Soft Play
{{Short description|English punk rock band}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Soft Play
| image = SlavesIsaacHolmanPiccadillyGardensAugust2015.jpg
| image_size =
| landscape = yes
| alt =
| caption = Vincent (left) and Holman (right) performing in August 2015
| alias = Slaves (2012–2022)
| origin = Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England
| genre = {{hlist|Punk rock|alternative metal|hardcore punk}}
| years_active = 2012–present
| label = {{flatlist|
- Virgin EMI
- Boss Tuneage
- Fonthill
- Girl Fight
- BMG
}}
| website = {{URL|softplayband.com}}
| current_members = {{plainlist|
- Isaac Holman
- Laurie Vincent
}}
}}
Soft Play (stylised in all caps) are an English punk rock duo formed by Isaac Holman (lead vocals, drums) and Laurie Vincent (backing vocals, guitar, bass) in Royal Tunbridge Wells in 2012.{{cite web|title=We talked to punk duo Slaves about LA Haine an being in love |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/youneedtohearthis-we-talked-to-punk-duo-slaves-about-la-haine-and-being-in-love/|website=noisey.vice.com|access-date=4 January 2015|first=Jak|last=Hutchcraft|date=22 October 2013}} They were known as Slaves until 2022, when they changed their name due to their original name's unwanted connotations.
History
The band was formed as a duo after Holman and Vincent failed to recruit other musicians to join their punk band, and began sharing songwriting duties. Vincent later stated that this was an unexpected benefit as they could tour easily and cheaply in a small van due to only needing two people's worth of equipment.
As Slaves, the band released their first EP, Sugar Coated Bitter Truth, under Boss Tuneage Records in 2012. Their first single, "Where's Your Car Debbie?", was released by Fonthill Records in early 2014; they were then signed by Virgin EMI.{{cite news|title=Tunbridge Wells punk band The Slaves signed to Virgin EMI|date=4 March 2014|url=http://www.courier.co.uk/Tunbridge-Wells-punk-band-Slaves-sign-Virgin-EMI/story-20754393-detail/story.html|newspaper=Kent and Sussex Courier|access-date=4 January 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104222126/http://www.courier.co.uk/Tunbridge-Wells-punk-band-Slaves-sign-Virgin-EMI/story-20754393-detail/story.html|archive-date=4 January 2015|df=dmy-all}} They released their first single under Virgin, "Hey", in November 2014, and released "The Hunter" later that month. They gained more exposure in late 2015 when "The Hunter" was featured on the Sky One series You, Me and the Apocalypse. They also appeared on Later... with Jools Holland and were nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/4m7P5tcmtJtgQVjbgn7dsNk/slaves|title=BBC Sounds of 2015|access-date=4 January 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/news/slaves/80567|title=NME News Slaves confuse Bono on debut 'Jools Holland' performance|date=22 October 2014|website=NME.com|access-date=4 January 2015}}
In May 2015, The Fader featured the group in an article about provocative names for music artists.{{Cite news |url=http://www.nme.com/news/music/slaves-41-1207040 |title=Slaves respond to criticism over their band name |date=2015-05-05 |work=NME |access-date=2022-08-16 |language=en-GB}} Vincent told The Fader that criticism of the name came as a surprise to them, describing how they chose the name while trying to think of "an abrasive sounding word, like Clash". He further said, "We just liked the word. We weren't trying to provoke."{{Cite news|url=http://www.thefader.com/2015/03/26/why-would-a-band-of-white-dudes-name-themselves-slaves|title=Why Would A Band of White Dudes Name Themselves Slaves? |date=26 March 2015 |publisher=The FADER |last=Cliff |first=Amy |access-date=2022-08-16}} The two also addressed the controversy around their name in a statement on Facebook: "Our band name relates to people not being in control of their day to day lives. Slaves was our way of getting off the paths we didn't want to walk down anymore. The music we make is motivational and aimed at people personally as well as collectively."
The duo released their debut album Are You Satisfied? on 1 June 2015.
