Slim Twig
A surreal collision of 50s rockabilly swagger, cinematic string arrangements, and hip-hop sampling techniques. Art-pop for the midnight movie crowd.
A surreal collision of 50s rockabilly swagger, cinematic string arrangements, and hip-hop sampling techniques. Art-pop for the midnight movie crowd.
Slim Twig sounds like a rock and roll ghost haunting a modern recording studio. His music is a dense, kaleidoscopic swirl of eras, where the echo-drenched vocals of a 1950s greaser meet the sophisticated, sample-heavy textures of 90s trip-hop and the orchestral ambition of 70s art rock. It is music that feels both vintage and futuristic, draped in a thick layer of cinematic mystery.
What truly sets him apart is his 'found sound' approach to songwriting. Rather than just playing instruments, he often treats the history of recorded sound as his primary tool, layering obscure samples with live instrumentation to create something that feels like a lost film soundtrack. There is a specific tension between his theatrical, almost crooning vocal delivery and the gritty, experimental backdrops he constructs.
For those new to his world, A Hound at the Hem is the essential starting point. It is a concept album inspired by Nabokov that showcases his ability to blend high-concept storytelling with lush, psychedelic arrangements. It is an immersive experience that rewards deep listening and a tolerance for the beautifully strange.
Max Turnbull (born in 1988), better known by his stage name Slim Twig, is a Canadian songwriter, musician, and film actor, who has performed both as a solo artist and as the leader of Badge Époque Ensemble. He was born the son of Toronto-based filmmakers Ross Turnbull and Jennifer Hazel, and graduated from the Claude Watson School of the Arts in 2006. Twig began self-releasing music in 2005 and eventually earned a deal with Paper Bag Records. His first album under the label was Contempt!, released in 2009. He also worked in the film industry, playing "Billy Zero" in the 2007 film The Tracey Fragments. Other films he has appeared in are Dog Pound and Sight Unseen, in which he played the film's lead character. Twig co-founded the Calico Corp. record label alongside American-Canadian U.S. Girls. Twig's second album under Paper Bag, Sof' Sike, was released in August 2012. His third studio album, A Hound at the Hem, was released under Calico Corp. three months later. This album was eventually re-released by DFA Records, who signed Twig in 2014. In 2015, he released a cover version of Serge Gainsbourg's "Cannabis" as well as his fourth studio album, Thank You for Stickin' with Twig, both under DFA Records. He is married to Meghan Remy of U.S. Girls as of 2010, and they operate record label Calico Corp. together.
Shares art rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); sample based, lo fi, analog warmth (production style)
Shares mysterious, brooding, playful (moods); sample based, lo fi, analog warmth (production style)
Shares art rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); mysterious, brooding, playful (moods)
Shares psychedelic rock, art rock (subgenres); mysterious, brooding (moods)
Shares art rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); lo fi, analog warmth, layered dense (production style)
Shares art rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); analog warmth, lo fi, tape saturation (production style)
Shares art rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); mysterious, playful (moods)
Shares art rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); mysterious, brooding (moods)
Shares art rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); urban night, basement show (atmosphere)
Shares art rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); crooning, deadpan, processed (vocal style)
Shares psychedelic rock, tape saturation, art rock, sample based (subgenre)
Shares psychedelic rock, tape saturation, art rock, sample based (subgenre)
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