Freak Slug On Why It’s Always Worth Trying Hard

In today’s politically correct, hyper online world, few people in the spotlight really tell it like it is. 

Manchester born and based Xenya Genovese, known by her artist name Freak Slug is not one of these people. Coming into the spotlight in 2020 with her tune Radio, then completely pivoting in style with her EP ‘Loose Tooth in a Short Skirt’, and debut album ‘I Blow Out Big Candles’Freak Slug is as dynamic in her sound as she is in her creative pursuits. Her new album Amulet, brings a mix of the dreamy shoegaze that once introduced her the world, and the 90s grunge that she followed up with, but tied together with a newfound effort and belief in her music. As she rolled and smoked several cigarettes over zoom, we caught up with the talented artist to explore how her music career has unfolded in just a short five years and all the big things that are surely next. 

Okay first question, now that you’ve been around for a while, having already played a sold out tour and slots in incredible festival bills - do you have a preference between the crowds? Given that sometimes festivals are often where strangers stumble to your stage rather than just all fans? 

Freak Slug: Oh that’s really hard to say. I think festivals in general are sick. We just played Kilby Block Party and it was such a fucking good festival to play. Obviously some of them are fans but it’s also so fucking fun to have people from all over the place there. I think some of my best shows are festivals actually. People are fucking hyped and well into the swing of party mode and that’s obviously helpful for a fun crowd. 

I guess because you have quite personable music in terms of your lyrics, I wondered if you had a preference for the high energy or intimacy. 

People were moshing at Kilby. That was fucking sick. I’m always going to love that. 

That’s fun as. 

Yeah, I staged dived too. It was funny. 

I read a stat that you were the most downloaded artist when you played SXSW. I know music isn’t about numbers but does hearing that make you feel any kind of way? 

I don’t think any kind of stats when they’re good ever fully sink in. And I think it’s always going to be like that for me. I think the penny would have dropped by now and it hasn’t. None of that stuff goes to my head. And it’s not like I can even try. It just doesn’t compute. 

That’s probably a good thing though. Okay so I imagine Radio is the song that a lot of people find you through and then you released an EP and album that were pretty different. What can we expect from this new album? Is it more like Radio and Friday or the grungey stuff? 

I think there's definitely some dreamy elements that I think fans will be really happy to hear.  I've got a little bit of the old sort of radio vibe, but more polished and more like hi-fi rather than the low-fi sound that it was in 2020. But also just in general, it's just got much more depth, realism, wisdom and just a fucking woman that's singing, not a girl, you know? Like obviously five years has passed. I'm a woman now and I would like to like think that it affects my music as it does with anyone who's growing up. I believe that women are healers and I'm not shy about saying that. I am a healer with my music, but also just in general, like I think a women in touch with their essence are healers, not necessarily with music or with creativity, but in their own way. Music has always been a means to heal myself but now it can help others. 

Is there a mood or a life event that you imagine this music would help others through?

I processed a lot of anger with this album. To put it very briefly, this whole album concept is about a past life. One that involved organised religion. My sister was killed instead of me when I ran away. We were both condemned but I got to realise music was a healer. And it channels a lot of the anger of a woman, especially those healing archetypes that are shamed but probably add the most value to society. It’s just that classic bullshit of how as women we are never being valued for how much we are worth.  So, that's what it's about. I was processing a lot of anger about that, like how the world still suffers from those beliefs. It also explores love and destiny and just generally about where we come from. It’s a very spiritual album but whether or not somebody is spiritual, I'd like to think that the energy travels to somebody who maybe doesn't understand it, but they can feel it. Or somebody else can interpret the lyrics on the level that they're at. It doesn’t matter, ultimately it will do whatever it needs to do for the people who hear it. 

That's what the power of music and art is, right?

Exactly.

Even just hearing that response, but also within your lyrics, you are someone who expresses a lot about the extremities of yourself and the world around you. Is that how you have always been? 

