The Slipping Chairs finally on firm ground

By Madushka Balasuriya 

Seven years on from their freshman EP, and several false dawns and a host of line-up changes later, The Slipping Chairs are finally set to release their debut album: ‘The Sweet Escape’. Out on 12 November, the album both is and isn’t quintessentially Slipping Chairs; while it undoubtedly retains the essence of the band – unfiltered acoustics, and those incomparable Dylan Manuel vocals – it also takes their sound into unchartered territory. 

“It’s not heavy, it’s not hardcore rock; some of the covers that we play get very, very heavy. It’s not anywhere there,” says Dylan, who along with percussionist Jith ‘Rosy’ Sirimanne, is one of the founding members of the band.

“I think we’ve gone a little further from the genre that we usually play. We have played some experimental genres, and we’ve done some experiments but in a good way,” adds Hamza Khan, bassist and youngest member of the band.

Indeed, the nine-track debut effort will see the band mix in their usual alternative and contemporary rock sound with a few unexpected twists. One track is primarily piano-based, while another has overtly gospel influences. 

“There is one song that is completely experimental for us, it has a different vibe to anything else on the album,” adds Dylan, noting that three of the tracks have been written by singer-songwriter Sankha B, while the rest has been written by him and former lead guitarist Shivane Wickramasekera.

Helping them on this journey is producer, and artist in his own right, Sheamm Deen. 

“The experience has been awesome, I couldn’t ask for a better producer. We’ve grown a lot because of our time in the studio with him as our producer,” says Dylan on his experience with Deen in the studio.

While Deen’s influence can be heard in the polish of several album tracks, that distinct ‘live’ acoustic sound is still predominantly a part of what makes The Slipping Chairs so unique. For Dylan, preserving this sound was a non-negotiable aspect of making the album.

“With Sheaam we could’ve produced it to that point where the formula kicks in; where everything is pitch-corrected and just correct. But then we didn’t want that sound and Sheaam didn’t want that sound for this band. Sheaam has tried his level best to keep it as ‘live’ as possible.”

“I think this is the best sound we’ve had when it comes to original music.”

Band manager Hesh Wijesekera Manuel, whose Magpie Productions will be independently releasing the album, meanwhile is keen to acknowledge “a lot of creative input” from some of the newer band members; something which so nearly wasn’t the case. 

Less than two years prior, the entire make-up of the band, barring Dylan and Rosy, was unrecognisable, but after a volatile period with some forced line-up changes, in came a new drummer, bassist and a lead guitarist.

For drummer Sithija Dilshan Perera, who has been with the band for roughly a year and a half, the decision to join full-time was partly down to following his passion, and partially down to a need to get out of that daily ‘nine to five’ slog.

“I was quite active in the rock/metal scene in Sri Lanka but I was doing a day job as well. I was never into playing music full-time. But I guess at some point in your life the spirit of wanting to play, follow your passion, it takes over. I didn’t want to be stuck in that corporate lifestyle anymore.”

Hamza, the band’s newest member, has a similar story. “I was teaching music. I was conducting guitar classes and I worked in a bank.” 

This last bit of information prompts Dylan to interject, “You worked in a bank?”, causing the entire crew to burst into laughter. That interchange sums up this modern iteration of The Slipping Chairs; they’re still getting to know each other, but at the end of the day they’re all on the same page.

The final piece of the puzzle though comes with the most fascinating story. Lead guitarist Pasan Fernando was a freelance musician, who had lent his services to several bands in the past, but his first love was always The Slipping Chairs.

“Pasan was like a big fan. He used to come and watch us all the time. I guess he would go home and practice our songs. And when we had an audition for a lead guitarist, he came so passionately – he knew all the songs that we were playing already,” explains Hesh.

It wasn’t a case however of the stars immediately aligning; Pasan had auditioned before but that was to end in heartbreak after the lead guitarist at the time u-turned on his decision to leave.

“We loved him [Pasan], but then the lead guitarist said he wasn’t leaving, so we then had to break his heart. Later on the lead guitarist actually left without notice and maybe about five minutes later Pasan commented on a Facebook post,” explains Dylan.

“It was a coincidence; I don’t know how it happened. Maybe if you believe in a higher power you might say it was an act of God,” adds Hesh.

The rest, as they say, is history. Just a day removed from that fateful Facebook interaction Pasan was playing with the band. “This is what I always wanted to do,” he says.

And it’s that passion and drive, as well as a heavy dose of mutual respect, which Dylan believes makes this the best iteration of The Slipping Chairs yet.

“What drives us is that we have fun while playing. We don’t just monotonously get up there and play the same stuff every week. Even the covers, we try and make it our own, with our own arrangements. 

“I think every change that has happened along this album process has been a good one that has happened for the betterment of the band.”

Rosy, who has been with Dylan for nigh on 10 years, sums it up best: “At least five to six days we’re together. It’s like a family. Not that there are no issues but like any family you overcome them.”

The Sweet Escape will be out on iTunes and local retailers on 12 November.