Band Biographies: Slow Wake

Slow Wake was conceived in Cleveland, Ohio amidst the chaos and turmoil of the Covid pandemic by guitarists Dan Simone (Black Spirit Crown) and Matt Merchant. As the world seemed to collapse around them, the two long-time friends convened to process what they were experiencing by finally starting that band they'd been talking about for years. What emerged from those first few jam sessions was an intriguing blend of styles, Matt's post-rock/Americana and Dan's stoner doom offering a compelling counterpoint to each other in passages that were simultaneously ethereal and psychedelic, yet powerful and cathartic.

The duo was soon joined by bassist Joe Fortunato (Sparrowmilk, Venomin James) and drummer Jeff Larch (Black Spirit Crown, Reginleif) and the riffs did flow. What emerged was a blend of post-rock, doom, heavy psych, and outer space described as "Like staring out into the abyss of Lake Erie at sunset on a few hits of acid as the sun burns the water."

The band hit the ground running with their first show in June of 2021. It proceeded to play relentlessly throughout the region with heavy hitters such as Lo-Pan, Frayle, Telekinetic Yeti, Heavy Temple, Caustic Casanova, and Argonauta Records alumni The Lucid Furs, as well as an appearance at the Ohio Doomed and Stoned Fest. Independent label and co-organizers of the “Post. Festival” and “dunk! USA”, A Thousand Arms Music, included the song “In Waves” on their “Open Language: Volume VII” compilation to a wide audience of post fans.