I've always been really direct. Sometimes it's gotten me into trouble, but now I just love myself more and I’ve accepted that sometimes I might appear as the villain by being honest. I don't mind playing the villain in somebody's life now. I explore being a villain in this album actually. We need to come to terms with the fact that we're all going to play villains and heroes in other people's lives. We are teachers to each other. Being a villain or someone being a villain serves us lessons. 

I agree. I don’t know how to ask this in not in a corny way, but how did you love yourself more? 

That’s a good question. I think by overcoming a lot of pain and realising that I was actually making the effort to change patterns. I think self love is self understanding and also forgiveness. If you have a willingness to move on and grow and you actually prove to yourself that you’re changing than you can have forgiveness for whatever parts of yourself you don’t love. If you can say oh two years ago I would’ve made a different choice in a situation than it proves you’re getting there. 

I like that. Okay this is a bit off tangent here, but have you seen the recent rom com ‘Finding Emily?’ 

No, why? 

Okay so it’s a film based in Manchester and the leading actor Spike Fearn did this interview the other day talking about how it’s really nice to see Manchester filmed with all this colour rather than the dreary way it is usually represented and it got me thinking about how with your early music you subdued your Northern accent because typically people have thought down on it. But with your recent music, it’s quite obvious the shift to your native accent. Why did you decide to do that? 

I think it’s just be trying to be more authentic to who I am so naturally my accent has to come in. And to be quite frank I see all the men doing it. I see so many men doing it in all kinds of accents like Northern English, Irish, and I don't see as many women do it. And I was like well why? And I don’t mean to be rude, this is just how I have experienced my accent but I feel like people look down on a Northern accent and historically as common. Men tend to be able to get away with those gritty accents, but I don't think women can be because women are supposed to be soft and nice and feminine. Well fuck that. I’m going to do what the fuck I want because this is who I am. Not doing it feels like bowing down to the really subtle undercurrents of misogyny and the southern and northern divides. So fuck that. 

Respect. A note on your style and fashion. To me it kind of mirrors your sound. Is that intentional? 

Nah this is just how I dress. I’m not one of those artists that are locked in like that with what I’m trying to say with every exterior. I’m a pretty free spirit, this is just me. I’m a fucking artist and I appreciate visuals but nah the fashion isn’t that deep. 

Well I think it naturally complements what you’re doing anyway right? I also see you in some Ritual Vision glasses on your insta. That’s my mate’s brand. It’s actually really cool to see that so had to shout that out. 

Oh yeah they are sick. 

Also another thing I thought was fucking sick is the thongs you sell that say  ‘say hello to my little slug.’ Was that your idea? 

Yeah that was me. 

Brilliant. Genuinely made me stop and go wow I need. 

They’re so fun, man. I love them. 

Me too I need. Alright what scares you the most about a career in music? 

I mean getting into this industry you have to be comfortable with being public facing you know. But I think that’s always the part artists grapple with the most. I feel like once you get to a certain level you just can’t do anything right as an artist you know? No matter who you are on the side of polarity, you either haven’t said enough on a political matter or you slipped up this one time in an interview and get burned for it as if the people shaming them have never made a mistake in their life, you know? I just think the cheek of it, to be so judgmental. I just don’t agree with it at all and I think that’s the part as your career gets bigger and bigger that you don’t really have any control over. 

Yeah especially when artists are generally pouring their heart out in their art only to be shamed in different spaces. 

Exactly. There are so many examples. I can’t even name them all but I’m always like why are you shit stirring? Like what are you actually fucking doing? Karma’s gonna be a real bitch for those people. 

Hundred. And what are you most excited about? 

I’m excited about this album. I really put a lot of effort into it. I think the previous albums, even with the lyrics, it’s not that I didn’t try but it was a bit dreamy and chucked together. I didn’t level up in the way I have with this album. This time around I was like I wonder what happens if I actually put some fucking effort in and I realised actually some really fucking good stuff. 

Who would have thought trying is where it’s at. 

(Laughs) Actually ridiculous. 

There’s some good advice to look for in between the lines of that. 

Exactly. Try hard people, you already know it’s within you, just have to actually give a fuck and a go. 

Freak Slug’s latest album ‘Amulet’ is out September 18.