Sunderland punk band Slalom D have released their first new music in almost a year – and it’s a love letter to their home town.
Harbour Walls is the first song released by the five-piece since the standalone single Medusa, which came out in July 2024.
Since then they’ve undergone a change of line-up, with Anthony Bircham replacing Gary Roberts on guitar earlier this year.
The rest of the band remains Fiona Duncan on vocals, Tony Lindstedt on bass, Iain Murray on drums and Andrew Scobie on keyboards.
Since forming in 2018, Slalom D – named after a strong lager from the 1970s – have amassed a growing following with their passionate and political take on punk.
Unashamedly opinionated, left-wing, anti-fascist and proudly working class, they have a handful of singles and two albums to their name – most recently 2023’s Waltz Into Anarchy (reviewed here).
Their first album, Happy Skies, self-released in 2021, was our album of the year (reviewed here), and they’re busy writing and recording songs for their third long-player.
In the meantime, you can stream Harbour Walls from the Serial Bowl Records Bandcamp page HERE. It’s available as a ‘name your price’ download.
The song is a loud and proud celebration of being a Mackem – local slang meaning you’re from Sunderland. You can feel the pride as Fi sings: “This is our home, from the sea to the city, from the city to Monument Hill … it’s a harbour in the storm.”
Slalom D have appeared three years in a row at punk’s most prestigious gathering, Rebellion Punk Rock Festival in Blackpool.
This year they’ve been invited back again, and have the honour of opening the main Empress Ballroom stage at 12.35pm on the first day of the festival, Thursday 7 August. See you down the front.
