Slow Drain: The Interview

Written by Jessica Brown

December 15th, 2023

Slow Drain is an early 2000s inspired emo pop-punk band from Montreal, QC. They released their first EP, Days When You Felt Strong, on November 20, 2023, consisting of five great songs. Slow Drain takes their inspirations from the music they grew up on while adding their own personalization, energy, and vibrancy to the songs on the EP. I was very lucky to have an opportunity to talk to Ben Pommier, the band’s vocalist, and we discussed his songwriting, inspirations, future live performances, and more.

What motivated your decision to release your EP?

“Honestly, those songs were getting old. Some of them have been recorded for a year, and others have been on my hard drive for about five years. We wanted to release the EP as soon as possible because we were doing those songs live, and no one really knew them. Also, it’s always cool to write music and put it out.”

How would you describe your music?

“I would say it’s like 2000s emo with a mix of modern post-hardcore, metalcore, and a little bit of pop punk. Those are my roots, and I can’t escape them. My goal for those first songs was to sound kind of like an angry Paramore.”

What do you think makes your music unique?

“I’m not trying to sound like anyone else. I just write what comes in. When I record and write a song, I don’t even write lyrics; I just write the first part and start singing on top of it. It’s based on the melody that I want to sing.”

What were your inspirations while writing Days When You Felt Strong?

“The main influences are Alexisonfire, Sail’s End, and Underoath. There are a few music producers that I think helped in regard to using their technique, or I think about how they would make something sound; I like David Bendeth and Will Putney. I have friends that are bands and are succeeding, and I find that inspiring as well.”

What was your creative process while writing your EP?

“I wrote a bunch of demos, with a guitar riff and a vocal line, then I imagine the drums and bass line in my head and write an entire song. When I’m done writing the song, I send it to the rest of the band, and they learn their parts, then we practice it. It’s nice to write songs in front of a computer, but playing them live, you get different ideas and feelings coming up; we like to do that before we go into the final recording stage.”

How would you describe your approach to writing song lyrics when adding them to songs? Do you focus on storytelling, emotions, or something else?

“Mostly feelings. I don’t really write lyrics; I come up with it as I’m recording. It’s kind of how I feel at the moment. I guess it’s that little voice in my head that I normally keep to myself because I don’t want to bother anyone with my problems, and when I put it into music, it just comes up. It’s like my therapy.”

Do you have any routines or methods that help you get into a creative mindset?

“I like to have an entire day free because once I get started, it’s like I don’t need to sleep or eat; I can go on for 12 hours just writing. Once I finally stop, I’m exhausted, and my body needs food and fluids. So, I like to have an entire day with no obligations.”

Did you face any creative blocks while writing the EP? How did you overcome them?

“Yeah, most of the time, I was going to practice only having part of a song but having no idea what to do for the rest, so we would play it and see how we feel. Sometimes, the song is done, and it doesn’t make me feel happy or make me want to jump, so I ask my bandmates for feedback. I mostly ask my drummer, Pierre, because we really connect with each other when writing.”

What was the most difficult song to write on the EP?

“I think the most difficult to write was Wrecking Needs because I think I had the EP completely done, and then I went back and changed one verse because I didn’t feel happy with it. Most difficult to record; if I had to pick one, Look Back So Bright was hard because, with the drums, we couldn’t find the right build-up in the beginning.”

What is the most important message or feeling that you want to convey through your music?

“It’s okay to be sad and feel like you’re not good enough. It’s like I’m not good enough, but at least I’m doing something about it. I guess that's it.

Reveille Toi is a personal song about hard things that happened. What was your goal when writing and releasing that song?

“I didn’t have any specific goals, but when I was writing it, my wife's stepdad had passed away. He was a very cool man and used to be a bodyguard for the Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan. Every time I saw him, we would talk about music, and I looked at him and thought that when I got older, I want to be that guy. When I got the news he passed, it was right when I was finishing the recording, and I was just starting to record the vocals for that song.”

Do you have any upcoming plans for live performances?

“We have a show in Cornwall, ON, on December 16, 2023, with some of our friends, Growing Fires. We’re also trying to book a show with some local Montreal, QC, bands at Petit Campus; it’s a really cool venue. That show will probably be on February 24, 2024.”

What is your favourite song from Days When You Felt Strong?

“I really like Worst Human Being because I had the chance to feature one of my friends, Matt Savage, so that was really cool. It had a very emo feeling. If I had to put them in order, it would be: Worst Human Being, Wrecking Needs, Reveille Toi, Look Back So Bright, and Can’t Deny.”

You can find Slow Drain on Instagram and TikTok @slowdrainband, and you can stream their EP Days When You Felt Strong on Spotify and Apple Music.