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Slow Nerve Action’s new CD a surprise

The Soap of Beautiful Women boxes in Sea Side acoustics Who: Slow Nerve Action Where: The Shack When: Fridays to March 1 When recording an album, you never know what you’re gonna get.

The Soap of Beautiful Women

boxes in Sea Side acoustics

Who: Slow Nerve Action

Where: The Shack

When: Fridays to March 1

When recording an album, you never know what you’re gonna get. Or was that a box of chocolates?

Regardless of the sweet stuff, when Slow Nerve Action went into Seaside Studios to record their latest album, The Soap of Beautiful Women , they ended up using 12 entirely new recordings from the three-day session.

"We really liked the sound of Sea Side’s acoustics, so a lot of our old favourites we didn’t end up pulling. Most of the songs were all recorded on the first and second take, as well," says Josh Gontier, singer in the local band. "We’ve got a good reason to tour now. After recording nine songs over the last year and a half, we originally planned to use and record a few new ones"

Slow Nerve Action is Gontier on guitar and vocals, Chris Berry on lead vocals, Mike Lunt on drums, and Ian Lamont on keyboards.

Gontier can also be found strumming a Norman acoustic Thursday evenings at the Crystal Lounge.

"I play less of the classic rock, mostly groovy stuff, with quite a bit of Beck, and songs from Dave Matthews," says Gontier.

With funk and groove rhythms, Slow Nerve Action is finding their way, as well as their audience. The college circuit is the main source of listeners, and they’re happy with that demographic.

"We’re going after the college folks, and we’re really starting to get more airplay. On CIUT, (the University of Toronto radio station), we’re at number seven on the charts," adds Gontier.

As part of their promotions, the band ensures all college stations, from CITR UBC to CFRC Queens, receive a copy of their past demo and current album.

The band, based in Whistler for the last four and a half years, now find themselves in Vancouver.

Like the campus circuit they frequent, travel is a mainstay throughout the year. The band recently completed a tour of the islands and Interior B.C. towns like Rossland, then looped back to Whistler’s Boot Pub on Dec. 3, and The Purple Onion in Gastown on Dec. 6.

An Ontario and Quebec tour this March will take them to Toronto venues including Reverb and the new upscale Hugh’s Room, then back to the West Coast for April, in time for the World Ski and Snowboard Festival in Whistler.

In terms of the bare-bones song writing, there’s always been a little "live" in the music creation.

"About half of our songs have been written completely beforehand, and about half are written from live improv, including the single Astroglide," says Gontier.

While Gontier and Berry write most of the lyrics, they all write the music together as a collective.

And do they find song material in a variety of everyday experiences?

"Basically they’re all about sex," says Gontier.

And what was that about chocolate?