{{cite web|title=Interview: Slaves - "I Think It Has Quite An Instant Feel And Message"|url=http://www.inveterate.co.uk/music/interview-slaves-i-think-it-has-quite-an-instant-feel-and-message/145794/|website=Inveterate|access-date=11 March 2015|date=11 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314004304/http://www.inveterate.co.uk/music/interview-slaves-i-think-it-has-quite-an-instant-feel-and-message/145794/|archive-date=14 March 2015|df=dmy-all}} It reached No. 8 in its first week on the UK Albums Chart.{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/33052/slaves/|title=SLAVES|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=8 June 2015}} The album was nominated for the 2015 Mercury Music Prize and has since gone Silver in the UK.{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1HwNyl69kmN1fcWlcH7rTfb/mercury-prize-2015-shortlist |title=Mercury Prize 2015 shortlist |publisher=BBC |access-date=2015-10-16}}{{cite web|title=Reviews Slaves Are You Satisfied? |url=http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/slaves-are-you-satisfied|work=Clash Music|first=Clarke|last=Geddes|date=16 June 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.unrecorded.mu/artist/slaves/|title=Slaves|publisher=Unrecorded|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206200926/http://www.unrecorded.mu/artist/slaves/|archive-date=6 February 2016|df=dmy-all}} They released their second album Take Control on 30 September 2016. Beastie Boys member Mike D produced the album, and was featured on the track "Consume or Be Consumed". The album fared better in the charts than the first, climbing to No. 6 in its first week on the UK Albums Chart.{{Cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/take%20control/|title=take+control {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company|website=Official Charts|access-date=2016-12-28}} They released their third album Acts of Fear and Love on 17 August 2018, which reached number 8 on the UK album charts.{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgi7QQQn664/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/Bgi7QQQn664 |archive-date=2021-12-24 |url-access=limited|title=SLAVES on Instagram: "Doing an album"|website=Instagram}}{{cbignore}} In July 2019, the band released a four-track EP titled The Velvet Ditch and played a headline set at Truck Festival.
In December 2022, they changed their name to Soft Play. They explained, "The name 'Slaves' is an issue [and] doesn't represent who we are as people or what our music stands for any longer."{{cite news |title=Slaves: British punk band change name to Soft Play after criticism |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-63916733 |access-date=9 December 2022 |work=BBC News |date=9 December 2022}} Their fourth studio album (and first under their new name) Heavy Jelly was released on 19 July 2024.{{cite web | url=https://store.softplayband.com/products/heavy-jelly-cd | title=Heavy Jelly | CD }}
Influences
They have stated that their earliest mutual influences include the Clash, Rancid, Ramones, Gang of Four, Billy Childish, and Talking Heads.{{Citation |title=Laurie Vincent (Slaves) - In Conversation With John Robb |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBpqC-sx2RY |access-date=2023-08-29 |language=en}}
Members
- Isaac Holman – lead vocals, drums, trumpet, flute, trombone, violin
- Laurence "Laurie" Vincent – guitars, mandolin, bass, keyboards, backing vocals
Discography
=Studio albums=
As Slaves
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of studio albums, with chart positions and certifications ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Details ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Certifications |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK {{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/33052/slaves/|title=Slaves - UK Charts|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=27 July 2024}} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| SCO |
|---|
| scope="row"| Are You Satisfied?
|
| 8 || 13 | |
| scope="row"| Take Control
|
| 6 || 9 | |
| scope="row"| Acts of Fear and Love
|
| 8 || 8 | |
As Soft Play
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of studio albums as Soft Play, with selected details ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Details ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| SCO |
|---|
| scope="row"| Heavy Jelly
|
| 3 || 1 |
=Extended plays=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of EPs, with selected details ! scope="col"| Title ! scope="col"| Details |
| scope="row"| Sugar Coated Bitter Truth
|
|
|---|
| scope="row"| The Velvet Ditch
|
|
=Singles=
==As lead artist==
==As featured artist==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" style="width:18em;" rowspan="2"| Title
! scope="col" style="width:1em;" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album |
|---|
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK |
| scope="row"| "Control"{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/control-feat.-slaves-single/id1082879575|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817152625/https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/control-feat.-slaves-single/id1082879575|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 August 2016|title=Control (feat. Slaves) - Single by Chase & Status on Apple Music|website=iTunes|access-date=26 October 2017}} (Chase & Status featuring Slaves) | 2016 | – | Tribe |
| scope="row"| "Momentary Bliss" (Gorillaz featuring Slowthai & Slaves) | 2020 | 58 |
| colspan="4" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
=Songwriting and production credits=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col"| Title
! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Artist(s) ! scope="col"| Album ! scope="col"| Contribution ! scope="col"| Written with: ! scope="col"| Produced with: |
|---|
| scope="row"| "Missing"{{cite web|url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/109121621|title=Nothing Great About Britain (Deluxe) / slowthai|website=Tidal|access-date=17 May 2019}}
| 2019 | Slowthai | {{hlist|Co-writers|Co-producers}} | {{hlist|Tyron Frampton|Kwes Darko}} | Kwes Darko |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|youareallslaves.com}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2012 establishments in England
Category:English rock music duos
Category:English punk rock groups
Category:Musical groups established in 2012
Category:Musicians from Royal Tunbridge Wells