to feature different vocalists and performers on every track,” informs Tam. “It made me realize that in some ways, the idea of The Slants mattered more than the actual band itself – we could redefine what a band could be. For me, The Band Plays On is a literal title in that the work of our band continues because of this big community of artists finding expression through song.”
For a self-proclaimed troublemaker who took on the Supreme Court with his dance-rock band, The Slants’ Tam and bandmate Joe X. Jiang are ready to prove that yes, the band was about politics and reclaiming a racial term for empowerment, but that it was also always about the music.
Today Glide is offering an exclusive premiere of the music video for the standout track “Advocate,” which features Talk Time’s Edson Choi and alt-pop artist Krost. With visuals done to mimic a vintage video game, this catchy work of indie pop captures this band’s talent for churning out the kind of tunes that feel radio-ready but still maintain that edge. With the help of backing harmonies, the tune soars in its driving sound as the lyrics and video reflect the challenges of touring. Out of all the songs on the album, “Advocate” is one of the most rocking and the video reflects that mentality.
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