Inspired by the pause felt for the progression of his life during lockdowns, Slim Jimz’ singer Ben Roach penned the lyrics for ‘25’ from a place of both frustration & hope, combining with the rest of the band to form their latest single, which is released today.
The dichotomy of having to see his friend’s lives progress to houses, families & careers, whilst he felt stagnated, drove home the need for all of Slim Jimz to create a song that could articulate their feeling of isolation and difference; in the hopes that it would resonate with others also feeling their plight.
With the band cramming back into their rehearsal space the moment they got free, an impromptu jazz-inspired guitar lick immediately set the tone for ‘25’, a fresh move away from the sonics typically heard from Slim Jimz.
With all the pieces in place, they headed to iconic Australian studio The Grove (Violent Soho, DMA’s, Skeggs) on NSW’s Central Coast to work with Jack Nigro (The Terry’s, Pacific Avenue, DICE) on cementing the track. It was also his idea to add keys to the arrangement, whilst bassist Zach Martorana worked on the chorus harmonies for over an hour in the passenger seat of his car, listening to the track on repeat to nail the melody.
“The lyrics for 25 were written after we finally came out of lockdown. At the time I felt disconnected – two years of my life had passed without any real experiences or connections to show for it. Everyone around me was getting married, having kids and buying houses which made me feel very different to everyone else. This song is about my desire to take back what I had lost and find someone that was worth waiting for.”
Ben Roach, Slim Jimz
“25 was the first song we started jamming together after coming out of lockdown, so there was this bitter-sweet energy in the room from not being able to hang out with each other for months. Our lead guitarist started mucking around with more jazz-inspired chords which immediately set the tone for a different kind of sound for the band. In the studio our producer helped us tighten up the track and on the fly we decided to add keys for the first time. After day one working on the track in the studio, our bassist sat in his car for over an hour listening and singing along to 25 on repeat to come up with the chorus harmonies, where he received some curious looks from dog walkers nearby.”
Ben Roach, Slim Jimz
Alongside the release of ‘25’, Sydney’s Slim Jimz will be playing a slew of shows in celebration of the single. Having just come off the back of SOLD OUT national shows with Perth’s South Summit, these performances will give fans another opportunity to experience a Slim Jimz live show.
‘25’ has been a mainstay of the Slim Jimz set & a fan favorite, with its release highly anticipated via the run of touring the band have completed across the past 12 months.
‘25’ is just the start of a string of singles Slim Jimz plan to release throughout 2023; all having been recorded during their time at The Grove Studios with Jack Nigro. With 2022 seeing the band perform to full houses with headline shows at The Lansdowne Hotel & Oxford Art Factory, their credentials as one of Australia’s premiere live indie-rock acts was solidified with a national tour alongside Perth’s South Summit. Their debut EP ‘Sky Turns Blue’ landed them regular airplay with tastemakers triple j, alongside triple j Unearthed praise from Declan Byrne, Dave Ruby Howe & Lachlan Pringle.
With 160k+ streams across DSP’s & previous support from Apple Music’s editorial team, the audience for Slim Jimz continues to build with a momentum that is unstoppable, ‘25’ only adding coal to the fire that fans have for their infectious tracks.
SLIM JIMZ ‘25’ RELEASE SHOWS
Sat June 10th The Vanguard Newtown, Sydney w/ Asteroid Blue & Scoot The Loot – Tickets
Sun June 24th Vic On The Park Sydneyw/ Des Cortez
Sat July 1st The Lansdowne Sydneyw/ Before The King – Tickets
Sat July 8th Hoey Moey Coffs Harbour w/ Lahgo
Sun July 16th The Soda Factory Surry Hills, Sydney
Sat Sept 2nd Beach Hotel Towragdi