Slate Label Shift Gears With Their Most Confident Sound Yet

Slate Label are fast becoming one of the North East’s most exciting new bands. Hailing from South Shields, the five-piece blend the grit of Sam Fender, Fontaines D.C. and Wunderhorse. Consisting of Joseph Meston (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Adam Stubbs (bass guitar), Daniel Nellist (drums), Eva Sanchez (keyboard) and James Horwood (lead guitar and backing vocals) all together creating a sound that’s both familiar and refreshingly their own.

Since launching in 2024, they’ve already made serious noise — winning festival slots, scooping up award nominations, and packing out venues like Sunderland’s Independent with their sold-out shows.

Now, just months on from the release of their debut EP, Slate Label, Slate Label are shifting gears again. Their brand-new single - In It For The Ride - drops on 25th July, and having had the pleasure of hearing it live, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release ever since.

It’s a track that took time to get right — layered, refined, and pushed through a few unexpected turns in the studio — but the result is their most confident and complete sound yet.

From the first swung chord to the eerie, piano-drenched pre-chorus, the band's latest release is a bold stride into more confident territory.

“Energetic, catchy, unpredictable” — that’s how they’ve described it. 

And they’re not wrong!

With this being the first release since their debut EP, it’s important that new releases aren’t just about the energy. It’s about growth, finding a sound and pushing it harder than ever.

Creative process

The usual set up for a Slate Label tune sparks from Joseph or Adam and then the band builds upon their initial ideas.

This track creation process took a slight curveball when guitarist James sent over a chord progression - what would later become the chorus and a slick swung into the bridge (keep an ear out around 2:00). Inspired by their earlier track Forgotten, the band knew the direction straight away, and Joseph ran with it, fleshing out the full structure.

Built for a crowd

From the start, this was one they knew would land live. Punchy, immediate, and loaded with energy — it’s a classic case of “crowd-pleaser” without being predictable.

But what makes this one special isn’t just the hooks — it’s the detail behind the scenes.

Recording for the first time at The Garage Studios, the band went in totally prepped, but open to surprises. One surprise being a personal favourite section in the track. When the band isolated Eva’s piano in the pre-chorus for the first time. “We realised it sounded really gothic and weird” Joseph said, “but when we added everything on top again it just fit.”

With a few creative flourishes from engineer Kyle, the track became what the band now calls their favourite recording to date.

Sonically, they’ve levelled up

Compared to their EP, the difference is clear. Bigger sound, tighter cohesion, and a polished production. While the EP showed off their range of influences (varying from Pearl Jam to John Mayer), this track feels like they’ve nailed the blend — one that’s mature, distinct, and unmistakably Slate Label.

James dropped a nod to The Police’s Message In A Bottle as a loose influence on the chord work, while the lyrics — reflecting on the clarity that follows heartbreak — echo a similar sentiment to Inhaler’s If You’re Gonna Break My Heart. But make no mistake: this is very much their own lane.

Influences that shouldn’t work — but do

An early lesson that the band had to take into account was the array of different influences each member were bringing in. How to combine them into a sound which is cohesive.

Adam’s into Queens of the Stone Age. Dan’s into Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters. Eva started on classical piano but leans Billie Eilish. James is a John Mayer fan as well as the likes of Wunderhorse. And Joseph, a big 1975 fan with a sprinkle of hip-hop, EDM (specifically BRAT).

As you can imagine, combining all of these genres is no small feat - but somehow the band have managed to infuse all into their sound.

And if this track were a film? According to the band, it’d be Fight Club — layered, chaotic, unpredictable, but undeniably slick.

So, if you thought you had Slate Label figured out based on their EP, think again.

This isn’t a pivot — it’s a levelling up.

And if this release is any indication of what’s coming next, you’ll want to be front row when it hits a stage near you.

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In It For The Ride - out on all streaming platforms 25th July 2025.